About Open North

It is essential to our mission to share our learning about what it means to use data and digital technology for the common good. We are a learning organization that facilitates open and honest conversation both internally and externally within our areas of expertise. A learning organization is one that values subjecting beliefs to scrutiny, requires data and information to make decisions, and critically analyzes the origins of our data and information before we use it. We adopt solutions that work and reject those that do not, acknowledging when we are heading in the wrong direction and pivoting when necessary. While we endeavour to be a thought leader, we recognize that this is not always our role. There are many other valuable perspectives and approaches in our ecosystem and amplifying the thinking and experience of others is often the best way to demonstrate leadership.

No single organization has the knowledge or expertise to address all of the challenges associated with using data and digital technology for the common good. Cultivating non-transactional organizational and interpersonal relationships outside of contracted deliverables is crucial to engaging with and amplifying diverse perspectives. We recognize power differentials inherent in interactions with diverse partners and aim to create meaningful, respectful, and equitable collaboration and learning. The creative tension that emerges from these non-transactional relationships opens up new ways of working towards the common good.

We all navigate an array of systems in our daily lives, whether it is participating in the economy, accessing housing and essential services, or engaging in civic life. Existing systems do not serve everyone’s needs equally, and some communities regularly experience inequity, discrimination, and injustice through their interactions with these systems. However, layering data and digital technology onto these systems does not lead to positive outcomes on its own; in fact, they may exacerbate existing inequities and injustices if underlying structures and practices remain intact. We use a human-centred approach, focusing on the needs of the community and the common good, and only using data and digital technology when it is beneficial within a particular context.

Open North’s staff and partners are highly skilled professionals with diverse backgrounds, ambitions, and lifestyles. Work is only one element of each staff member’s full self. While we create an environment where we can laugh together and support each other, we recognize that work is meant to uphold our broader lives and that staff deserve respect for their boundaries and individual goals. A culture of support that balances challenging opportunities with realistic expectations is an active and dynamic process that requires the commitment of all staff.