Behind the buzz word data literacy, there is genuine and growing urgency around the need for organizations and individuals to become "data literate" if they are to get value from their data. But there are not yet reliable models of data literacy, and already, vendors are trying to sell data literacy applications. There is not an app for literacy and there never will be. Literacy must be cultivated within an organization. Cultivation involves a purposeful approach to training, education, and culture change. The goal of this talk is to present some of the challenges around data literacy and propose concepts that will help us meet those challenges. It will summarize the current state of the conversation, contextualize data literacy in relation to general literacy, and present the implications for individuals and organizations. It is intended to help progress the conversation around improving approaches to improving data literacy.

Speaker Bio

Laura Sebastian-Coleman, Ph.D., CDMP, IQCP, is Data Quality Director at Prudential. A data quality practitioner since 2003, she has implemented data quality metrics and reporting, launched and facilitated data quality working groups, contributed to data consumer training programs, and led efforts to establish data standards and to manage metadata in support of data governance goals.

Author of Navigating the Labyrinth (2018) and Measuring Data Quality for Ongoing Improvement (2013), her latest book, Meeting the Challenges of Data Quality Management, is scheduled to be published in February 2022.

Laura was production editor for the DAMA-DMBOK2, for which she received DAMA’s award for Contributions to the Data Management Profession (2018) and the DAMA New England award for Excellence in Data Management (2018). An advisor to DAMA New England (2018 – present), she has served as DAMA International Publications Officer (2015-2018), and IAIDQ Director of Member Services (2009-2011). In 2015, she received IAIDQ’s Distinguished Member award.

Note: Doors open ~11:40 MT. Please join us early to check in and say Hi.

Chit chat and chapter news @11:55. Laura will be introduced at 12:00 Noon Sharp!