In addition to numerous data-specific events taking place at the United Nations High-Level Political Forum and the United Nations General Assembly, this quarter has seen the publication of several flagship reports such as “Counting on the world” by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network and “Harnessing the data revolution to achieve sustainable development: Enabling frogs to leap” by the Center for Strategic International Studies. Below we provide summaries of other reports, blogs, and articles on the topic of the data revolution below. If there is something else to add, please contact us.
JULY
High-level political forum: Reviewing SDG progress (7/1)
Member states and leaders from civil society, business, UN System, specialized agencies, academia, and other stakeholders convened in New York from 10 to 19 July 2017 for the annual High-level Political Forum to review progress made towards the Sustainable Development Goals. UN DESA shares a video outlining the upcoming event and its purpose. (source)
African Development Bank to fund Cape Verde data centre (7/5)
Joäo Marques Lima reports on the latest move by the African Development Bank to begin the construction of a data center as part of a $30 million investment in a technology park in The Data Economy. (source)
Uncertainty trails conduct of 2018 census (7/5)
Writing for the Nigerian Tribune, Adetola Bademosi provides an update on the uncertainties that have surrounded the much anticipated 2018 census in Nigeria. The census was due in 2016 but postponed for 2018. (source)
Designing our new strategy: Learning from Borgen (7/10)
Liz Carolan of Open Data Charter shares the organization’s new strategy for the years ahead and four projects that will test the different visions of how the Charter can add value. (source)
SDG index and dashboard report 2017 (July)
Bertelsmann Stiftung and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network publish the “SDG Index and Dashboards Report 2017: Global Responsibilities.” The purpose of the report is to assist countries to identify priorities for action to achieve the 17 SDGs. (source)
2017 HLPF opens with exchange of regional experiences, thematic review (7/11)
The SDG Knowledge Hub, a project of IISD, gathers statements from the first day of the High-Level Political Forum and helps set the tone for what’s to follow in the next 10 days. (source)
Progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (7/12)
“Progress on Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene” is WHO/UNICEF’s most comprehensive global assessment to date. It establishes country, regional and global baseline estimates for the new Sustainable Development Goal targets and indicators relating to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene. (source)
HLFP 2017 highlights: Review of implementation: SDG 3 and SDG 5 (7/13)
The 2017 meeting of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development reviewed the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 (good health and well-being) and SDG 5 (gender equality). IISD Reporting Services shares the outcomes of the reviews. (source)
Deadly data gaps: how lack of information harms refugee policy making (7/13)
Charlotte Alred interviews Galen Englund for an article on News Deeply. They discuss the most troubling gaps in the data availability for refugees and displaced populations and how they harm policy-making. (source)
Indigenous views collated worldwide ‘for first time’ (7/14)
SciDevNet reports on the new initiative known as “Indigenous Navigator,” which is to be launched at the UN General Assembly. It is the largest-ever attempt to fill the data gap in development specific to indigenous person. (source)
Estonia to open world’s first virtual data embassy (7/16)
Polina Kalantar authors an article on Phys.Org that discusses Estonia’s step forward in global technology. They are set to open the world’s first data embassy in Luxembourg next year. (source)
Four trends in development innovation (7/18)
Benjamin Kumpf, Policy Specialist in Innovation at UNDP, shares four areas UNDP is investing in to unlock the potential of innovation for development with a focus on leaving no one behind: alternative finance, data innovation, behavioral design, and government labs. (source)
What makes quality open data (7/18)
European Data Portal interviews David Tarrant, Senior Data Trainer at the Open Data Institute. Tarrant explains what quality data is, how to recognize it and which quality marks consumers of open data should look for. (source)
The SDG data Initiative 2017 global report (July)
The SDG16 Data Initiative publishes the “SDG16 Data Initiative 2017 Global Report” – an assessment of progress towards meeting the 12 targets under SDG16 based on available data. It also considers the extent of data coverage, the limitations of the data currently available, and how data are being used to drive change. (source)
Global Partnership announces new round of funding for ‘collaborative data innovations for sustainable development’ (7/18)
The Global Partnership announces a second round of funding for data for development projects. As part of the ‘Collaborative Data Innovations for Sustainable Development’ funding, which is supported by the World Bank’s Trust Fund for Statistical Capacity Building (TFSCB), the Global Partnership seeks innovative proposals for data production, dissemination and use. (source)
The Govlab releases groundbreaking report detailing why and how open data matters for developing economies (7/19)
The Governance Lab at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering launched a report – “Open Data in Developing Economics: Towards Building an Evidence Base on What Works and How.” The report assesses and explores ways that open data can be used in developing economics. (source)
