It is only fair for tax paying citizens to question how the government is utilizing the funds it receives from their tax money. Essentially, they have the right to access details about the services that a government may be engaged in or information regarding an expensive project it might be pursuing. For this purpose, International Centre for Journalists and Hacks/Hackers Pakistan have planned a data bootcamp.
What is this data bootcamp?
The 3-day long event, being Pakistan’s first ever data journalism event, is a hands on training course that focuses on technical skills crucial to a team-based project work. It will bring a number of trainers from LUMS’s Technology for People Initiative, International Centre for Journalists’ Knight program and Code for Africa besides digital designers, developers as well as civil society activists.
What exactly does one take away from such an event?
This event helps attendees understand government datasets by transforming the available complex information into tools that are easily accessible by the citizens. People belonging to various departments will be grouped in order to utilize different skills by each group in order to produce data driven vizualization, maps, tools and stories which will all help citizens to gain easier access to information.
How will the training help in this matter?
The hands on training stresses on the skills that are crucial to data literacy. It will commence with a brief introduction to such things as data driven journalism and open data along with a rudimentary spreadsheet training. Eventually, it will advance to the level of scraping data, creating pivot tables, creating vizualizations and then making narratives using the available data. Yes, you’ll get a certificate too.
When is it taking place?
This data bootcamp is scheduled to held on 7th May (5pm PKT) at the Center for Excellence in Journalism, IBA.
How much will the attendance cost?
The bootcamp is free to attend. Anyone wanting to register can do so till April 15, 2015. Due to limit amount of seats, this is a first come, first serve affair. If you feel up to it, feel free to register here.
is there any chance this bootcamp will come to Lahore???
Not easily