Session Details
Day(s)
:
Hour(s)
:
Minute(s)
:
Second(s)
April 17th 8:30 am
Harnessing the Potential of Generative AI: A Path Forward
Generative AI (GenAI) made waves with the masses in 2023 in the form of ChatGPT. More recently, Microsoft Copilot has ventured into the public sector. What does this mean for us? For local government, GenAI-powered tools have the potential to enhance our work, such as writing, research and programming, to name a few.
The City of Markham and York Region will share their experiences using GenAI. As a workshop participant, you’ll then have the opportunity to surface solid use cases of GenAI in your organization, appreciate the challenges you may face and how, by working together, these challenges can be addressed.
Presenters:
Sumon Acharjee, Chief Information Officer, City of Markham
Andrée Gates, Data Project Specialist, York Region
Host:
Duncan Rowe, Manager, Analytics and Visualization, York Region
Data Literacy: A Key to Digital Transformation
In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, organizations are increasingly recognizing the importance of data in driving innovation, efficiency and better services. To successfully embark on digital transformation projects, organizations must first build a solid foundation of data literacy. By fostering a data-literate workforce, we can unlock the full potential of our data and drive impactful change across our departments and organizations.
This session will equip you with the knowledge and skills to build a data literate workforce. Explore the fundamental concepts of data literacy and its vital role in implementing digital transformation initiatives. Through engaging discussions, real-world examples and practical exercises, you’ll develop a deeper understanding of how data literacy fosters a digital mindset to effectively contribute to your organization’s digital transformation journey.
Presenters:
Scott MacNeil, Director, Modernization and Transformation, Town of East Gwillimbury
Sarah Allen, Digital Education Program Specialist, York Region
Host:
John Houweling, Director, Data, Analytics and Visualization Services, York Region
Building a Dream Team: Talent Acquisition Strategies for Data and Analytics Resources
The demand for skilled data scientists, analysts, and other data and analytics professionals is high, while supply remains limited. This workshop will help you explore effective talent acquisition strategies, obstacles faced by organizations, and pinpoint opportunities to address these challenges.
The workshop will begin with Richmond Hill and York Region providing background on their approaches to hiring and growing Data and Analytics talent. As a workshop participant, you will discuss what positions you need and the challenges you and others encounter in attracting applicants, recruiting, onboarding and retaining good people. Together, we will consider opportunities for collaboration in data and analytics recruiting and developing talent.
Presenters:
Rob Jones, Director Information Technology/CIO, City of Richmond Hill
Joanne Taylor, Head, Talent Management, York Region
Host:
Susan Chin Snelgrove, Manager, Data Management, York Region
The Power of Data Sharing: Maximizing Opportunities through Collaboration and Awareness
Data fuels our business processes and informs our analysis. But sometimes getting the data you need when you need it is harder than it should be, with various concerns including data privacy and data security sometimes presenting unwarranted barriers. Platforms, partnerships and a variety of tools have collectively improved data sharing possibilities. The Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville and York Region will demonstrate how YorkData, the Data Sharing Toolkit, the Data Co-Op and the YorkInfo Partnership are helping them achieve their collective goals.
The workshop focuses on how we can further collaborate to share data within and between our organizations. As a workshop participant, you’ll share successes stories, discuss challenges, and brainstorm potential strategies to enable and foster a culture of data sharing and collaboration.
Presenters:
Paul Lefaive, GIS Analyst, Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville
Christie-Lee Hazzard, GIS Project Specialist, York Region
Brendan Coles, Corporate Data Product Specialist, York Region
Host:
Julie Millson, Program Manager, Partnerships, York Region
Data Governance: Unlocking the Potential of Your Organization’s Data Assets
Formal data stewardship is increasingly recognized as crucial for effective management of an organization’s data assets, but stewardship is also a surprisingly new concept. If you work in data and want better quality data, you’re likely wondering what stewardship is all about.
This workshop focuses on the pivotal role of the data steward, the unsung heroes who monitor data quality and ensure security and privacy are respected within our organizations. They bridge the gap between data producers and consumers. Staff from the City of Vaughan and York Region will present on their data quality efforts, on initiating formal data stewardship programs and on implementation challenges. As a workshop participant, you’ll work through a sample data quality target-setting process and discuss the best ways for data stewards to engage with data stakeholders.
Presenters:
Stephen Graham, Enterprise Data Architect, City of Vaughan
Laura Thomas, Enterprise Data Governance Specialist, York Region
Bob Parry, Data Access and Quality Specialist, York Region
Host:
Andrew Satterthwaite, Manager, Special Projects, York Region