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State of Oregon Data Equity Summit

2024 Summit Recap

In November 2024, the State of Oregon held a two-day, virtual Data Equity Summit for state employees and partners who work with data through state programs. The summit provided a learning opportunity to build understanding of how data equity is essential to serving all people living in Oregon.

About the summit PresentationsEvent details Sponsors

About the summit

State of Oregon agencies gather, analyze, report and use data in all sorts of ways. Sometimes we don’t pause long enough to think about how the decisions we make about this information impacts the people we serve. During the Data Equity Summit, we will build our understanding of how to embed data equity into our data governance practices and reflect on why it is important for serving all Oregonians. We will hear from experts, learn about colleagues’ data equity work and encourage additional investments in data equity work across the State. The summit is for people who gather program applicants' data, data analysts, managers and anyone who works with data around the State.

Presentations

Watch a recording of the Keynote​ and view Kathryn Helms' slides​.

Dr. Andres Lopez, Research Director at the Coalition of Communities of Color and Data Justice leader in Oregon, provided the keynote address. His remarks focused on building a data equity imagination. Adapted from the concept of a sociological imagination, a data equity imagination centers data actors (folks who work with data) in relationship with other data actors, data structures (e.g., state agencies) and communities represented by data systems. Building a data equity imagination is critical for connecting professional data skills with our individual and shared lived experiences, driving data actors from highly technical to more meaningful workers who think of equity in expansive ways.​

Kathryn Darnall Helms currently serves as Oregon’s inaugural Chief Data Officer. Kathryn has recently led the development of Oregon’s first Enterprise Data Strategy and is developing new capabilities to support statewide data analytics. In previous roles, Kathryn led data and information governance at the City of Austin and provided archival consulting services to human rights organizations in Rwanda, El Salvador, Austin and Guatemala as part of the Human Rights Documentation Initiative.​​​

​The Making Data Accessible session reviewed common data terminology, what it means for information to be accessible and provided an overview of the data life cycle. With that framework, accessibility and equity implementations were demonstrated at every level of the data life cycle. Resources, tips​ and tools were provided to participants to make their data more accessible.

​​10:30 a.m.: Framing Data Equity and Accessibility (Meenakshi Rao)

10:50 a.m.: Accessibility and the Data Lifecycle (Cypress Clark)​

11:30 a.m.: Break

11:40 a.m.: Language Accessibility (Bonnie Windham)

12:10 a.m.: Break

12:20 p.m.: Accessibility Tools for Everyone (Eaen Goss)​

12:40 p.m.: Questions and Answers

The Data Analytics and Data Equity session introduced participants to concepts, questions and strategies regarding data equity indicators and use with other data sources for analysis. It is important to acknowledge the data does represent information about people and events as well as lived experiences. Presentations shared methods to ask or collect equity data, assess​ and measure progress towards reaching more equitable outcomes while minimizing any unintentional potential harm from data collection or use. Examples or resources include strategies for more community involvement asking questions, guiding the data work and interpretation of the data.

​2:00 p.m.: REALD and SOGI Demographic Data - Equity in Practice (Marty Arrigotti and Kieran Chase)​

3:00 p.m.: Equity Metrics (Matt Bagwell)

3:30 p.m.: Social Inequality and Pedestrian Injuries in Oregon (Josh Roll)​

4:00 p.m.: AVERT Data Equity Presentation (Kathleen Carlson, Will Baker-Robinson, Dagan Wright)​

4:30 p.m.: Health Equity in Injury Data (Danielle Boyd and Dagan Wright)​​ - and associated CSTE Report on Health Equity in Injury Data​

REALD SOGI at Health Share of Oregon​

At the Building Data Equity Capacity Session, presenters spoke to different practices and processes that state agencies have adopted to build their capacity and understanding of how to embed data equity into our data practices. The session included a panel discussion at the end where participants asked questions to each presenter to learn more about the different data equity capacity building efforts presented in the session.​

​8:35 a.m.: Overview (Ritu Dhungana, Jo Johnson)

8:45 a.m.: Building Data Equity Capacity with REALD and SOGI Learning Labs (Matt Friesen)​

9:20 a.m.: Centering People in Public Health Data (Rose Harding)​ and Data Equity Learning Collaborative (Jo Johnson, Ritu Dhungana)​

10:15 a.m.: Building Capacity for Data Justice - Creation of ODE's Data Justice Stewards (Isabella Jacoby, Kathryn Torres, Dan Farley)​

11:00 a.m.: Panel Discussion

11:25 a.m.: Morning Wrap-up

​In this session, participants received an introduction to the history of Tribal sovereignty, guiding values and principles, engagement with the Urban Indian Health Centers and current efforts that are happening within the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) around gathering of Tribal affiliation data. Participants gathered resources and starting points for ongoing education, ideas for getting started with community and Tribal engagement within your own agency or program, and building meaningful connections. ​We had a diverse panel of presenters with a lifetime of experience ready to answer questions and provide perspectives around engagement, the importance of empowering Native voices and what we can do as government employees to support efforts identified by the Tribes.​

Panelists included Julie Johnson (Paiute/Shoshone), Leona Enright (Cayuse, Umatilla, Walla Walla), Kendi Oldshield (Sioux, Seneca, Choctaw) and Marie Hill (Aamsskáápipikani (Blackfeet), Cree and Ojibwe)

​Noon: Tribal 101 Foundational Learning (Julie Johnson)

1:15 p.m.: Questions and Answers

1:45 p.m.: Break

2:00 p.m.: Panel Discussion, Interactive Dialogue, Open Questions and Answers

Details

  • All-virtual gathering held on Zoom.
  • American Sign Language (ASL) and Computer-Aided Real Time (CART) transcription will be provided.
  • The Summit is primarily for employees of State of Oregon agencies; however, partner agency staff are welcome to join.
  • Workday Learning certificates will be available for state employee participants.
  • Email Matt Friesen with additional questions or to request accommodations.

Sponsors and planning committee members

Oregon Department of Administrative Services

  • Meenakshi Rao, Data Equity Consultant, Enterprise Information Services

Oregon Department of Human Services

  • Dr. Matthew Friesen, REALD Manager, Office of Equity and Multicultural Services
  • Emily Terry (she/they), Service Equity and Inclusion Manager and Tribal Liaison, Office of Developmental Disabilities Services

Oregon Department of Transportation

  • Anisha Datta, Equity Data Manager
  • Denise Whitney-Dahlke, Chief Data Steward

Oregon Health Authority

  • Cypress Clark, Research Analyst, Behavioral Health Equity, Equity & Inclusion Division
  • Ritu Dhungana, Health Care Workforce Team Manager, Clinical Supports, Integration and Workforce Unit
  • Harriet Godoski, Regional Engagement Specialist, REALD and SOGI Section
  • Jo Johnson, Data Equity Program Manager, Office of Health Information Technology and Analytics Infrastructure, Health Policy and Analytics Division
  • Dagan Wright, Ph.D., MSPH, Senior Epidemiologist and Informaticist, Injury and Violence Prevention Program, Public Health Division