Course

Unit 1

What Is Data Strategy & Ethics in the Social Sector? Data strategy vs. data management vs. digital transformation The 5 Cs of Ethics consent, clarity, consistency and trust, control and transparency, consequencesData as power, evidence, and equitable data practicesWhy more data is not always better

Unit 2

Mission, Theory of Change & Data Translating mission and program goals into data needs Aligning data collection with outcomesnot donor convenience Avoiding extractive and performative data practices

Unit 3

Power, Participation & Accountability Who benefits from data and bears the risks? Participatory and community-centered data models Community consent vs. organizational permission

Unit 4

Strategic Choices Across the Data Lifecycle Deciding what not to collect, retention limits and data exit strategies Ethical data sharing vs. open data pressures Field Ethics & Contextual Decision-Making – Balancing ethical ideals with operational realities; navigating trade-offs under time pressure, incomplete data, and resource constraints.

Unit 5

Measuring Impact Without Causing Harm Quantitative vs. qualitative evidence Data fatigue, re-traumatization, and surveillance risks Responsible use of indicators, dashboards, and AI scores Crafting a Data Strategy Roadmap / Blueprint Building a step-by-step plan for data initiatives, covering technology, processes, people, and governance.

Text Books / References

References:

1. Data Strategy by Sid Adelman, Larissa T. Moss, Majid Aba , Orielly
2. Ethics and Data Science, by Mike Loukides, Hilary Mason, DJ Patil, Orielly
3. Data Ethics: Practical Strategies for Implementing Ethical Information Management and Governance (2nd Edition) by Katherine O’Keefe and Daragh O Brien

Suggested Readings:

1. Humanizing Data Strategy: Leading Data with the Head and the Heart, by Tiankai Feng
2. DalleMule, L., & Davenport, T. H. (2017). What’s Your Data Strategy?. Offers frameworks for aligning data management with business strategies.
3. HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Data Strategy (featuring “Democratizing Transformation” by Marco Iansiti and Satya Nadella)
4. Peer-reviewed articles/journals that will be shared for each module

This module equips participants with the strategic frameworks needed to design, evaluate, and challenge data practices so they serve social missions ethically, sustainably, and accountably. This focus of this module is: purpose, prioritization and ethical and strategic judgement. This module is crucial to serve get an understanding of how leadership and ethics committees reviews data collection .

Typical questions:

• Why are we collecting this data?
• What decisions will it inform?
• Who benefits—and who bears the risks?
• What data should we notcollect?
• How does this align with mission, values, and accountability?

Course Objectives

1. Understand ethical data strategy as a leadership and governance function in social impact and humanitarian organizations.
2. Examine the purpose and necessity of data collection in relation to mission, theory of change, and decision-making.
3. Analyze power, risk, and accountability in data practices, with particular attention to affected communities.
4. Apply ethical judgment across the data lifecycle, including decisions about non-collection, retention, sharing, and exit.
5. Develop a principled approach to impact measurement that minimizes harm while maintaining accountability.

Course Outcomes 

1. Distinguish data strategy from data management and digital transformation in the social and humanitarian sectors.
2. Critically assess data collection practices by identifying who benefits, who bears risks, and what decisions the data supports.
3. Evaluate ethical trade-offs involved in impact measurement, dashboards, indicators, and AI-supported data tools.
4. Justify decisions about what data should not be collected or retained, using ethical and strategic reasoning.
5. Design a high-level ethical data strategy outline suitable for review by organizational leadership or ethics committees.

CO-PO Mapping: (Course Outcome and Program Outcome Mapping)