July 2018: The Sustainable Development Solutions Network’s (SDSN) research network ‘SDSN TReNDS’ has released a case study on lessons learned from integrating sub-national private sector data into Colombia’s National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE). The brief describes a pilot project to identify and access private sector data to fill gaps in the government’s SDG indicator set.
In 2016, DANE conducted a data gap analysis finding that the Colombian government had information available for 54% of the global SDG indicators, partial information for 30% of the indicators, and no data or methodological clarity on measuring the indicator for the remaining 16%. In response to this finding, SDSN in collaboration with Centro de Pensamiento Estratégico Internacional (Cepei) began exploring potential ways to fill the country’s SDG data gap using private sector data.
The brief titled, ‘Data Reconciliation: Process, Standards and Lessons,’ describes a pilot exercise using data from the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce (BCoC), which indicated that private sector data was available for SDGs 1 (no poverty), 5 (gender equality), 7 (affordable and clean energy), 8 (decent work and economic growth), 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure), 11 (sustainable cities and communities), 12 (responsible consumption and production), 13 (climate action), 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions) and 17 (partnerships for the Goals). In addition, BCoC’s Mercantile Register was found to have the best quality data applicable to SDGs 8 and 9, both of which are priority goals for Colombia. In particular, the Register provides data on SDG indicators 8.10, 9.2 and 9.3.
The brief shares the researchers’ learning that a “robust technology tool” was not needed to improve data sharing; instead; a simplified, open-source tool could enable transparent data sharing. The pilot project also demonstrated a “lack of institutional readiness to perform these types of projects,” underscoring the importance of raising awareness and building statistical and data analysis capacity among local actors. The authors write that the project raised awareness among key stakeholders on the relevance of the data revolution, the need for a multi-stakeholder approach to measure sustainable development and the importance of the SDGs for Colombia.
Other lessons learned address the importance of: building trust between partners; taking into account existing protocols within institutions, such as the need for approval to share information from legal units; and allowing administrative and legal units sufficient time to conduct analyses and feasibility studies on the data sharing process. On harmonization, the brief recommends that databases have a dictionary of metadata or variables and that partners provide clear definitions of concepts to avoid misinterpretations.
On next steps, Cepei and SDSN have begun to replicate the Bogotá pilot project in other Colombian cities, the brief reports, and they are exploring opportunities to scale up the initiative at a regional level. SDSN TReNDS (Thematic Research Network on Data and Statistics) is composed of high-level academics, policymakers and practitioners engaged in the field of data and statistics for sustainable development. The group collaborates to catalyze learning and investment in data for sustainable development by working to strengthen the data ecosystem, improve learning on data sharing, encourage standard setting for new data approaches and actors, and inform investment in emerging data opportunities. [Publication: Data Reconciliation: Process, Standards, and Lessons: A Case Study of Integrating Sub-national Private Sector Data into Colombia’s National Statistics] [SDSN TReNDS Website]