Our first DUT Data Day (D3) was held as an Exhibition of institutional data at the end of August 2019 and was followed by an equally successful event in 2020. This year, our event will take place virtually during the second week of October. Data Day (or Days) provides an opportunity for the DUT community to showcase and learn about the different types of data, and how we use data at our university. This focus on institutional data and the importance of applying data to guide decision-making within our institution contextualises DUT Data Day(s) within the field of empirical Institutional Research, which is applied research about an institution, for that institution – in our case, DUT.

#D³Envision2030

Our new strategic plan, founded on our values and principles as a people-centred university, seeks to impact positively on the lives and livelihoods of our DUT people and the broader society beyond. We know that this requires our people, staff and students, to be actively engaged in their work and studies. We know that we wish to develop into an innovative and entrepreneurial institution of higher education that enables our people to participate productively in developing our region, country and the world. DUT Data Day is about Knowing, Doing, Impacting, and Transforming. As the University implements its new strategic plan ENVISION2030, what data are or will be important in helping us move towards achieving our vision? How are we, as lecturers, researchers, managers, and support staff working towards the achievement of our 12 strategic objectives? How are we using data for planning, decision-making and improving what we do, and in this way, helping to transform DUT into an institution that participates productively in society and contributes to the improvement of lives and livelihoods?

Data Day will be held over three days from 12th – 14th October 2021 on MS Teams. We open the event with a keynote address by an invited external speaker, who works in strategy and data at a practical level across various sectors of society. Data presentations and discussions aligned to the four perspectives of DUT’s strategic plan, namely Stewardship, Systems & Processes, Sustainability and Society, will take place in separate morning and afternoon 90-minute sessions. We close the event with a Panel discussion by our Senior Executives on how the work done within their respective divisions aligns to the strategic objectives of ENVISION2030. The panel includes the DVCs, the CFO, Registrar, and the Director – Midlands. We have an exciting programme lined up and hope that you can join us as a presenter or as an audience participant to discuss, to learn and to share ideas and activities about how data to inform decision-making and progress both at DUT and in society at large.

For an overview of the four Perspectives and 12 Strategic Objectives of ENVISION2030 and video presentations from our Vice -Chancellor, click: Envision 2030

Everyone can join us on MS Teams each day. The link to join will be provided shortly .
Please see the Programme for more information on the presentations.

#D³KnowingDoingTransforming

If you are interested in presenting, then we invite you to consider the various ways in which data has been/is being/will be used to inform the planning, processes, policies and activities in your department, division, or faculty (or how you as an individual staff do this), aligned to the four perspectives and 12 strategic objectives of ENVISION2030. This could include:

• What data do you collect currently?
• How do you collect the data?
• For what purposes are the data used?
• How are the data important in relation to ENVISION2030?
• What other data do you consider important for ENVISION2030 that you plan to collect?
• What are some of the key findings/learnings emanating from the current data?
• How do you share these learnings with other DUT stakeholders?

In other words, how are you, as a DUT staff member, using data about the University and for the University to achieve our strategic objectives in ENVISION2030? Come and share your insights, your knowledge, your plans and your practice with the wider DUT community.

#D³LetDataSpeak

At our 2020 Data Day event, we introduced a new presentation format which proved very popular in the busy online working environment. We call this ‘Say it in Six’ (short and to-the-point 6-minute alternative media submissions rather than the longer conventional conference paper format).

Say it in Six

Each 6-minute presentation must be contextualised within a particular perspective of ENVISION2030, namely Stewardship; Systems & Processes; Sustainability; and Society and one or more of its associated strategic objectives (See the ENVISION2030 Statement of Intent). Given the concise duration of this presentation, the following guidelines must be adhered to.

CONTENT

Three questions are to be addressed in your “Say it in Six” presentation, with a focus on the 2^nd and 3^rd aspects namely:

1. Briefly identify the types of data you compile/will be compiling within your division and what is their purpose aligned to the University’s strategic objectives? (1 minute)
2. Share 1-3 of your most recent key findings from established activities or what do you anticipate arising from new/planned initiatives? (Are you making/on your way to making an impact? How do you know this?)
3. How are you using/will be using data relevant to your work to transform DUT in line with ENVISION2030?

For example, suppose a focus of your work at DUT relates to the strategic objective of building a “Digital environment” and you collect/analyse/use data thereto pertaining. Then your presentation will address the three questions contextualised within the Systems & Processes perspective of ENVISION2030, and the “Digital Environment” strategic objective.

