Data Science for Global Development
After scrolling through the 10th page of my Google search, I began to realize that I would not find what I was searching for. I tried many different combinations of the words “machine learning” and “nonprofits”, to no avail. While I did find numerous blogs urging nonprofits to implement machine learning to their data, they provided no concrete examples on exactly how to do this.
It was there, in the abyss of Google, that I realized that the work we were doing at Fields Data could benefit a larger audience — people in the global development sector interested in using data science to reach their objectives and grow their organization. If this resonates with you, I hope that in sharing our journey, you might also feel empowered to integrate data science into your own work.
As a data scientist at Fields Data, I am responsible for incorporating machine learning and data science into our workflows in order to drive efficiency, innovation and informed decision-making. These are universal goals that all organizations can attain, once equipped with the right tools. Through this blog, I will share some of these tools by teaching you how to implement Python code for basic analysis, reports and visualizations, while also sharing some of our own use cases to spark your thoughts and ideas. All of this will be achieved without you needing any previous knowledge of Python coding, without having to install anything onto your computer and, most importantly, without dipping into any precious grant money. Last but not least, I will cover a wide range of data types to ensure that the code is applicable to all types of organizations.
I welcome you all to follow this blog series, which will be of particular value to you if your organization is already collecting data but requires guidance on how to analyze it, or if you are seeking to incorporate a more data-driven approach to your work but are uncertain where to begin. Join Fields Data and I in shaping a more data-driven global development sector.
