Data is a critical and powerful tool in international development.
Donors aiming to get more value for money need data to guide their budget decisions. Aid implementers need data to help shape their interventions, like for instance what’s the biggest need in their target area and whether or not will they be able to reach the people they are aiming to help. Governments need data to know where to invest their scarce resources and which sectors should be prioritized. Finally, the private sector needs data to inform decisions on whether a particular development initiative is worth investing in.
However and despite this clear demand for more (and better data), the reality is that many gaps remain. Availability of data remains uneven within and across countries, sectors, development areas and even population groups. And where it is available, sharing is often constrained because of the different methodologies used or the lack of a common platform for different actors to collaborate on.
About the author
Jenny Lei Ravelo@JennyLeiRavelo
Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.
