Emerging Outcomes of Open Data in Tanzania: A Case of the Tanzania Data Lab

Tanzania Data Lab (dLab) is a project advocating data use to drive better policies and decision making in Tanzania. In this paper, dLab's operation model is presented and analysis of the emerging outcomes to its beneficiaries is done. Two quarterly post activities follow up survey questionnaires were sent to 180 beneficiaries of the training and engagement activities, to learn on the needs, skills applications and the emerging outcomes. Through interview, data on the impact of data science support to different organisations in the public and private sectors was collected. Results show that by December 2017, dLab had reached 335 organisations through engagement outreach activities, trained 581 people, and provided data science support to 8 organisations. While 90% of respondents reported to have acquired and used new skills that transformed the ways they use data for decisions making, 5 organisations developed tools/strategies - through data science support - that transformed their operations.