CS&S 2023-2026 Strategic Plan

OUR MISSION

We work to advance the power of data to improve the social and economic lives of all people through public education, scientific research, and technology development and deployment.

Our work aims to improve the public’s ability to find, collect, and share data to make more informed decisions in the benefit of the public interest.

OUR VISION

We envision a future where open research, data, and technology effectively work towards equitable distribution of resources, knowledge, and power.

OUR VALUES

We put people first. We center people and their lived experiences. We invest in building spaces that create room for new voices, including in leadership. We commit to regular reflection on how our work engages with race, equity, and intersectional dynamics. We are learning how white supremacy plays out in our workplace, and how to implement anti-racist practices in our work.

We seek fellow travelers. We believe that collaboration and partnership are fundamental to our effectiveness. We bring a high level of engagement to collaborative work. Instead of developing dominance or competition, we seek to be part of a vibrant network of peers and partners.

We commit to delivering quality work. We cultivate thoughtful and rigorous approaches across initiatives. From research, to partnerships and service, to financial management, we prioritize process and transparency to set the conditions for quality engagements.

We are learning. We value exploration and experimentation and we hold space for failure. We are a growing team invested in deepening our individual and collective understandings of power, access, representation. We approach growth first and foremost as a project of learning, about ourselves, each other, and the world around us.

GOALS & OBJECTIVES

Goals are high-level priorities and objectives are how we work towards agoal. Objectives may include programs, tools, or practices.

Goal 1: Advance community-rooted research, data, and tech work by developing and showcasing a vibrant, global network of projects, grantees, and collaborators

Goal 1 Objectives:

1. Steward and grow a recognized and trusted fiscal sponsorship program that represents an interdisciplinary portfolio of international, mission-aligned projects, with an emphasis on projects seeking to interrogate and change existing power hierarchies in research and technology.

2. Grow investments in inclusive communities of practice through participatory models, such as the Event Fund.

3. Pilot programs and services to support equitable community-centered research and technology practices, via programs like the Digital Infrastructure Incubator.

4. Create spaces and produce resources that support the strong social infrastructure needed for effective, equitable community-centered research and technology initiatives to thrive.

Goal 2: Shape an equitable future of research, data, and tech through cultivating forward-thinking research and services in partnership with an interdisciplinary network of collaborators

Goal 2 Objectives:

1. Build on our research and programmatic expertise to advance cross-sector collaborations that address equity in resources, knowledge, and power growth, sustainability, and community accountability across the open ecosystem.

2. Develop and trial additional service opportunities that leverage our core programmatic and operational competencies to explore the practicalities of an equitable future of research and technology.

3. Develop agility in communicating the impact of our programmatic work and network of projects on a variety of public platforms that reach general, tech, academic, and policy audiences.

Goal 3: Craft an enduring organization by building sustainable organizational and cultural infrastructure to support our network and advance our mission

Goal 3 Objectives:

1. Infuse race, equity, accessibility, diversity, and interdependence (READI) principles and practices across all programs and departments.

2. Invest in the development and growth of teams, both at CS&S and teams of collaborators, and share resources and documentation related to this work.

3. Lead in financial and operational efficiency to effectively serve our mission, with an emphasis on learning and sharing.

4. Lead in transparency and effectiveness in board governance, with attention to the systems of power that impact how a board operaties, who serves on boards, and the culture of board service.