Introducing the GainForest Data Council: A Collaborative Approach to Data Governance
Written by Fatin Hamzah and Chona Billones
At GainForest, our commitment extends beyond technology; it is also about mutual learning and collaboration with our global network of community partners. By co-designing and providing advanced technology to measure their impacts as nature stewards, we visualize these efforts through our Green Globe platform. This not only enhances funding opportunities and visibility but also supports critical conservation and restoration initiatives on the ground. Simultaneously, we learn about local challenges, nuances, and the feasibility of implementing our technologies in real-world settings. This mutual learning drives continuous improvement to provide more inclusive and effective technology solutions.
With data being the fundamental aspect of our collaboration with community partners, we acknowledge the importance of comprehensive data governance–encompassing ownership, privacy, security, access, quality, ethical considerations, and capacity building. Having data policies in place would enable us to govern data responsibly while respecting the autonomy of our community partners. Therefore, rather than imposing them, we aim to co-create these policies.
In that notion, we are happy to announce the establishment of the GainForest Data Council. This council embodies a collaborative approach, featuring regional representatives who will play a crucial role in shaping these policies and promoting transparent data practices throughout our global network- together with us.
Meet the GainForest Data Council Members
We are pleased to introduce the members of the GainForest Data Council, comprising GainForest representatives and regional representatives selected by our global community partner network. Following a recent internal election process involving GainForest and our community partners, these regional representatives will bring diverse perspectives and local expertise to our council.
GainForest Representatives:
Community Partner Representatives:
Justine Bual
Justine Bual is a forestry graduate dedicated to sustainable natural resource conservation through environmental education and community empowerment. She hails from the province where Masungi Georeserve, an award-winning and globally-recognized conservation project, is located in the Philippines. Justine earned her Bachelor of Science in Forestry with Latin honors from the University of the Philippines Los Baños, specializing in natural resource conservation.
She represented Masungi in key environmental forums, such as the 2024 Asia-Pacific Social Innovation Exchange Program in Taiwan and the 2024 Inception Workshop on Wild Foods in the Philippines by DOST-FNRI and FAO. At Masungi, she facilitates environmental education and geotourism initiatives, enhancing the foundation's mission by developing programs to sustainably boost partnerships.
Justine has been involved with Gainforest for nearly a year, helping establish Masungi's data in Green Globe and processing funding opportunities. As a Regional Representative on the Gainforest Data Council, she aims to leverage her expertise and experience to ensure seamless data sharing and robust protection of natural resources.
Simon Peter Okoth
Trained as a social worker, Simon Peter Okoth now specializes in technology-based restoration programs. He has led significant landscape restoration projects in Uganda, resulting in the planting, mapping, and monitoring of 280,000 indigenous trees across various districts. Additionally, he has mapped over 100,000 trees and trained over 200 young people in tree mapping technology. Over the past year, Simon has led his team in communication, tree mapping, and uploading GainForest-related data into the Green Globe platform. He is dedicated to improving platform usability and suggesting innovative ideas to benefit users, partners, and stakeholders. Currently, as Chief Operations Officer at Bees and Trees Uganda, he has uploaded data for over 30 restoration sites and trained more than 20 young people to use the ODK application and Green Globe platforms.
Gabriel Silva de Souza Nunes
Gabriel Silva de Souza Nunes was born in Manaus, the capital of Amazonas state in the Brazilian Amazon. As an intradisciplinary professional, he leads multilateral projects both in the Amazon and internationally. Gabriel specializes in invertebrate taxonomy and the co-development and coordination of projects with local Amazonian communities. At the ETH BiodivX team in the XPRIZE, he coordinates biodiversity monitoring schemes in partnership with these communities, integrating traditional and scientific knowledge. In 2023, Gabriel met David Dao, who introduced him to GainForest. Since then, they have been working together to improve the living conditions of Amazon's traditional communities through technology and biodiversity monitoring.
What is the Data Council for?
At GainForest, we believe in collaborative data governance. The GainForest Data Council aims to:
Co-create comprehensive data policies with input from our community partners, specifically the elected regional representatives, ensuring transparency and fairness.
Periodically review and adapt policies based on feedback and emerging best practices to ensure effective data governance.
Facilitate mutual learning on data rights, responsibilities, and ethical standards by sharing insights and best practices within our global community partner network.
Take part in this journey!
The mission is to reflect our commitment to transparent data governance and ensure that we are able to provide our community partners an additional venue to discuss and air out concerns related to data ownership and rights.Â
In the months ahead, the Data Council members will engage in a series of meetings that will determine how we can reach our objectives, clarify our roles, and establish collaboration frameworks. Afterwards, policy development sessions will follow to draft and refine data policies that reflect regional and community-specific needs which will be periodically assessed.
Because you are part of our community, we’d love to hear what you think! Share your data concerns, suggestions, and/or feedback with us through this form, or feel free to reach out through community@gainforest.net until July 28, 2024.