13 October 2014
IEAG Solicits Input on Data Revolution for Sustainable Development
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Two members of the UN Secretary-General's Independent Expert Advisory Group (IEAG) on a Data Revolution for Sustainable Development outline the Group's efforts to craft a framework for the data revolution to support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) process and strengthen global accountability, in an article on the Group's website.

The IEAG is also hosting an online consultation, which closes on 15 October 2014, aiming to gather input from all communities of practice, particularly academia.

data-recolution-group8 October 2014: Two members of the UN Secretary-General’s Independent Expert Advisory Group (IEAG) on a Data Revolution for Sustainable Development outline the Group’s efforts to craft a framework for the data revolution to support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) process and strengthen global accountability, in an article on the Group’s website. The IEAG is also hosting an online consultation, which closes on 15 October 2014. The consultation seeks to gather input from all communities of practice, particularly academia.

Enrico Giovannini, IAEG co-chair, and Eva Jespersen, UN Development Programme (UNDP), the blog authors, note the IEAG’s mandate to examine how to fill data gaps, strengthen national statistical capacities and capitalize on opportunities related to innovation and new data, including big data from citizens, businesses, public and private institutions, satellites and social media. They argue a data revolution that must also create a “data liberation,” and stimulate greater demand for data and greater capacity to use data.

Big data has the potential to facilitate the measurement of “those aspects of human development that count but are not yet counted” and to produce instantaneous statistics through “nowcasting,” according to the authors. At the same time, the authors caution that big data must be used wisely and ethically and highlight potential risks related to data privacy. In addition, “far too many people do not have the skills necessary to understand and use data,” the authors explain. They recommend improving data literacy to ensure decisions are based on evidence, improve the quality of decisions and hold policymakers accountable.

The authors also discuss conceptual and statistical challenges in measuring human development. They describe examples of difficulties in measurement, noting statistical challenges in accurately measuring biodiversity trends when much remains unknown about species. They highlight additional challenges, including missing data on people’s well-being, particularly for “invisible” and vulnerable groups, and failure to base decisions on evidence.

The IEAG held its first meeting on 25-26 September, and will meet again on 16-17 October, following the current public consultation. It will then share a draft of its report for public comment, and finalize its recommendations by 27 October. The report is expected to be issued in early November, with a presentation to the Secretary-General on 6 November and an official launch event shortly thereafter. The report will represent an input to the UN Secretary-General’s synthesis report on the post-2015 development agenda. [IEAG Consultation] [Blog Post] [IISD RS Story on IEAG’s First Meeting] [Beyond 2015 Announcement] [IISD RS Sources]

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