This text reports on the impact of a training course offered by a multiplier trainer from the School of Data network.
With support from the Open Knowledge Foundation, the Technology for Inspiration Initiative led by Nuela Ada Ononiwu organised a two-day training workshop on the Open Data Editor (ODE) developed under the School of Data initiative.
The workshop was held on 2nd and 3rd July at Sparks Ventures Hub in Enugu State, with a total of 34 participants drawn from grassroots civil society organisations (CSOs), youth-led advocacy groups, and community-based non-governmental organisations (NGOs) across Enugu State. These organisations are actively involved in sectors such as governance, education, health, gender equity, and civic participation.
The aim of the training was to equip participants from the nonprofit sector with practical knowledge of open data and how to effectively use the Open Data Editor to work with their own datasets.
Day 1: Foundations & Skills Development
Participants began arriving by 9:00 AM and signed in using a registration sheet. Basic participant information had been collected prior to the training. The session opened with introductions, each participant shared their name, organisation, and the work they do.
The training began with an introductory presentation on open data, what it is and why it matters. The presentation was supported with a slide deck.
Main Topics Covered:
Introduction to Open Data: Its Importance & Advocacy
- Objective: Help participants understand why open data matters.
- Definition of open data (non-proprietary, accessible, reusable)
- Real-world applications (e.g., budgets, health, education)
- Benefits: Transparency, innovation, citizen engagement
- Activity: Participants shared examples of where they have seen or used open data.
Navigating the Open Data Editor (ODE)
- Introduction to Open Data Editor – Use cases and key features
- How to download and install ODE
- A live demonstration was held using this link: 👉 Getting Started with ODE
Data Collection, Cleaning, and Organization
- Creating datasets
- Uploading datasets on ODE
To demonstrate uploading, two datasets were created—one saved as an Excel file and the other as a CSV file. When uploaded to ODE, participants observed key differences between the two formats. This led to an insightful discussion on the use of CSV files.
Day 2: Application & Storytelling
On the second day, participants deepened their skills with hands-on applications. Activities included:
- Continued practice with uploading datasets on ODE and identifying errors, using sample data from openstates.ng
- A practical session on how to register for the online course “Quality and Consistent Data with Open Data Editor”
- All participants successfully enrolled in the course and were encouraged to complete it and obtain their certificates
- A WhatsApp group was created for ongoing engagement and peer support
Next Steps & Feedback
Participants are encouraged to share questions, experiences, and feedback via the WhatsApp group. We expect this continued engagement to support practical implementation of what they’ve learned and to foster a growing community of open data advocates in Enugu State.
About the Open Data Editor
The Open Data Editor (ODE) is Open Knowledge’s new open source desktop application for nonprofits, data journalists, activists, and public servants, aiming at helping them detect errors in their datasets. It’s a free, open-source tool designed for people working with tabular data (Excel, Google Sheets, CSV) who don’t know how to code or don’t have the programming skills to automatise the data exploration process.
Simple, lightweight, privacy-friendly, and built for real-world challenges like offline work and low-resource settings, ODE is part of Open Knowledge’s initiative The Tech We Want — our ambitious effort to reimagine how technology is built and used.
And there’s more! ODE comes with a free online course that can help you improve the quality of your datasets, therefore making your life/work easier.
↪ Take the course: Learn how to use ODE
All of Open Knowledge’s work with the Open Data Editor is made possible thanks to a charitable grant from the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation. Learn more about its funding programmes here.
