Governance

Data for Now, UN Global network

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development reflects a unique global consensus and commitment to address the world’s most acute and pressing challenges. But to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, everyone in the world should be represented in up-to-date and timely data that can be used to measure progress and make decisions to improve people’s lives.

Unfortunately, available data is often both out-of-date and incomplete. Meanwhile, new technologies give us an unprecedented opportunity to solve this problem. The Data for Now initiative seeks to increase the use of robust methods and tools that improve the timeliness, coverage, and quality of SDG data through collaboration and partnership, technical and capacity support, and information sharing. The program will build a community of data users, leaders, and innovators, partnering to deliver more robust and timely data that will help us achieve the SDGs. This initiative offers a tailored and collaborative process for aggregating, amplifying, and scaling-up data solutions.
The aim is to increase the use of robust methods and tools that improve the timeliness, coverage, and quality of SDG data through collaboration and partnership, technical and capacity support, and information sharing.

The initiative has three main goals;

  • Make innovative methods for data production and analysis easily accessible to data producers and users.
  • Develop technical collaborations to build skills and knowledge and increase the standardization and uptake of new methods.
  • Catalyze new data partnerships in selected countries to increase the availability and use of timely data for decision-making.

“The vision is a world where the opportunities of the data revolution are available to and for all of humanity, as a force for improving life for all people, everywhere.”

Partners

There are four operating partners: The Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data, the World Bank, the United Nations Statistics Division, and SDSN TReNDS (Thematic Research Network on Data and Statistics). The initiative will also seek and secure the formal engagement of a wide range of partners willing to contribute their time, expertise, data, methodologies, technology, and other resources in support of the project.

Funding

The four operating partners, at the same time they are also seeking funding to support the whole project with new countries or sectors.

Aim/Vision

The vision is a world where the opportunities of the data revolution are available to and for all of humanity, as a force for improving life for all people, everywhere. To achieve this, we work together towards a world where data is being used more openly, effectively, and efficiently. This is of course a way of making sure that all people are aware that all information is in their benefit and used with their consent.

Urban Trends & Innovations - selected learnings

“We will work with governments and other partners across sectors to define needs, priorities, and pathways for bridging the data gaps. We will broker complex partnerships across sectors, share knowledge and technology across organizations, develop and deliver trainings, and scale data solutions within and across countries. This process of aggregation, amplification, and scaling-up will strengthen existing systems and institutional capacity, leverage proven innovations, and develop new data solutions for better SDG data.“

Influential trends

Tech trend: Big data, Open digital infrastructure
Societal trend: Global and local networking, Transparency, Sustainable responsibility

UN sustainability goals

This case can clearly be connected to SDG no. 17 - Partnerships for the goals - as the aim is to collaborate globally and locally in order to get av more standardized and reliable way to monitor sustainability through the SDGs.

References

No interviews, using online information only
http://www.data4sdgs.org/index.php/initiatives/data-now