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Data Infrastructure for Common Challenges
  • Data Landscape Playbook
    • Data Landscape Playbook: status
    • What is this playbook for?
    • Who is this playbook for?
  • Play one: Explore the problem and how data can address it
    • Define how improving access to data can help address your problem
    • What type of data infrastructure does the initiative aim to create or maintain?
      • Build or manage data assets
      • Create or adopt data standards
      • Build or improve technologies
      • Create guidelines and policies
      • Build or support organisations and communities
    • Carry out initial research and engagement
    • Summary of Play One
  • Play two: Map the data ecosystem
    • Engage with key stakeholders
    • Create an ecosystem map
    • Identify gaps, barriers and opportunities
    • Summary of Play Two
  • Play three: Assess the policy, regulatory and ethical context
    • Understand the legal, regulatory and policy context of the initiative
    • Understand the ethical issues impacting your initiative
    • Summary of Play Three
  • Play four: Assess the existing data infrastructure
    • Make a data inventory
    • Assess open standards for data
    • Assess data skills and literacies
    • Summary of Play Four
  • Play five: Plan for impact when designing your data initiative
    • Plan an impactful initiative
    • Identify risks, assumptions and dependencies
    • Sketch your evaluation framework
    • Summary of Play Five
  • What comes next?
  • Acknowledgements
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  1. Play two: Map the data ecosystem

Create an ecosystem map

PreviousEngage with key stakeholdersNextIdentify gaps, barriers and opportunities

Last updated 4 years ago

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Once you’ve started to engage with your stakeholders, we recommend you create a . A data ecosystem consists of the organisations, communities and people that create and benefit from the value created by the data flowing through our data infrastructure. A data ecosystem map illustrates the value exchanges in an ecosystem.

This map can be used both as a practical planning tool to manage your data ecosystem, and for communication and advocacy to demonstrate the opportunities for increasing value to particular parts of the ecosystem.

When creating a data ecosystem map, we recommend reflecting on the problem your initiative is trying to tackle. Try to frame this problem in a particular data-focused use case to optimise the mapping exercise and identify the gaps that might be addressed by building data infrastructure.

The following is an example ecosystem map for a challenge project around reducing snakebite mortality and morbidity in India:

Ecosystem map for a challenge project on reducing snakebite in India. Image credit: ODI

We follow a four-step process to map create a data ecosystem map

Start with the part of the ecosystem you know best As you draw, start with the part of the ecosystem you know best. We recommend thinking about the most relevant organisations to your use case, including your own. Use Post-its or draw circles to plot all the people, organisations or technologies that are linked in some way to the data. It may help to think of the organisations and groups you need data from, or you provide services to. Stay with very specific examples as it ensures the representation is as realistic as possible.

Now that you have some of the actors, start mapping the flows and exchanges in the ecosystem. Start with the data that is shared or used by different actors. Draw lines and add labels to indicate what data is being shared or used.

After plotting the data flows, think of other forms of tangible value, such as how money (e.g. fees and service charges) funds different activities, or how services (e.g. healthcare and energy) are provided.

Next ask yourself, what kind of insights are being generated from data sharing, and how are these insights being shared? At this stage, describe value flows that are relatively intangible such as insights, knowledge and policy.

Many of the actors and value flows that you draw out in your data ecosystem map will feature in the next play as inputs, activities and dependencies. Keep this in mind.

One of the most valuable uses of your data ecosystem map is to find new opportunities. Look for new potential opportunities from your mapped ecosystem such as where to improve data flows, create new services or build new connections.

Image credit: ODI
Image credit: ODI
Image credit: ODI
Image credit: ODI

The opportunities you discover in your data ecosystem map can help you understand the inputs you need to access, the activities you need to undertake, and the outputs you need to create in order to achieve your desired impact. (more on the )

For additional guidance, tips and examples regarding data ecosystem mapping, check out our free webinar from the .

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Data ecosystem mapping: plotting the journey from data to value for your business
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Download a PDF of our Data Ecosystem Mapping tool to print out
data ecosystem map