My name is Thomas Irwin and I am currently a Community Fellow doing data analysis with the City of College Place. Because every document the City creates becomes a public document, my role has been to analyze and catalog data to ensure accurate historical records, government accountability and improve public accessibility.
Public access is why Washington State has one of the best archival systems in the U.S., one that’s become a model framework for other states to follow. My fellowship has shown me that sifting through a vast amount of data, especially data considered public property, isn’t easy. Each document has a “shelf life.” Some information can be thrown away once it is no longer needed, such as business cards or a to-do list; other documents are kept on file for a certain period of time.
For example, a general purchase order is kept for at least 3 years before it can be destroyed, and some information is kept permanently, such as construction project files, in which case it is sent on to the Washington State Archives. All these documents, provided they don’t include private information, can be retrieved with an online or in-person form, allowing anyone to have access to City business.
What I like best about this fellowship is how well it’s aligned with my current coursework. For example, this semester I am taking “Sociology of Big Data,” where we discuss the many ways “big data,” shapes society. The course reinforces how responsible data management leads to more public transparency and a more efficient government.
In my other course, “Introduction to Data Analytics,” we looked at the possibilities and limitations of data and ask, “How can we make data work for us?” And “What kind of questions can and can’t be answered with data?” Questions I can see being answered in real time through my fellowship work.
Every day I work, I have the opportunity to see firsthand the relationship between city data and federal grants. Federal grants are essential to support services in any city, but especially small towns, and by having data on government functions and services like traffic and roads, we can guarantee that the federal funds go directly to the places of need.
It’s been an honor to be a Community Fellow and enhanced my coursework immensely. Data tells a story and being able to learn about my local community through all the interconnected data points has been a privilege.