Posts tagged data financing
Getting Back on Track: Calls for More Localized Approaches and SDG Financing
Getting Back on Track: Calls for More Localized Approaches and SDG Financing

This year’s session of the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) culminated earlier this week, with 44 countries presenting their Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) and hundreds of country delegates, leaders, and key stakeholders convening to discuss progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We review some of the key highlights discussed, including the importance of data infrastructure and timely, disaggregated data, the need for greater investments and financing for countries, and the value of localized and customized approaches to achieve the SDGs.

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Insights, OpinionAlyson Marksdata, HLPF, population monitoring, SDGs, data financing
2022 Predictions For The Evolution of Data Use
2022 Predictions For The Evolution of Data Use

At this time of the year, there is no shortage of predictions of what lies ahead. Typing “year ahead 2022” into your web browser alone yields 885 million results - more than one for every ten people on the planet. And for big data enthusiasts, limiting the search terms to “year ahead,” “big data,” and “2022” returns 300,000+ articles covering data trends, top tech predictions, and what we can expect from big data analytics. The results are spottier, however, when we search for what’s in store for national data ecosystems and the implications for sustainable development. Yet, efficient national data ecosystems and better use of data are critical to helping organizations from the public sector, private sector, and civil society achieve better outcomes, particularly in sustainable development. TReNDS’ Director, Grant Cameron, reflects on how these types of organizations will evolve in their use of data in the year ahead, what it means for the national and global data ecosystems, and how these changes will contribute to sustainable development.

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Insights, OpinionSDSN Staffdata use, Citizen Science, evidence-based policymaking, data financing, data privacy, COVID-19
Avoiding the Data Colonialism Trap
Avoiding the Data Colonialism Trap

Even while the COVID-19 pandemic has heightened awareness of data and statistics, it has highlighted the global divide in statistical capacity, and in many cases, exacerbated it. Across Africa, for example, incomplete death registration systems have hampered efforts to track the virus. And according to recent surveys of national statistical offices (NSOs), nine out of ten NSOs in low and lower-middle-income countries may not fully be able to meet their international reporting requirements. To address these issues, countries are now being presented with an array of private sector data solutions and other non-traditional sources of information to fill these data gaps. Yet as global institutions seek to empower with data, we must be wary of “data colonialism” -- the potential for the powerful, data-rich countries and corporations in the Global North to undercut capacity development in the Global South by failing to recognize the local contexts.

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Insights, OpinionTom MoultrieCOVID-19, data colonialism, data financing, UN Statistical Commission, digital divide, data protection
A Vaccine Is Not the Only Answer to COVID-19: Why Strengthening Statistical and Data Systems Must Be Part of the Solution

The world’s inability to detect and contain the spread of COVID-19 has been financially devastating. The International Monetary Fund says that the global economy will shrink by 3% this year. Many analysts have described the decline as the worst since the Great Depression of the 1930s, with 42.6 million people applying for unemployment benefits in America alone. With these losses, budgets are tightening around the world. Prioritization of essential spending is more critical than ever, and many governments and organizations are understandably placing their hopes in the development of an effective vaccine. But as much as a vaccine is needed to address the pandemic, accurate and real-time data is needed to enable the detection and containment of its spread. And governments and development organizations can do more to better strengthen statistical systems by providing adequate financing.

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Insights, OpinionShaida BadieeCOVID-19, data financing, CRVS, census
In Low-Income Countries Fundamental Data Issues Remain for COVID-19 Response

As COVID-19 has wreaked havoc across the globe, the data community is steadfastly working to develop new tools and methods to better track and monitor the virus. And considerable attention has been given to the innovative role of big data in the response efforts. For instance, in the United States, data from smart thermometers are being used to predict the spread of the virus; Google is employing aggregated location data to demonstrate the impact of social distancing policies; and South Korea has used a variety of data sources, including individual cellphone data and credit card records to track and report on the virus spread. While these novel data solutions have the potential to help save lives, more fundamental data issues remain in the countries where the impact of COVID-19 is likely to be most devastating.

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InsightsHayden Dahmmreal-time data, Big data, data financing, COVID-19, CRVS, data4now
Big Data in a Time of Crisis: Maximizing its Value – And Avoiding its Risks – In the Fight Against COVID-19

It is estimated that approximately 2 million people around the world have been infected by the coronavirus, and the numbers continue to grow. Yet the data being reported are primarily coming from national governments, which are – for the most part – basing it on who has been tested, which likely reveals only a fraction of the scale of the pandemic. There’s a critical need for real-time reported data from hospitals, health clinics and outreach facilities, based not only on testing, but on symptoms and other key determinants. In addition, we need to know in real-time who lacks access to a health clinic or other basic services, and which clinics don’t have personal protective equipment (PPE), ventilators or beds – as well as where the most vulnerable people live, their age, gender and other crucial demographic information. If there is one thing this pandemic has exposed, it is the acute weakness of the world’s data systems. 

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InsightsJessica Espeyreal-time data, data stewardship, Big data, COVID-19, data financing, POPGRID
Data Experts Say New Sources Must Not Replace Traditional Data

TReNDS hosted an expert discussion on data for development on the sidelines of the 51st session of the UN Statistical Commission. The breakfast event took place on 3 March 2020, and featured remarks by several experts from the TReNDS network. The discussion highlighted as a key issue the lack of data currently available on SDG indicators, saying significant gaps exist in data timeliness, represented geographies, and other factors.

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NewsGuest ContributorSDGs, datasharing, dataprivacy, datastewardship, Counting on the World, data revolution, data financing, Earth observation, evidence-based policymaking, census, POPGRID, population monitoring, UN World Data Forum, real-time data, data stewardship, public-private partnerships
When it Comes to Data for the SDGs, Money and Agreement are Still Lacking

Insights from a roundtable discussion hosted by SDSN TReNDS, identify how governments need to change to support the creation and maintenance of the data required to achieve the SDGs. The role of traditional versus new data collection methods, policy and regulatory needs for data governance, and what a national data ecosystem should look like were among the topics debated. The learnings from the roundtable, along with the report “Counting on the World to Act,” will provide analysis and evidence-based solutions for government actors to take the much-needed steps toward achieving the data revolution.

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NewsGuest ContributorSDGs, datasharing, dataprivacy, datastewardship, Counting on the World, data revolution, data financing, Earth observation, evidence-based policymaking, census
New report released on tackling gender inequalities through investments in CRVS systems

TReNDS releases a new report on the return on investment for women and girls when resources are put towards civil registration and vital statistics systems, part of “Why CRVS systems matter for women and girls” from the International Development Research Centre’s Centre of Excellence for CRVS Systems.

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News, ReportsJessica EspeyCRVS, gender, International Research Development Centre, financing, data financing