Connecting with community
The cohort program uses a community-government partnership model to help ensure communities experiencing the greatest data and technological harms play a leading role to shape policies, services, and data products.
The cohort is typically composed of community leaders, organizers, and/or representatives from organizations who have deep connections with their communities. Members of the cohort receive training and collaboratively develop workplans to help bring community knowledge into City data practices.
Data equity
The cohort model was created to address the growing power imbalances around data and technology. Rapid advancements in these sectors require cities to adapt, innovate, and learn quickly. Data and technology decision-making and program development can be dispersed across an organization. These conditions often leave behind historically marginalized communities.
Equity and inclusion require transparency and collaboration with those most impacted to develop meaningful, community-centered solutions. This model could also be used for other types of partnership, policy and program building outside of data and technology. This initiative is part of Portland’s broader commitment to equity and inclusion, ensuring that the needs and perspectives of diverse communities are integrated into the city's planning and policy development.
Cohort benefits
By participating in the cohort, community members partner with city staff on active projects. Community Leads design and implement engagements with their communities, consult on data projects, and develop community organizing strategies to help further shape City practices around data justice and data governance. These actions help ensure that the city's data justice efforts are aligned with community priorities.
The program also serves as a capacity building opportunity. Community organizers develop their leadership skills as consultants to the City, expand their data and technology expertise with hands on project experience, and build pathways towards long-term partnerships with the City.