Contribute to the future of CKAN: You're invited to join the POSE program's CKAN Ecosystem Sensemaking Workshops!

As you may recall from our previous articles on Towards a Robust, Open-Source Civic Data Ecosystem and Take part in the CKAN ecosystem discovery work for the POSE Program, a dedicated team from the University of Pittsburgh and datHere, backed by the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Pathways to Enable Open-Source Ecosystems (POSE) program, has been diligently developing strategies to enhance the CKAN ecosystem.

The collaboration led to ecosystem discovery activities and interviews involving individuals across the CKAN community spectrum, from stewards and maintainers to contributors and implementers. The discovery phase, now complete, sets the stage for the next dynamic chapter, and you're invited to be a part of it!

Making Sense of It All: The Sensemaking Workshops

Now, the project team opens the virtual doors for a series of Sensemaking Workshops. These events are your chance to delve into their discoveries, share your unique experiences, and interact with fellow CKAN ecosystem members.

Each workshop will reveal fresh findings from the project team's interviews and offer a platform to shed more light on the themes that have arisen. The ultimate goal? To identify some investment opportunities that can be included in a Phase II implementation grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation.

The Workshops' Central Themes

These events revolve around four pivotal themes:

1. Onboarding New Contributors: This workshop focuses on the critical role of individual contributions in sustaining open-source software products like CKAN. The goal is to encourage more people to contribute and assume leadership roles within the CKAN ecosystem. Participants will share experiences and explore opportunities to leverage Phase II POSE funding to engage more individuals in the CKAN project.
2. Adoption of CKAN as a Data Management Solution: Here, attendees will delve into the resources necessary for CKAN's successful adoption and maintenance. Discussions will center on the CKAN project's existing resources, resources developed by participants, and strategies to improve CKAN's usability. The aim is to foster the ecosystem's growth and resilience while better addressing existing CKAN users' needs.
3. Community Building: This workshop underscores the importance of relationships within open-source software ecosystems. With CKAN's success hinging on a robust network of developers, community-builders, funders, adopters, and end-users, the session aims to strengthen these connections. Participants will discuss strategic investments that could reinforce the relationships and information flow within the CKAN ecosystem.
4. Open Discussion: Scheduled for the week of July 24, this session provides an open platform for members of the CKAN ecosystem to discuss additional topics of interest. It offers an opportunity to bring forth new ideas for investments and initiatives that could further boost the CKAN ecosystem's strength.

Who Is It For?

These workshops are designed for both active CKAN contributors and users who have yet to contribute to the product.

What’s In It For You?

Joining these workshops opens opportunities to connect with the CKAN community, understand the intricacies of an open-source software ecosystem, and contribute to identifying potential investment prospects that could be supported by a POSE Phase II implementation grant.

Logistics At A Glance

These workshops will be conducted via Zoom in English. If you can't make it, don't worry. Notes from each session will be made available for comments and insights. For more information, please go to the project's website.

Register Now

Ready to contribute to the future of CKAN? Register for the Sensemaking Workshops today: https://civicdataecosystem.org/2023/05/30/sensemaking.html Your insights can be a catalyst for CKAN's evolution.

Let's push the boundaries of open-source possibilities!