FORMAT       

Your “Say it in Six” presentations can take any of the following media formats (or combination thereof) but should adhere to the 6-minute maximum time limit:

• Pre-recorded video
• PowerPoint (We’ve done the work for you! Please see attached template)
• Talking head (no prepared PowerPoint/video – you can just talk.)

REGISTRATION

Please register your intention to present in the “Say it in Six” DUT Data Day event here https://forms.office.com/r/zWAR3rJbkV by 29^th September 2021.

NOTE: Your presentation is not required at this stage.

PRESENTATION

Kindly note that you are responsible for delivering your presentation during the session online irrespective of the format you choose. However, as a back-up contingency, if you wish, you may submit your pre-recorded video or PowerPoint presentation to avrequests@dut.ac.za and copy to Siyaphumelela@dut.ac.za by 11^th October 2021 (12h00) at the latest.

Please use the following labelling guidelines for your presentation file when submitting:

Perspective_Your First Name and Surname

For example, if your presentation is contextualised under the Society perspective and your name is Lindiwe Ngubane, then name the file:

Society_Lindiwe Ngubane

You are kindly requested to be available throughout the session to answer any questions that may arise.

12^th October (10:00 – 10:45)

Keynote Address: Data for Impact: Determining Baseline Data for ENVISION2030

Dr. Tara Polzer Ngwato

Tara Polzer Ngwato is a Director at Social Surveys Africa, one of the region’s preeminent social policy and research companies, based in Johannesburg, South Africa. She has twenty years of experience designing, managing and conducting research on a wide range of social development topics, with thematic focus areas in human migration and mobility; conflict transformation, social cohesion and violence early warning; traditional and informal community (self)governance systems; and near-mining communities. Her methodological expertise ranges across all the main forms of qualitative and quantitative and mixed approaches, with particular interests in participatory and adaptive M&E and data literacy training. She has a particular interest in the effective communication of research findings and the use of research as a tool for achieving social transformation and informing strategic decision-making. Her prior experience includes being Head of Research for the Royal Bafokeng Administration, a traditionally governed near-mining community in South Africa. She also spent ten years as Senior Researcher at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg with the African Centre for Migration & Society researching xenophobic violence and Zimbabwean migration and teaching postgraduate migration studies courses. Prior to Wits, Polzer Ngwato worked with Transparency International and the GTZ. She has also consulted widely for South African, African and global organisations including UNHCR, UN OCHA and the IFRC. Polzer Ngwato is widely published and holds a PhD and an MSc in Development Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a BA in Social and Political Sciences from Cambridge University.

12^th October (10:45-12:15)

STEWARDSHIP: DUT staff to be confirmed on closure of Registration

12^th October (13:00-14:30)

SYSTEMS & PROCESSES: DUT staff to be confirmed on closure of Registration

13^th October (10:30-12:00)

SUSTAINABILITY: DUT staff to be confirmed on closure of Registration

13^th October (13:00-14:30)

SOCIETY: DUT staff to be confirmed on closure of Registration

14^th October (10:00-11:30)

PANEL DISCUSSION BY DUT EXECUTIVES

Knowing, Doing, Transforming – How your division’s “Big Rocks” (priorities) for the 2022 Annual Performance Plan contribute to ENVISION2030.

Registration deadline for all presenters: 29^th September 2021

Click here to register your intention to present a Say it in Six. You are not required to submit your actual presentation at this point.

Submission of Say it in Six final presentations: 11^th October 2021, 12 p.m. midday

Submit your presentation to avrequests@dut.ac.za and copy to Siyaphumelela@dut.ac.za

General Enquiries:

Please contact the Siyaphumelela Project coordinator, Ms. Nivedhna Singh at  Siyaphumelela@dut.ac.za

Say it in Six Enquiries

Please address enquiries regarding content and presentation based on the division/department /faculty to which you report (including our Midlands colleagues):

CFO: Prabashnee Kisten (kistenp@dut.ac.za)

DVC – P&O:  Mandla Lukubeni (MandlaL@dut.ac.za)

DVC – RIE: Koo Parker (koo@dut.ac.za)

DVC T&L including Faculties: Sagren Moodley (sagren@dut.ac.za)

Registrar: Sean Carte (seanc@dut.ac.za)