Measuring success for open data (7/19)
ODI International Development Manager, Liz Carolan, explains key ways to measure the success of open data initiatives, what a demand-focused approach to open data is and how performance indicators add value to open data initiatives for European Data Portal’s module series. (source)
Research outputs: Occupied address (household) estimates by size, 2011 (July)
The UK’s Office for National Statistics publishes a short paper on their latest research regarding estimating household sizes based on administrative data. (source)
Stakeholders make case for Open Data in Africa at report launch (7/20)
The UNECA reports on the launch of the “African Data Revolution Report” in Accra, Ghana. The report was presented on July 20th during a panel discussion on the margins of the 2nd Africa Open Data Conference. (source)
How to build a data revolution – Viet Nam (7/20)
This video series by UNU-WIDER tells the story of Viet Nam’s data revolution. To build on its success in poverty reduction, the country stresses the need for better data to continue pressing forward through its ongoing economic transition. (source)
SDG baseline report highlights the role of CRVS in achieving the SDGs (7/21)
UN ESCAP launches the “Asia-Pacific SDG Baseline Report” during a presentation of regional perspectives on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The key role of well-functioning CRVS systems to both measure and meet SDG targets is highlighted in the report. (source)
Reading the invisible ink – road testing how to Open Data to tackle corruption in Mexico (7/26)
Ania Calderon of Open Data Charter authors a blog post discussing how to use open data to tackle corruption and describes the latest “Open Up Guide” to help do so. The Guide includes advice for governments on releasing data and supporting its use to help the prevention, detection and prosecution of corruption. (source)
Warning: Too much reliance on data can undermine the UN’s SDGs (7/26)
Sakiko Fukuda Parr shares her reflections on the data revolution and data for sustainable development goals at the UN High-Level Political Forum (HLPF). The blog is adapted from her keynote speech at the opening session of the UN HLPF. In this PassBlue blog post, she makes the case for a more holistic approach, using qualitative as well as quantitative data. (source)
Indonesia and Open Data: Where is it headed? (7/31)
Open Data Labs recaps how Indonesia is performing on open data based on the latest edition of the Open Data Barometer – which measures the prevalence and impact of open data around the world. The country ranked 38th globally in the latest edition. (source)
AUGUST
Why we should care about bad data (8/2)
Stefaan Verhulst writes an article on the GovLab website based on his webinar presentation, “Bad Data: The Hobgoblin of Effective Government.” Verhulst attempts to answer the questions: Why should we care about bad data? What is meant by bad data? And what are the determining factors contributing to bad data? (source)
Tanzania, Sri Lanka Focus on Coordinating National Data with SDG Indicators (8/3)
The SDG Knowledge Hub reports on two recent data developments. UNCTAD has provided technical training on SDG monitoring to more than 100 participants in Tanzania and Zanzibar, including advice on how to align national data systems with the SDG global indicator framework, and the Government of Sri Lanka published a report on the status of SDG indicators at the national level. (source)
Introducing a new gender data module in the Data4SDGs toolbox (August)
The Global Partnership introduces a new Gender Data Module in the Data4SDGs Toolbox produced by Data2X. This module offers a primer and straightforward guidance aimed primarily at countries on gender data collection for national data roadmaps. (source)
Germany finally has an Open Data Law (8/2)
Michael Peters publishes an article for Open Knowledge Foundation Deutschland describing Germany’s first Open Data Law that came into effect on July 13th. The Open Data law is part of a change in the German E-Government law. (source)
Africa’s open data revolution hampered by challenges (8/4)
Gilbert Nakweya publishes an article on SciDevNet based on the latest release of the “African Data Revolution Report.” The article describes the open data challenges facing Africa in achieving the SDGs and the limited investment for the data sector. (source)
Innovating with open data: overcoming the challenges (8/10)
ODI Program Manager, Briony Phillips, outlines some of the challenges and trickier aspects of innovating with open data and suggests ways to overcome them for a blog on Nesta. (source)
First-ever ‘U.S. cities SDG index’ ranks American cities based on sustainability performance (8/10)
The Sustainable Development Solutions Network, which co-produces the Global SDG Index, released the first-ever “U.S. Cities SDG Index.” The Index ranks the 100 most populous U.S. cities, using Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), based on their performance on the SDGs. (source)
An approach to building open databases (8/10)
Paul Walsh, Chief Product Office at Open Knowledge International, co-authors a blog post with Adam Kariv and Vitor Baptista on Open Knowledge International’s recent work building public databases. (source)
Opinion: How to make open data live up to its potential (8/11)
Stefaan G. Verhulst and Andrew Young of GovLab write an article for Devex discussing four different impacts open data can have based on their one-year research project. Their project mapped and assessed the current universe of theory and practice related to open data. (source)
Africa’s data revolution probed in UN-backed report (8/11)
