TReNDing: The Achievements and Lessons of a Global Research Network on Data
For the past 10 years, the Sustainable Development Solutions Network’s (SDSN) Thematic Research Network on Data and Statistics (TReNDS) team has aimed to convene leading data actors to discuss the power and potential of data to improve equitable progress on future Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to catalyze policy change by providing new insights from a wide variety of non-governmental data sources. The latest report, TReNDing: The Achievements and Lessons of a Global Research Network on Data reflects on the network’s achievements and proposals for the way forward.
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Case Study Report: Localizing User Engagement and Data Utilization Post-Census
As part of the ongoing efforts within the Data for Now initiative, this case study report summarizes the results and impact of the five half-day workshops that were organized December 13–14, 2022 (Nyarugenge and Bugesera Districts), and August 16–18, 2023 (Nyamagabe, Musanze, and Karongi Districts). The insights shared within this report build on the collective expertise of implementing partners SDSN TReNDS, UK ONS, NISR, and RCSP.
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Summary Report: Knowledge Exchange Workshop between Ghana Statistical Services and Statistics Sierra Leone on Marine Litter Data and Citizen Science
As part of the ongoing efforts within the Data for Now initiative, this workshop was held in Accra, Ghana, November 2–3, 2023, and was hosted by SDSN’s Thematic Research Network on Data and Statistics (TReNDS), the Ghana Statistical Services (GSS), and the Environmental Protection Agency of Ghana (EPA Ghana). More than 35 representatives from a diverse group of stakeholders came together to discuss best practices and opportunities for collaboration in regards to marine litter data and citizen science.
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Feasibility study on marine litter detection and reporting in Ghana
Given the urgency of addressing data gaps on marine plastic litter, timely data, effective stakeholder engagement, cross- sector collaboration, and citizen engagement are critical to advancing this feasibility study. The innovative and integrated approach outlined in this report can also support the fulfillment of SDG 14.1.1b (measurement of plastic debris density) as well as informing policy formulation and action plans. The ability to harness the aforementioned innovative data sources, involve members of the public and communities in the process, and communicate findings in accessible formats, empowers people and communities, policymakers, and various stakeholders with the insights necessary for guiding sustainable practices.
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ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT 2023: G7 Partnership for Women’s Digital Financial Inclusion in Africa
In its fourth year of implementation, this year’s G7 Partnership for Women’s Digital Financial Inclusion in Africa (G7P) report reflects on the theme of digital safety to advance women’s DFI, provides a progress update on the effectiveness of the partnership, and shares practical steps to improve the G7P’s performance in the final year of implementation.
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ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT 2022: G7 Partnership for Women’s Digital Financial Inclusion in Africa
In 2019, with an estimated 250 million women in Sub-Saharan Africa facing financial exclusion, under the French Presidency, the G7 Partnership for Women’s Digital Financial Inclusion in Africa (G7P) was created to promote social equality and reduce the digital gender divide by realizing the value of digital financial services and supporting African governments, regulators, banks, and financial institutions to build more gender-inclusive, sustainable, and responsible digital financial systems. The G7P brings together a myriad of existing institutions working in Africa on complementary issues of research, investment, and regulation around digital finance and its potential benefits for women. This report addresses the request from the French G7 Presidency to support greater transparency and accountability across G7 initiatives. This year’s report focuses on the theme of “trust” and offers reflections on the progress of the collaborative in its second full year of implementation and provides recommendations for improving its collective impact.
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Overcoming Data Graveyards in Official Statistics
While billions of gigabytes of data are produced daily, far too often unused data pass into a “data graveyard” (Custer et al, 2017) – where they go unutilized, precluding evidence-informed decisions from being made. This is especially dangerous at a time when intersecting crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and energy and food insecurity put a premium on decision-making that incorporates the best data. Additionally, our understanding of how data is transformed into usable information for decision-making remains weak relative to the efforts to produce data, and many producers of official statistics remain unclear about how to assess data uptake and impact. In this report, SDSN TReNDS and Open Data Watch, set out to provide conceptual clarity about the challenges of improving data use and a way forward for research by sourcing best practices from countries through a survey and in-depth interviews.
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ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES OF USING EARTH OBSERVATION DATA FOR SDG ATTAINMENT: Evidence from the Global South and West Africa Region
Earth Observation (EO) data are increasingly being used by governments use to make key development decisions. The COVID-19 pandemic is a case in point. As the pandemic impacted society’s most vulnerable disproportionately, effective delivery of social protection required more timely and localized data - two critical benefits EO offers users.
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Data Stewardship and the City Data Agenda: A Case Study of León, Mexico
This case study was written by Eduardo Sojo to support TReNDS’ sub-group on data stewardship and support research requested by the United Nations Statistics Commission’s (UNSC) Working Group on Data Stewardship. The case study was written after conducting meetings with members of the regional north-center team of INEGI, members of the state of Guanajuato planning agency (IPLANEG) responsible for integrating the State Statistical and Geographical System of Information (SEIEG), and members of the Municipal Planning Institute of León, Guanajuato (IMPLAN) responsible for providing data and information to local authorities and decision-makers. The ‘City Manager’ of León was also present during the meetings. The case study highlights that even in a very robust National Statistical System, such as in Mexico, there are many opportunities to reinforce support and capacity building to local governments.
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ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT 2021: G7 Partnership for Women’s Digital Financial Inclusion in Africa
An estimated 400 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa lack a financial account, and 60% of these individuals are women. And while the rise of the digital financial services (DFS) sector has the potential to disrupt old gender divides, a number of barriers still need to be overcome. In 2019, the G7 recognized the potential of DFS for promoting its mission of social equality. This commitment resulted in the creation of The G7 Partnership for Women’s Digital Financial Inclusion in Africa (G7P) which draws financial contributions from France, the UK, and the Gates Foundation and implementation strength from the World Bank, UNCDF, AFDB, Oxford School, AfDB, and J-PAL. This report tracks the implementation progress of the partnership and offers suggestions to improve partnership performance.
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