HEALTH

Des Chiffres et Des Jeunes (DCDJ) Program

Using Data to Improve Lives and Contribute to Ending HIV/Aids.
About Des Chiffres et Des Jeunes
Des Chiffres et Des Jeunes (DCDJ) was a program led by Development Gateway (DG) and funded by the MCC-PEPFAR Data Collaboratives for Local Impact (DCLI) Program. The DCDJ program aimed to improve the data ecosystem in Côte d’Ivoire, increase the supply and demand for data – particularly health data – and to train and support data users. The program empowered individuals, communities, and organizations, including stakeholders in subnational areas, to use data to improve lives, contribute to ending HIV/AIDS, and help address local development needs and priorities. It further aimed to bolster the subnational supply and usage of data for citizens of Côte d’Ivoire, engage youth as champions of these services, and fuel innovation to address rising data and information needs.

impact

The DCDJ Program used several approaches to improving the data ecosystem in Côte d’Ivoire, including:

  • Fellows Program: Ivorian youth completed an 8-week data science training program at Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Statistique et d’Economie Appliquée d’Abidjan (ENSEA) in Abidjan, and were then placed in government organizations, NGOs and health organizations working on HIV/AIDS to apply their skills. DCDJ trained 86 Fellows since the first cohort in September 2018. To address challenges like retention rates for women, DCDJ highlights mentorship and learning support such as a data science club and strong alumni network that provides continued support with job postings, ways to continue involvement, and networking opportunities. Partnering with local organizations and a strong team of women leaders, DCDJ provided professional development opportunities for Fellows, as well as NGO leaders, mentors, and DCDJ staff.
  • Open Data Readiness Assessment: In partnership with SBC4D, we conducted an assessment of the government’s readiness for open data through an Open Data Readiness Assessment (ODRA), which identifies barriers and challenges to open data use. Using the ODRA findings, we developed an action plan to address those barriers and improve the supply of data. We conducted the ODRA in partnership with the Ministry of Planning, and shared findings across several government ministries. Informed by the ODRA, our work focused on Man, Daloa, Boake, San Pedro, and two neighborhoods in Abidjan, and worked to promote the creation and use of sub-national (local-level) data.
  • Data Inventory Platform: Launched in May 2020, DCDJ’s Data Inventory was designed to provide an inventory of available local datasets and to connect interested parties to the data owner. DCDJ worked on community outreach to explain the inventory benefits and use, increase awareness, and to train NGOs on how to upload and update metadata on the platform. After launching the platform, training continued to focus on data privacy and anonymizing data. 234 people were trained on how to access and submit data, and 523 datasets were collected from 86 organizations across health fields. The Data Inventory is available here.