@dataremixed recently posted a good thread on the need for data literacy and how it is needed to fight emerging societal problems. This is something a few colleagues @slizlarson @profstevek and I have been thinking about and working on recently. Thread incoming...buckle-up.

Past research in our field has looked at the central role of the administrator as a positive force and shield against misinformation and corruption. But data literacy is something that needs to be improved to help fight against the very problems you have identified.

Without a data literate public sector, inequity will be exacerbated and public discourse will likely continue descending into madness. (1) There are challenges in the public sphere that data literacy can help address like the digital divide and bias in algorithms @EMBusuioc .

If data are going to be used to make decisions affecting the public, an understanding of who is and is not being represented needs to be explicitly addressed at every stage of the data-to-insight process.

(2) A data literate public sector needs to understand the ethical responsibility to protect the data collection, management, analysis, and communication processes from political influence. Even if protected, analysis and Insights from data are not unbiased or politically neutral.

But, if the process is transparent and trusted, I believe it can facilitate positive public discourse. (3) This leads me to a final point that I am I still thinking through: data analysis should not make decisions in place of public discourse.

Predictive modeling in place of public discourse can lead to a passive and complacent citizenry in addition to increasing inequities from algorithm bias and the digital divide. Data analysis needs to be humanized by an active and engaged public.

So, what is missing from data literacy training? I would argue an understanding of the role and responsibilities of the data professional in the public sphere is missing. The field of public administration has done an excellent job of addressing this issue broadly, and

There is a new push to explore the role of the administrator in the digital age @InesMergel, which is promising. But, greater attention to the nuanced context of data and data science in the public sphere is needed.

I would also argue, a comprehensive skills framework that (1) encompasses the entire data-to-insight process, and (2) articulates broad competency areas that describe both basic and extremely sophisticated skills.

To address some of this gap, I (forgive me for the plug) am developing a data science literacy taxonomy, which is an extension of data literacy research, but designed for public sector professionals. Thanks to those that made it through this thread.