Data...for What?!

Development Gateway: An IREX Venture

In Development Gateway: An IREX Venture's podcast “Data…for What?!,” we explore topical issues at the intersection of global development and technological development. In our podcast, we dive deep into the data and digital landscape and how these impact everything from agriculture to education to global and local law.

  1. 14 HR AGO

    Episode 3, Season 4 | The Role Interoperability Plays in Trust, Safety, and Elections

    In Episode 3 of Season 4 of the Data…for What?! Podcast, we examine the role interoperability plays in trust, safety, and elections. Recorded during 2024 – often described as the “Year of Global Elections” – this episode explores how digital systems for voter registration, verification, and results transmission shape public trust in electoral processes. While we’re publishing this conversation in 2026, the challenges discussed remain pressing: fragmented systems, data security risks, and limited public understanding of election technologies. We’re joined by Matt Bailey, the Senior Global Advisor, Cyber and Information Integrity at the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), and Katya Vogt, Director of Online Safety Initiatives at IREX. Together, we discuss how interoperable data and systems can support transparency and integrity in elections, and where they may also introduce new risks for trust and safety. Credits Host: Beverley Hatcher-Mbu Producers: Wakini Njogu, Beverley Hatcher-Mbu, and Anna Chewter Editing/Mixing: Joseph Wagner and Wakini Njogu  Theme Music: Mark Hatcher Resources Technology, Data and Elections: An Updated Checklist on the Election Cycle by Privacy International New Tools for Unleashing the Power of Open Election Data by NDI Interoperability in Election Data and Devices by the National Institute of Standards and Technology

    37 min

  2. 15/12/2025

    Episode 2, Season 4 | Who Governs the Data? Navigating Legal Structures in Interoperable Systems

    In Episode 2, we turn to the legal and regulatory foundations of interoperability. As data and systems become more interconnected, questions of data protection, enforcement, and cross-border data flows take centre stage. Joined by Immaculate Kassait, Kenya’s Data Protection Commissioner, and Lorrayne Porciuncula, Co-founder and Executive Director of the Datasphere Initiative, we explore legal interoperability, regulatory sandboxes, and how laws can both enable innovation and protect people in an increasingly data-driven world. Credits Host: Tom Orrell Producers: Wakini Njogu, Beverley Hatcher-Mbu, and Anna Chewter Editing/Mixing: Joseph Wagner and Wakini Njogu  Theme Music: Mark Hatcher Resources Demistifying Interoperability white paper by Development Gateway ‘We Need to Talk About Data: Framing the Debate Around the Free Flow of Data and Data Sovereignty’ publication by DataSphere Initiative ‘The Frontiers of Data Interoperability for Sustainable Development’ by Liz Steele and Tom Orrell ‘Interoperability: A Guide To Joining Up Data In The Development Sector’ by GPSDD

    36 min

  3. 08/12/2025

    Episode 1, Season 4 | Defining Interoperability

    Welcome to Season 4 of the Data...for What?! Podcast. This season, we’re unpacking the big questions behind interconnected systems – from why interoperability matters, to the legal frameworks that shape it, to how it influences trust, safety, and even elections. In this first episode, we introduce interoperability from multiple viewpoints, acknowledging that most people consider interoperability within their sector/silo. We are joined by Agustina De Luca, a Senior Advocacy Manager at Open Ownership, and Paul Mungai, a Data Governance Expert. Credits Host: Beverley Hatcher-Mbu Producers: Wakini Njogu, Beverley Hatcher-Mbu, and Anna Chewter Editing/Mixing: Wakini Njogu  Theme Music: Mark Hatcher Resources Demistifying Interoperability white paper by Development Gateway “People Interoperability” blog by Natalia Carfi, Executive Director of the Open Data Charter Interoperability: A Guide To Joining Up Data In The Development Sector The frontiers of data interoperability for sustainable development Beneficial Ownership Data Standard Data Standards for Soil Special thanks to Mark Hatcher for our theme music. You can find Mark on social media at @markdhatcher.

    33 min
  4. Episode 4, Season 3 | Expanding into Climate Action: How Every Organization has a Role to Play

    10/09/2024

    Episode 4, Season 3 | Expanding into Climate Action: How Every Organization has a Role to Play

    In episode 4, Season 3 of “Data…for What?!,” host Vanessa Goas and special guest Roshan Paul, Former Director of Leadership Practice & Climate Talent Initiative at IREX, discuss the Climate Talent Initiative, which is IREX’s first in-house climate program.

    20 min
  5. Episode 3, Season 3 | Context and Climate Action: A Conversation between the Local Development Research Institute and DG

    20/08/2024

    Episode 3, Season 3 | Context and Climate Action: A Conversation between the Local Development Research Institute and DG

    In episode 3, Season 3 of “Data…for What?!,” DGer Charlene Migwe-Kagume and special guest Leonida (Leo) Mutuku discusses LDRI’s early warning system, an AI tool that is being used to enable farmers to plan and manage their harvest more effectively by using local and global data on weather patterns, crop yields, etc.

    33 min
  6. Episode 2, Season 3 | The Great Green Wall: How Data Can Advance One of Africa’s Most Ambitious Efforts to Combat Climate Change

    13/08/2024

    Episode 2, Season 3 | The Great Green Wall: How Data Can Advance One of Africa’s Most Ambitious Efforts to Combat Climate Change

    In episode 2, Season 3 of “Data…for What?!,” host Vanessa Goas and special guests former DGer Joshua Mbai and Gilles Amadou Ouédraogo, Programme Management Officer for the Great Green Wall Accelerator at the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, discuss the Great Green Wall Initiative, the Great Green Wall Observatory, and how the the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and DG are committed supporting new and ongoing efforts aimed at combating climate change.

    21 min
  7. Episode 1, Season 3 | Why We Need Good Data & Digital Infrastructure for Climate Adaptation

    21/11/2023

    Episode 1, Season 3 | Why We Need Good Data & Digital Infrastructure for Climate Adaptation

    In episode 1, Season 3 of “Data…for What?!,” Vanessa Goas and special guest Sebastian Öhmann, Advisor of the Data Economy Initiative inside the Global Project of Digital Transformation from GIZ, discuss data and digital transformation in relation to climate change adaptation and specifically focusing on climate finance.

    19 min
  8. Episode 4, Season 2 | Case Study Comparison: Data Governance and Protection in India and Kenya

    17/08/2023

    Episode 4, Season 2 | Case Study Comparison: Data Governance and Protection in India and Kenya

    In episode 4 of “Data…for What?!,” Beverley Hatcher-Mbu and special guests Shreeja Sen, Research Associate at IT for Change, and Dr. Melissa Omino, Acting Director at Strathmore University’s Centre for Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law, discuss data governance and protection in India and Kenya.

    45 min
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About

In Development Gateway: An IREX Venture's podcast “Data…for What?!,” we explore topical issues at the intersection of global development and technological development. In our podcast, we dive deep into the data and digital landscape and how these impact everything from agriculture to education to global and local law.

Information

  • Creator
    Development Gateway: An IREX Venture
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    16
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2023 Development Gateway: An IREX Venture
  • Show Website
    Data...for What?!