State agencies will work together to drive interest in information, at the year’s first quarterly meeting of a professional network for data users.
CalData, which began as the California Open Data Working Group in 2013, said on its website that it will “join efforts” with the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) and the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) at its March 27 meeting.
In a recent interview with Techwire, Greg Gearhart, deputy director of the office of information management and analysis at SWRCB, said officials hope to use the CalData meeting to stimulate engagement with its two new volunteer data groups, the Data Management Innovation Team (DMIT) and the Data Science Advisory Panel (DSAP). He praised the work of Angelica Quirarte, assistant secretary for digital engagement at the Government Operations Agency (GovOps), and said his agency is “following in the footsteps of a lot of other government innovators” on data.
Quirarte told Techwire she recruited the water agency to join the 10 a.m. meeting, at the California Library and Courts Building, based on its previous involvement, calling it “one of our strongest partners in the open data program and our most active publishers on data.ca.gov.” Among the takeaways ahead of the gathering:
• CalData, officially formed in October 2017, is a professional network for “data curious” government staffers to share “best practices and information about open data, data sharing, data engagement, training and development, and data driven performance improvement,” per its charter. But Quirarte described it as “pretty informal” overall.
“It’s just a space for departments to share some of the work that they’re doing, to drive data-driven efforts. I think spaces like CalData are valuable because they showcase what’s working within certain entities. It gives others the courage to want to take a step in that direction,” she said.
• CalEPA’s Manoj Beeravelli will discuss changes to the agency’s Regulated Site Portal, which enable access via a geo server. The portal shows information from databases in EPA boards and departments.
• During an update on Southern California data science success stories, officials will discuss how data has helped modernize Los Angeles and Los Angeles County government operations as well as process within Southern California water agencies. Regardless of its agency of origin, Gearhart said, data is typically capable of powering a variety of “strategic action projects” around water and natural resources. “All these California questions really depend on accessible data,” he said.
• Asked what could be on the horizon later in the year as agencies continue working toward the goals of 2016’s AB 1755, the Open and Transparent Water Data Act, Quirarte suggested looking for how the state adds more structure to how data efforts and initiatives are managed. She added: “I’m excited to see how the open data program evolves and what other departments and entities start taking an active approach in, how they’re using data for internal decision-making.”
AB 1755 required the state Department of Water Resources, with the California Water Quality Monitoring Council, the SWRCB and the Department of Fish and Wildlife, to create a statewide “integrated water data platform” as well as protocols for “data sharing, documentation, quality control, public access, and promotion of open-source platforms,” and “decision support tools” around water data.