Gilbert Nakweya authors an article for SciDevNet recounting the “African Data Revolution” report that was released in July at the second Africa Open Data Conference in Accra, Ghana. The article calls for more collaboration among data communities in Africa, increased investments, and progress at political and technical levels. (source)
These 3 barriers make it hard for policymakers to use the evidence that development researchers produce (8/13)
Michael Callen, Adnan Khan, Asim I. Khwaja, Asad Liaqat and Emily Myers co-author an article for the “Monkey Cage” column on The Washington Post highlighting the findings from their recent research on evidence-based policy making. (source)
Open Data in developing economies: Translating learning into practice (8/17)
The Inter-American Development Bank publishes a blog by Stefaan Verhulst and Andrew Young of the GovLab discussing the findings from their detailed report, “Open Data in Developing Economies: Toward Building an Evidence Base on What Works and How.” (source)
Towards a United Nations city group on ageing and age disaggregated data (8/21)
Fiach O’Broin-Molloy, a Social Development Adviser at the Inclusive Societies Department at DFID, authors an article on Medium discussing their ongoing work to improve age data and age disaggregation as well as ensure statistical systems leave no one behind. (source)
Think globally, act locally: How open data can be a force in city diplomacy (8/23)
Writing for the Sunlight Foundation, Saeb Ahsan takes a closer look at how open, standardized data can help make inter-disciplinary, inter-sectoral, and inter-city dialogues more effective and can help cities report back in accountable ways to their residents. (source)
Open earth observation data has a proven economic value (8/22)
Writing for Geospatial World, Ananya Narain shares two case studies that showcase the economic benefit and potential of open geospatial data. (source)
Open Data in developing economies: How countries in Latin America and the Caribbean are embracing a new asset for development (8/22)
In part 2 of their series for the Inter-American Development Bank, Stefaan Verhulst and Andrew Young from The GovLab feature three projects from their year-long research- two in Latin America (Colombia and Paraguay) and one in the Caribbean (Jamaica) and reflect on how open data was a new asset for development. (source)
New Zealand adopts International Open Data Charter (8/25)
The Minister of Statistics of New Zealand, Hon Scott Simpson, releases a press release announcing that New Zealand has signed up to the International Open Data Charter. It is a move to help drive innovation, support public accountability, and encourage engagement with government. (source)
Nepal drafts national Open Data plan amidst growing trend (8/29)
Nurfilzah Rohaidi’s article on GovInsider reports on Nepal’s newest national Open Data action plan. The action plan is based on a study of the growing use of open data by governments around the world and developed by the National Information Commission of Nepal. (source)
Public comments on city open data policies focus on governance, uses and privacy (8/29)
Faraz Ahmed and Greg Jordan-Detamore of the Sunlight Foundation examined the public comments on open data policies in Buffalo, Durham, Tyler, Glendale, Nashville, Syracuse, San Francisco, Naperville, and the Bay Area Rapid Transit system. They find citizens place focus on governance, use, and privacy. (source)
SEPTEMBER
Nigerian Statistical Association: 1st International Statistical Conference (9/4)
The Nigerian Statistical Association holds its first international statistical conference under the theme “Positioning Statistical Systems for the Data Revolution.” The conference was held on September 4th at the University of Lagos. (source)
The good, the bad and the difficult part of open data (9/1)
Open Data Charter posts an article written by Diana D Herrera of Cívica Digital that outlines the key challenges governments face in open data. Challenges include interoperability, information quality and feedback, and technical feasibility. (source)
Facts and figures South Central Somali (Sept)
The Ministry of Planning and Statistics of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) presents the first edition of “South-Central Facts and Figures.” The first of a series of publications, this book will serve as the main general statistical reference for South-Central Somalia. (source)
A new high-level policy analysis sheds more light on Europe’s open data and open science policies (9/4)
In a post for the London School of Economics and Political Science blog, Martin Donnelly shares findings from a recent report by the Digital Curation Center and SPARC Europe that analyses national policies on research data management throughout Europe. (source)
National baseline on civil registration and vital statistics in Cambodia (9/8)
CRVS in Asia and the Pacific, supported by UNICEF, publishes a country assessment and strategies source that provides key baseline data on the status of CRVS in Cambodia. This data will be used as a benchmark to monitor Cambodia’s progress towards achieving the targets set in line with its National Strategic Plan for Identification as well as the Regional Action Framework. (source)
Creating value through Open Data (9/11)
A new study, prepared by Capgemini Consulting as part of the European Data Portal aims to collect, assess, and aggregate economic evidence to forecast the benefits of the re-use of Open Data for the EU28+. (source)
Key indicators for Asia and the Pacific 2017 (9/12)
Published by the Asian Development Bank, the “Key Indicators” presents the latest statistics on a comprehensive set of economic, financial, social, environmental, and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators for the 48 regional members of the Asian Development Bank. (source)
