Current Projects
2021- The scale of public governance of AI. As a PhD Candidate at McGill University under the supervision of Prof I research the scale of public governance of AI. This work is a continuation of the AI public investments and policy in Canada research I conducted at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research on Montreal as the 2019-2021 McConnell Professor of Practice. The research is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)’s Doctoral Canada Graduate Scholarship, Lorne Trottier Fellowship, Alexandra Irwin Cowie Fellowship, and the Graduate Excellence Fellowship Award.
2020- AI for the Rest of Us. In my PhD capacity, I also co-lead AI for the Rest of Us, a project exploring meaningful civic participation in AI decision-making. Project leads: Prof and Ana Brandusescu. McGill University with support from SSHRC’s Insight Development Grant.
Advising / Community
2021- Global Data Barometer. Research Advisory Committee Member. Supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC).
2021- Urban AI. Advisor and Contributor.
2021-23 Canada’s Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Open Government. Civil Society Member. Supported by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat.
2020- <A+> Alliance. Member. A research and policy network that works on and promotes a feminist and inclusive AI. Supported by IDRC.
2017- Academic journal articles. Peer-reviewer. Data & Policy, Big Data & Society, Geomatica, Internet Policy Review, Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology (JASIST), Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management.
2016- @OpenHeroines. Member. A virtual community for women and non-binary people working in the open+spaces: open data, civic tech, and open government. Independent, with support from the Hewlett Foundation.
2015- #ResponsibleData community. Member. A place for those who use data in social change and advocacy to develop practical approaches to addressing the ethical, legal, social, and privacy-related challenges they face. Supported by The Engine Room.
2018-21 Learning from Small Cities. Advisory Board Member. Governing imagined futures in India’s smart urban age. King’s College London, Birkbeck, University of London, University of Birmingham, Institute of Economic Growth, and Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Mohali – with support from ESRC & ICSSR.
Past Projects
2019-22 AI in the City. As the 2019-2021 McConnell Professor of Practice at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research on Montreal (CIRM), I co-designed, co-developed, and co-organized with Prof Jess Reia the AI in the City symposium and subsequent publication. The publication, “Artificial Intelligence in the City: Building Civic Engagement and Public Trust”, features essays from 40 authors in 3 languages (English, French, and Spanish) and is available as open access. It critically examines AI governance, development, and deployment. McGill University and the University of Virginia with support from the McConnell Foundation and the Mellon Foundation.
2019-21 Artificial Intelligence Policy and Funding in Canada. As the 2019-2021 McConnell Professor of Practice at CIRM, I designed and implemented a research agenda on public investments in AI. Power lies in funding and investment networks, yet public access to these networks is notoriously difficult. This exploratory research begins to examine public investment flows in AI. Access to financial flows is a gateway to understanding decisions made behind closed doors. Billions of taxpayers’ money go into AI. How is the Canadian government building the innovation economy under AI? Read “Artificial Intelligence Policy and Funding in Canada: Public Investments, Private Interests” (full report) and accompanying documents. McGill University with support from the McConnell Foundation.
2020 Data Futures Lab. I co-authored a working paper and theoretical framework titled ‘“Shifting Power Through Data Governance” that explored the underpinnings of data stewardship and data governance, from historical, cross-cultural, and cross-domain perspectives. In addition, I provided guidance and feedback on the data governance projects database and its accompanying analysis compiled by Mozilla’s research team. Mozilla Foundation with support from Luminate.
2019-21 Open Access Handbook for UN Agencies. I co-authored a handbook for sustainable development goals advocacy, by working with UN agencies to encourage large scale sharing of UNESCO content on Wikipedia. UNESCO with support from Wikimedia Foundation.
2019-20 Open Contracting: Gender and Inclusion. As strategic advisor, I edited the research report conducted by Step Up Consulting on whether open contracting reforms can or cannot lead to increased equality and inclusion in public contracting processes. I was a panelist at the launch of the research report and co-wrote a blog post on open data standards design, setting, and power published by ILDA. Step Up Consulting, with support from Hivos.
2018-20 One-to-One Advisory Service for Open Smart Cities and Communities. As research consultant, I developed and gave a presentation on AI and algorithmic governance for Canadian municipalities for the online education curricula on open smart cities. Open North & Evergreen, with support from the Government of Canada.
2019 Closing the Gender Pay Gap. As research consultant and facilitator, I led the workshop on identifying challenges and actionable insights into tackling the gender pay gap issue at the Feminist Open Government Day in Ottawa. I wrote a brief on the topic, created the methodology, facilitated a workshop of 30+ people, and wrote a Summary Report. Open Data Charter & the Center for Global Development, with support from Luminate.
2019 Open Contracting Reform in US Cities: City of Los Angeles and the City of Philadelphia. As senior advisor, I led the development of Actionable Opportunities reports and Action Plans for the Cities. I also provided technical support on open contracting policy and Open Contracting Data Standard. Sunlight Open Cities – Sunlight Foundation, with support from Open Contracting Partnership.
2017-18 Women’s Rights Online. The WRO network drives women’s empowerment on and through the web by working to reform policy and regulation to close the digital gender gap. I co-led research on new methodology directions. World Wide Web Foundation, with support from SIDA.
2016-18 Open Data Barometer. I led research and co-developed two editions of the ODB, a global measure of how governments are publishing and using open data for accountability, innovation, and social impact. World Wide Web Foundation, with support from IDRC & Omidyar Network.
2017-18 Measurement and Accountability Working Group. As co-chair, I co-developed a Measurement Guide to assess the Open Data Charter’s six Open Data Charter principles for supporting government implementation of open data, standards and best practices. Open Data Charter, with support from Omidyar Network.
2017 Personal Data Protection in Nigeria. Strategic advisor. Paradigm Initiative & World Wide Web Foundation.
2017 AI and Policy in Africa. I co-led research on scoping studies across Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa. World Wide Web Foundation, with support from Harvard Berkman Klein Center .
2016 Open Data to Fight Corruption. I co-authored research that measures the progress made by five key countries in implementing the G20 Anti-Corruption Open Data Principles. World Wide Web Foundation, with support from Transparency International.
2016 Open Up Guide for Agriculture. Strategic Advisor. A guide for governments to open agricultural data. Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN) & the Open Data Charter, with support from UK Department of International Development (DFID).
2016 Public Procurement Transparency in Côte d’Ivoire. I led research, workshop facilitation, and report writing for the scoping study. British Embassy in Abidjan & World Wide Web Foundation, with support from the Open Contracting Partnership.
2014 Participatory 3D Modelling projects in the Africa-Caribbean-Pacific regions. P3DM is a community-based tool and process that integrates local spatial knowledge with data on land elevation and sea depth to create a physical model that supports local development. CTA – Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Co-operation, with support from the European Union.
2014 Open Contracting Data Standard. I co-developed the standard. OCDS enables disclosure of data and documents at all stages of the contracting process by defining a common data model. World Bank & World Wide Web Foundation, with support from Omydiar Network.
2013-14 Geothink. How the Geospatial Web 2.0 is Reshaping Government-Citizen Interactions. McGill University & partners, with support from SSHRC.