This month, Open Data Watch co-hosted an event titled “Resources for Data & Statistics: Transformative Opportunities” on the sidelines of the 2019 Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund. The Bern Network also held its second meeting in Washington, D.C. to encourage discussions on more and better financing of development. To close out the month, Open Data Watch joined SDSN TReNDS at their biannual meeting in Bogota, Colombia, hosted by partner CEPEI. If there is something else to add, please contact us.
April
Statistical Capacity Development Outlook 2019 (4/1)
PARIS21 publishes a report summarizing current trends and challenges regarding statistical capacity development. According to PARIS21, the report should play a role in guiding future statistical capacity efforts and can be used across national statistical systems. (source)
UNEP, IUCN Propose 18 Gender-Environment Indicators (4/2)
Ana Maria Lebada, a thematic expert for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, discusses a report released by the UN Environment Program and the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Focusing on the intersection of gender and the environment, the report proposes 18 gender-environment indicators to help guide monitoring efforts. (source)
Uneven access to health services drives life expectancy gaps: WHO (4/4)
WHO explains the need for disaggregating data by sex in datasets pertaining to public health systems. Overall, the trends they highlight found that attitudes between health care differ between men and women and that women outlive men everywhere in the world. (source)
In Buenos Aires, a pioneering open justice program is rebuilding trust (4/4)
Members of the Buenos Aires Judicial branch joined to write a piece for Apolitico on the use of open data to rebuild trust in the judicial system. They explain how an open data repository, holding datasets on the type of felony and type of punishment, have helped improve transparency and enabled the government to measure performance within the judicial system in Argentina. (source)
Are we reducing hunger in the world? (4/5)
The Brookings Institute explains that until sufficient data is produced to monitor world hunger, it will be very difficult for policymakers to provide a long-term stable solution. The authors discuss the trends in world poverty and hunger data, and the challenges policymakers and researchers face in understanding world hunger. (source)
Alternative methods to produce poverty estimates when household consumption data are not available (Part I) (4/10)
Hii-anh H. Dang co-authors a piece for the World Bank Data blog outlining how alternative methods to produce poverty estimates can be used as a substitute when household consumption data aren’t available. (source)
Achieving the SDGs: Using Policy Data to Identify What Works and Monitor Global Progress (4/10)
Representatives from the WORLD Policy Analysis Center explain that linking policy data to outcome data helps improve the overall health and well-being of countries. They call to action a data-driven approach to monitor and evaluate SDG targets such as child marriage and gender disparities. (source)
Is India being unfairly targeted internationally on non-transparency of its official statistics? (4/11)
Dinesh Unnikrishnan writes an article for Firstpost explaining the criticism on India’s data credibility. He includes recommendations for the Indian government to help regain the lost credibility of Indian official statistics. His main recommendations include setting up an independent body to analyze the problematic GDP series and releasing data in a timely manor. (source)
New reports profile sub-national data efforts around the world (4/11)
SDSN TReNDS staff publish a set of briefs on sub-national data collection efforts around the world. The six briefs are designed to serve as model examples for how sub-national data can help the localization of efforts. (source)
Big Data Has Transformed Agriculture—In Some Places, Anyway (4/14)
David Lobell writes a piece for the Scientific American parsing how farmers use data to inform their decisions on crops and planting. He explains that in less developed areas of the world, where data lags, many farmers have to rely on tradition and history, in a climate that is changing fast. (source)
Revising National SDG Targets for the City of Los Angeles (4/15)
SDSN TReNDS publishes a blog discussing how the Mayor of Los Angeles partnered with local universities and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation to develop a methodology for data relevant to the SDGs. (source)
Expert Meeting on Statistics for SDGs (4/15)
Heads of national statistical offices, international relations departments of NSO’s and statistical departments of International Organizations, joined in Geneva Switzerland for the Third Expert Meeting on Statistics for the Sustainable Development Goals. The group discussed the coordination of global SDG statistics, effective communication, and statistical capacity development. (source)
Localizing the SDGs in Colombian Cities with the Cómo Vamos City Network (4/15)
SDSN TReNDS releases a brief on developing a common SDG framework in Colombia. The brief reviews the initiatives of the Cómo Vamos Cities Network and Fundación Corona to provide examples of how a country can merge development efforts to track and form national government initiatives. (source)
The impact of women’s careers on childbearing age, in one chart (4/17)
Cassie Werber, a reporter for Quartz, explains how statistics released by the UK’s Office for National Statistics offer a clear picture on the trends of pregnancies in the UK. She explains that the overall trend is that women are getting pregnant later and choosing to establish their careers first. (source)
First data on trans people accessing HIV care in England (4/23)
Roger Pebody from, Nam Aidsmap, discusses the UK’s recent efforts to collect data on the access of care for HIV and AIDS among transgender people in England. He explains that data suggests large disparities within access to health and signs of delayed treatment. (source)
A year before the 2020 census, experts share four key insights (4/23)
Alan Berube, the deputy director of Metropolitan policy program, collects four key takeaways from national census experts to prepare for the 2020 census. Mainly, he explains 2020 census needs to ensure a full, fair and accurate count of the United States population. (source)
New Research Uses Search Data to Understand Public Health Needs (4/24)
Jessica Baron authors an article for Forbes on the use of search data for understanding illness. She discusses how researchers at Cornell University, SUNY Stonybrook, Microsoft Research, and the Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship joined together to improve education and program efforts of public health organizations. (source)