Project volunteer Tanya Rofani
“I became a Data Ambassador to work closely with a social sector organisation, because it impacts real people who come to them for support.”
This is our first spotlight celebrating our fantastic, committed, and talented volunteer community. Tanya was recently a Data Ambassador with young persons’ support charity Action for Children. She was part of a small team working closely with the charity for three months as they took on a new data science project. She gives us the highlights and her top tips for taking on the Data Ambassador role, below.
Please tell us a bit about yourself and your data background…
I have worked in both the public service and corporate sector mainly in economic/financial analysis. I have a degree in statistics and enjoy incorporating technology in problem solving.
Why did you decide to become a Data Ambassador?
I became a Data Ambassador to work closely with a social sector organisation because it impacts real people who come to the organisation for support. I wanted to help solve a specific concern of the organisation with data whilst contributing to a social issue such as an environmental or public health issue.
What did you enjoy the most about being a Data Ambassador, and what did you find most challenging?
I really enjoyed the DataDive weekend and the great work of the volunteers and their results, which was a culmination of our efforts put into the project the months before.
As the raw data we had to work with contained private and possibly upsetting information, it was a challenge to ensure all identifying data was removed and make certain the volunteers didn’t see sensitive conversations.
What advice would you offer to future Data Ambassadors?
It’s important to communicate with the social sector organisation. Ask a lot of questions. Also, don’t hesitate to ask DataKind reps for advice and support. They are there to help throughout the project.
