Who will lead the data revolution?

Global development leaders and officials from partner countries say they want a data revolution, but while many institutions have signed memoranda of understanding and agreed to cooperate on a movement to compile “big data,” tensions persist around who can — or should — lead such a movement. The international community and national governments need to do a better job of producing, using and disseminating data about poverty. That was the message from Thursday’s panel discussion at the World Bank spring meetings focused on efforts by donors and developing nations to plug data gaps around poverty to aid pro-poor policy decisions. But on the sidelines of the discussion, some attendees wondered what the appropriate role for huge international institutions and national governments should be in building a more comprehensive web of accessible demographic, economic and health data. Gavin Starks, CEO of the Open Data Institute, reminded attendees and fellow panelists from the World Bank, the U.K. Department for International Development and the government of Malawi that while the Internet came into being with little initial awareness by governments of how transformative it would be, the “data revolution” seems to be lifting off with much more official interest and influence. In terms of freedom of access to information online, Starks cautioned that what we have today may not resemble the Internet we once hoped we would have, and an effort to create a similar web for data should be mindful of overcoming top-down restrictions. World Bank committed to scaling up Much of the panel’s attention focused on how multilateral and bilateral donors can support national governments in building out platforms for data production, collection and use, to fill the void many countries face in describing their own populations. According to World Bank President Jim Kim, 40 percent of countries cannot measure their own poverty trends over the last decade, and particular data gaps exist around women, girls and vulnerable populations. He described the institution’s “Data for Goals” initiative, and told attendees the bank is “committed to scaling up our funding” for technical assistance to help countries improve their own statistical and data gathering capacity, so they can better understand the dynamics of poverty and vulnerability among their populations. Kim disclosed that up to 30 countries eligible for International Development Accounts will see increased funding for data collection-related assistance, and noted his colleagues at the bank would be meeting with private sector representatives later in the day to discuss opportunities to collaborate for better data collection and dissemination. U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson described four steps the international community must take to drive the data revolution forward: 1. Funding and investment for national statistical capacity, particularly in developing countries. 2. Exploring new data sources, including those sourced from individual citizens. 3. Harnessing advanced technologies, like visualization tools that make data more understandable. 4. “Liberating” data to “unleash the analytical creativity of users” and hold policymakers accountable. For the most comprehensive coverage of the World Bank’s spring meetings, check out daily updates via Storify, and be sure to follow Devex on Twitter and Facebook. You may tweet questions and comments to our reporters Paul Stephens @pauldstephens, Michael Igoe @twigoe, Rolf Rosenkranz @devexrolf and Adva Saldinger @deveximpact. See more: World Bank procurement reform to rationalize prior review of contracts Jim Kim: Addressing inequality, investing in people critical to sustainable growth Can the World Bank promote more open governance? CSOs seek culture change at IFC From around the web: World Bank, IMF urged to act on new inequality focus Trying to change the World Bank How is the World Bank addressing climate change?