Open Data Watch is an international non-profit, non-governmental organization that works at the intersection of open data and official statistics. It monitors the accessibility and comprehensiveness of official data in over 180 countries and provides practical information and assistance in implementing open data policies and systems. The Open Data Watch team has unparalleled experience in development data and is committed to making open data a global reality in support of Sustainable Development Goals.

January 2020

2020 took off in full force with preparations for the ConVERGE conference scheduled for end-February at IDRC with UNFPA. The month also included the PARIS21 conference on innovation, New Approaches to Capacity Development for Better Data, as well as an event at George Washington University, Data as a Development Issue, that looked at how data can stimulate development. 

December 2019

2019 ended with an action-packed month to maximize the impact of open data around the world. ODW partnered with the Open Government Partnership for an Open Data Workshop with innovation practitioners from the Government of the Republic of Korea and also began sending out invitations for the upcoming ConVERGE: Connecting Vital Events Registration and Gender Equality conference in Ottawa in February…

A Long Way to Go for Data to Make a Difference

Countries have a long way to go before data begins to make a difference. The OGP Global Report: Democracy Beyond the Ballot Box synthesizes Open Government Partnership findings to provide comparable snapshots of all OGP members. It combines this with data published by respected partners, including Open Data Watch’s Open Data Inventory (ODIN), allowing readers to learn about their country’s progress in OGP and compare it to real-world performance in other selected dimensions.

November 2019

In November, the Data2X’s event, Big Data, Big Impact? The Future of Gender-Sensitive Data Systems was followed by a regional meeting on gender statistics in Accra that fell on African Statistics Day. The month ended with a workshop and training on how to improve open data within the General Authority for Statistics in Saudi Arabia…

October 2019

October saw meetings all over the world reinforce support for data-driven solutions and strong statistical capacity. PARIS21 and UN Women acted to strengthen national statistical systems and produce quality gender statistics. Palestine held a Data Festival to promote creative initiatives to improve decision making. An SDSN TReNDS event looked at how cities measure SDGs…

Data Deprivation: Progress Has Stalled

At a moment when everyone talks about gushing big data, it may seem contrarian to say the world is short of data. But a look at NSO websites or the database of SDG indicators shows many gaps. The median coverage score of the 178 countries in ODIN is only 44 percent. This blog moves from general to specific, looking at data crucial to monitoring the first SDG goal: eradicating poverty.