Harnessing the data revolution to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (9/12)
The Center for Strategic and International Studies launches their newest report that analyzes the challenges and opportunities that exist in the pursuit of the data revolution. (source)
Who’s at the popular table? Our analysis found which open data the public likes (9/11)
The Sunlight Foundation analyzes the text descriptions of open datasets from 141 cities and state governments across the country — a total of 21,000 individual open datasets. They are scored based on views and downloads to figure out which types of data are most popular. (source)
Improving data on ageing to leave no one behind (9/11)
Zach Christensen of Development Initiatives writes a blog post on the creation of the Titchfield City Group on Ageing and Age-disaggregated data. The group will provide expert recommendations to the UN Statistical Commission. (source)
Can a better way to measure conflict-related deaths help achieve the sustainable development goals? (9/13)
Joanne Lu reports on the lack of data on conflict-related deaths in an article on UN Dispatch. In the article, she reinforces the important connection between peace and sustainable development but questions how the international community will measure progress against Goal 16. (source)
More and better data needed to achieve women’s economic equality and rights (9/14)
Alison Holder, Director of Equal Measures 2030, publishes a blog post for Deliver2030 discussing the limited available and comparable data to understand women’s economic empowerment and the challenges that such data gaps create. (source)
Ready to Measure Phase II: Indicators Available to Monitor the SDG Targets (9/15)
Measuring and tracking progress towards gender equality in the SDGs will require a serious commitment to the collection and use of more and better gender data. To help achieve these ambitious promises, in partnership with Data2X, Open Data Watch produced the Ready to Measure (R2M) report and the accompanying database. (source)
UNAIDs and Malaysia launch join data web platform (9/15)
Malaysia Sun reports on the joint web platform launched by UNAIDS and the Ministry of Public Health of Malaysia. The platform aims to strengthen the generation of strategic information and the use of data for evidence-informed programming. (source)
Counting on the World (9/17)
A new report from the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network’s Thematic Research Network on Sustainable Development Data provides an independent view on how national systems should evolve to accommodate the data revolution. (source)
Where are the gender data? Three steps to better data and closing gaps (9/18)
Mayra Buvinic and Eric Swanson publish a post on the Center for Global Development blog stressing the importance of gender data while questioning its availability to measure gender equality in the SDGs. In the blog post, the two share insights from the recently released “Ready to Measure” report – a joint product of Open Data Watch and Data2X. (source)
Opening up data in Ukraine (9/21)
Robert Palmer of Open Data Charter shares the recent news of four cities in Ukraine who have adopted the six principles of the Open Data Charter. The cities are Vinnytsia, Drohobych, Dnipro, and Chernivtsi. (source)
Better data, better Results: UNICEF strategies for success (9/12)
Josh Powell of Development Gateway and Emily Garin of UNICEF co-author a blog on Development Gateway sharing a new strategic approach to making data work for children. The strategic framework aims to ensure that we are working to match the demand, supply, and use of data appropriately. (source)
Policymakers and gender equality: What they know and how they know it (9/21)
Equal Measures 2030 publishes a report exploring data-driven decision making on gender equality with policy makers. The report presents the initial findings from a survey to 109 policy makers in five countries. (source)
Opinion: Data’s big moment? Here’s what you need to know (9/20)
Claire Melamed and Mahamudu Bawumia co-author a Devex article recounting the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data’s lessons learned thus far on data collaboration. Melamed argues that we must focus on two things to achieve data success: partnerships and politics. (source)
Q&A: How the African Development Bank is improving data quality (9/21)
Sara Jerving, a reporter for Devex, sat down with Water Odero, a macroeconomist for the African Development Bank in Kenya, to discuss how the organization is strengthening the capacity of data-gathering institutions. (source)
Pushing for open data that makes a difference, Sunlight Foundation publishes a tactical guide
StateScoop publishes an article by Colin Wood on the Sunlight Foundation’s 31-page document called “A Guide to Tactical Data Engagement.” The document was written to help city leaders and residents collaborate on open data projects that improve accountability and transparency. (source)
Open data inception: 2,700+ open data portals around the world in one place (9/27)
Rémi Mercier of OpenDataSoft shares how the company’s comprehensive list and map of open data portals came to be and what they’ve learned along the way for StateScoop. (source)
The case for gender and the Open Data Barometer (9/27)
The Web Foundation writes an article outlining aspiration ideas that they hope to implement in future editions of the Open Data Barometer, particularly relating to gender disaggregated data. (source)
The potential of social media intelligence to improve people’s lives (9/28)
This new report from GovLab, written by Stefaan Verhulst and Andrew Young with support from Facebook, focused on an approach to extract public value from social media data believed to hold the greatest potential: data collaboratives. (source)