Theory of Change
Measure: Building Awareness and Momentum for Manage
The initial stage of UMi’s Theory of Manage focuses on unfreezing entrenched assumptions about the digital economy and its societal impacts. Innovation and technological advancement are accelerating at a pace that outstrips the development of protective frameworks to safeguard humanity from collateral damage. We must confront the reality that the current infrastructure is aging, extractive, and increasingly predatory.
To address this, UMi recognizes the necessity of becoming proactive, future-focused, and collaborative. The goal is to swim ahead of the rising digital wave to create a safe, inclusive space for collective innovation. This space will unite humanity—the resilient community at risk—with public and private enterprise stakeholders, including non-profits, for-profits, institutions, philanthropic, and government entities. This collaborative ecosystem will serve as the foundation for developing protective measures for the digital future.
Key Actions During Measure:
- Analyze trends that expose the vulnerabilities of current systems.
- Create platforms for open dialogue and cross-sector collaboration.
- Introduce the UMi Data Sovereignty Sandbox to provide a safe, shared environment for innovation.
- Develop compelling narratives highlighting the urgency of building ethical, bias-mitigated, and regenerative systems.
- Mobilize early adopters to lead the call for Data Sovereignty as a public benefit.
Manage: Implementing Collaborative Innovation Through Action
The Manage phase involves translating the awareness built in the Measure stage into tangible action. UMi’s foundational strategy centers around the New Economics for Sustainable Development (NESD) proposal, which identifies eight future-proof sub-economies where humanity can thrive amidst digital transformation. These sub-economies, particularly the Yellow NESD Attention Economy, underscore the importance of addressing the harmful commodification of human attention.
The Attention Economy, valued at over $500 billion, has become a breeding ground for misinformation, disinformation, scams, and predatory practices targeting communities’ data. UMi proposes applying the 10 Universal Principles of a Conscious Attention Economy (CAE), supplemented by UMi’s 11th Principle, Presence, to reshape this toxic environment into a dynamic, human- and environment- centered ecosystem.
Key Actions During Manage
- Expand the Data Sovereignty Sandbox as a collaborative hub for public-private partnerships.
- Develop and deliver Data Sovereignty education programs through UMi-Versity, ensuring communities understand the value of their data.
- Host Data Sovereignty-based events that unite experts across sectors, fostering interdisciplinary synergy.
- Deploy Data Sovereignty applications with iterative feedback loops to refine utility and community relevance.
- Align efforts with the Social Determinants of Health to bridge the Digital Divide through tailored infrastructure investments.
This stage aims to empower resilient communities to transition from passive data sources to active Data Farmers, equipping them with tools to cultivate, manage, and monetize contextually-rich datasets. UMi’s engagement with public and private enterprises will shift organizational mindsets from extractive practices to ethical, community-aligned innovation that can be transformative.
Mobility: Institutionalizing Data Sovereignty as a Lifestyle
The Mobility stage solidifies the practices, principles, and partnerships established during Manage, ensuring that Data Sovereignty becomes an integral part of daily life in the UMi Economy. Unlike traditional models, this phase embraces the living, dynamic nature of human environments, requiring iterative adjustments to align with evolving community needs.
UMi will establish Innovation Studios across diverse contexts—urban, rural, and metroplex areas—to serve as local hubs for ongoing education, event hosting, and application development. These studios will anchor UMi’s model of Gamified Community-Based Participatory Research (GCBPR), a method of co-creating solutions with the communities they serve.
Key Actions During Mobility:
- Develop region-specific strategies through local Innovation Studios.
- Certify enterprises as Data Sovereignty Certified Organizations (DSCOs), ensuring ethical alignment.
- Implement reward-based systems that attribute value to community-contributed data insights.
- Introduce feedback mechanisms to maintain relevance and responsiveness.
- Advocate for policy adaptations that formally recognize Data Sovereignty as a public benefit.
Ultimately, UMi’s Mobility phase will result in a decentralized, adaptive ecosystem where Data Sovereignty praxis is not just understood but lived. The UMi Economy will exist as the phygital bridge between the physical and digital worlds, empowering humanity to pursue upward social and economic mobility without exploitation.
UMi’s Definition of Data Sovereignty: “The ability for one to have presence, ownership, and stewardship over their data across any dimension and/or environment it is used.”