In May, Open Data Watch (ODW) traveled to Ottawa to participate in discussions on civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) with its partners at the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and to attend the Open Government Partnership Global Summit. ODW was also pleased to take part in the launch of the State of Open Data: Histories and Horizons in Washington, DC. The book provides a comprehensive review of the field of open data and ODW authored the chapter on official statistics. Below is a list of additional sustainable development data articles and reports published in March. If there is something else to add, please contact us.
May
2019 NSDS Progress Report: National Strategies for the Development of Statistics (May)
PARIS21’s new publication provides an up-to-date overview of where countries stand in the process of developing a National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS). The publication contains up-to-date tables on the status NSDS in International Development Association (IDA) borrower countries, Least Developed Countries, Low and Lower-Middle Income Countries. (source)
UNICEF-WHO Low Birth Weight Estimates: Levels and trends 2000-2015 (May)
UNICEF releases a report on global birthweight trends between 2000-2015. The report stresses the importance of data quality for the reduction of low birthweights. As an example, the report explains that in 2015 nearly one-third of global birthweight data was unavailable. (source)
How the Census Changed America (5/1)
Ted Widmer authors a piece for the New Yorker on the history of the census in the United States and its importance. He explains how the census changed the United States and created a unifying experience for US citizens. (source)
Data for Social Impact: The View from Silicon Valley (5/3)
Alonso Ortiz Galán from the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data publishes a piece on his takeaways from the Google Next 2019 conference. This piece asserts that change is not about the data or the technology in itself but about making data and innovation work for people and the planet. (source)
Iraq’s plans to take census raise controversy (5/5)
Omar Sattar, writing for Al-Monitor, explains the controversies and the difficulties Iraq had conducting their national censuses and how the central government’s plans to undertake a census late next year have raised the concerns of groups in multicultural Iraqi cities such as Kirkuk. (source)
PARIS21 launches project to strengthen gender statistics in the Maldives (5/6)
PARIS21 shares their new efforts to strengthen gender statistics in the Maldives and the outcomes of a recent conference in early April with the government of the Maldives. The meeting helped identify challenges and served as the first step in creating co-operation to close the gender statistics gap. (source)
What is TFSCB? (5/8)
Masako Hiraga and Sun Hwa Song launch a new blog series titled TFSCB: Statistics for a Better World. The authors write that the blog series will demonstrate how Trust Fund for Statistical Capacity Building (TFSCB) programs are improving social and economic conditions in low-income countries. (source)
United Nations Unveils Gender Statistics Story Map Built with Esri on the SDG Hub (5/13)
Esri authors a post on the creation of a story map titled Women in Development. Together with the United Nations Statistics Division and the Global Gender Statistics Programme, they are working to present a story map on women and sustainable development which focuses on economic empowerment and women’s safety. (source)
SDG Index and Dashboards Report for European Cities (5/22)
The Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) releases a report using the SDG index to monitor European cities. The report includes data on 45 European cities and is presented using 56 SDG indicators. (source)
How Your Privacy Will Be Protected in the 2020 Census (5/25)
Robert Hackett, from Fortune, explains the importance of maintaining privacy during the 2020 US census. He demonstrates how older safeguards are now ineffective in protecting user privacy and why there needs to be new techniques to ensure that personal records cannot be found with the census data alone. (source)
Global development’s past, present, and future (5/25)
Ruth Levine, the Program Director of Global Development and Population at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, publishes her last of six reflections at the end of her eight-year term as director. She explains that the future of global development needs to explore new ways of collecting information while embracing mutual respect. (source)
Notes from the Field: Using Big Data to unlock insights (5/28)
Sharmista Appaya, from the World Bank Group, explains how big data is supported by advances in computing power and new datasets. And that new alternative data analysis – both quantitative and behavioral – can be used to dramatically bolster financial access around the world. (source)
Ghana is adopting a data-driven approach to fighting poverty (5/30)
Sigal Samuel authors a piece for Vox on how Ghana has developed a data-driven approach to combat high poverty rates and on the countries plans to “leave no one behind” in the 2020 census. (source)