IGF 2020 WS #207 Ensuring Trusted Data Sharing for Monitorining the SDGs

Time
Wednesday, 11th November, 2020 (15:10 UTC) - Wednesday, 11th November, 2020 (16:40 UTC)
Room
Room 1
About this Session
This session addresses the multiple challenges and opportunities stemming from the use of diverse (tradicional and innovative) data sources, and of data sharing scenarios involving various stakeholders for monitoring the SGDs. The WS features renowed experts inlcuding authorities from statistical offices, representatives of international organizations, academia and civil society, from different regions of the world.
Subtheme

Organizer 1: Ana Laura Martinez, Nic.br
Organizer 2: Alexandre Barbosa, NIC.br
Organizer 3: Fabio Senne, NIC.br/Cetic.br

Speaker 1: Ana Laura Martinez, Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Speaker 2: Daniel Ker, Intergovernmental Organization, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 3: Jaco Toit, Intergovernmental Organization, Intergovernmental Organization
Speaker 4: Mark Uhrbach, Government, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 5: Dominik Rozkrut, Government, Eastern European Group
Speaker 6: Alison Gillwald, Civil Society, African Group
Speaker 7: Helani Galpaya, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group

Moderator

Alexandre Barbosa, Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)

Online Moderator

Fabio Senne, Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)

Rapporteur

Fabio Senne, Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)

Format

Panel - Auditorium - 90 Min

Policy Question(s)

The policy questions guiding the discussion in this workshop will be: • What is the potential of private sector’s data, e.g. big data sources (social media, web data, transaction data, image data) to the production of reliable and timely public statistics? • How can governments and institutions from the private sector engage in the debate on a new and comprehensive data production ecosystem? • How to maximize the benefits of data sharing, while minimizing its associated risks, such as confidentiality and privacy issues? • How to share data in a trusted manner, within data governance frameworks and a proper legal environment, so as to safeguard the data being shared? • How to implement guidelines for trusted data sharing and how to improve quality in the various phases of collecting, processing and disseminating data? • How can private sector data providers ensure equitable access to data for fostering sustainable development? • How can private sector data providers promote interoperability of data for fostering the production of data to monitor the SDGs?

This workshop will address the following issues and challenges related to combining innovative data sources for monitoring the SDGs: • Production of high-quality public statistics in a timely manner to monitor progress towards SDGs on all areas covered by the 2030 Agenda, based on alternative data sources, such as big data and private sector datasets; • Engagement of data providers from both public and private sectors in collaboration agreements for data sharing; • Data governance in the context of use of alternative data sources for the production of public statistics; • Trusted data sharing between government and private sector data providers (legal and technical aspects of data sharing). This workshop will also address opportunities arising from data sharing: • Data for good: engaging the private sector in data sharing collaboration agreements; • Inter-organizational collaboration; • Cost reduction in the data production process: quality and timely data for policymaking and for monitoring the SDGs.

SDGs

GOAL 1: No Poverty
GOAL 2: Zero Hunger
GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-Being
GOAL 4: Quality Education
GOAL 5: Gender Equality
GOAL 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
GOAL 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
GOAL 10: Reduced Inequalities
GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
GOAL 12: Responsible Production and Consumption
GOAL 13: Climate Action
GOAL 14: Life below Water
GOAL 15: Life on Land
GOAL 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Description:

Traditional official data producers may not be able to provide timely, reliable, well-disaggregated data that meet policy design and SDGs monitoring needs. Therefore, a new data production ecosystem that brings new data providers and data sharing opportunities must be discussed. This workshop addresses the urgently needed discussion on how to build a comprehensive data production model that incorporates different data sources and data sharing mechanisms to meet policy data needs. The discussion will cover the key opportunities, challenges and alternatives for data governance of such new model of public statistics production, so that to ensure trusted data sharing and use for development. The proposed panel will count on specialists from the different regions of the word and from diverse stakeholder groups, with Alexandre Barbosa (Cetic.br) as a moderator. 1. Introduction (10 minutes). The moderator will introduce the topic, the participant experts, and explain the dynamic. 2. Experts will expose their perspectives on the subject matter (50 minutes). 3. Participatory discussion (20 minutes). 4. Sharing of reflections and final wrap-up (10') The moderator will provide a final wrap-up. Confirmed panelists: Daniel Ker. OECD (International Organization) Jaco Du Troit. UNESCO (International Organization). Mark Uhrbach. STATISTIC CANADA (Government, North America) Dominik Rozkrut. STATISTICS POLAND (Government, East Europe) Alison Gillwald. RIA – Research ICT Africa (Academia, Africa) Helani Galpaya. LIRNEASIA (Civil Society, Asia) Ana Laura Martinez. CETIC.br (Civil Society, Latin America and the Caribbean) A panelist from the private sector will soon be confirmed.

Expected Outcomes

The value of the proposed workshop is that it will promote a discussion on the role of data governance in ensuring trusted data sharing for the production of data and statistics for monitoring the SDGs. Furthermore, this workshop will be an opportunity to promote a multi-stakeholder discussion around issues related to data access, sharing, quality, interoperability, competition and innovation. Besides, the debate around the establishment of partnerships that allow the use of alternative data sources and shared data will be at the heart of the discussion. The ICT industry and the private sector, for instance, own very large amounts of relevant data that would likely be unavailable to official data producers if agreements and partnerships are not reached. This new environment poses numerous challenges and requires actions that enable trusted cross-organization data sharing.

Right after the expert's presentations, time is allocated for participants to share their reflections and ask questions. The moderator will consider those inputs as well as those coming from the online participants and integrate them into the final wrap-up.

Relevance to Internet Governance: This proposal is relevant in the sense that this workshop will be an excellent opportunity to engage key stakeholders – governments, data producers and the private sector – to debate innovation on data production through trusted data sharing; on how on how to create public value from data, and on how to promote institutional innovation (including partnerships, governance, legislation, privacy and ethics agreements, and stakeholder’s engagement). Besides, it will bring to the table researchers, policy-makers and international organizations from all regions of the word to debate data governance.

Relevance to Theme: Countries still face major gaps in the production of official and timely data for monitoring the SDGs. Many international organizations acknowledge the substantial contribution of Information and communication technologies (ICTs) both in achieving the 2030 Agenda and in measuring its progress. Therefore, new sources of data and statistics production will be crucial for tracking the progress towards the objectives set out in this Agenda. Traditional official data producers may not be able to provide timely, reliable, well-disaggregated data that meet policy design and monitoring needs. Therefore, a new model for a data production ecosystem that includes new data providers and new data sharing opportunities must be discussed. The debate on how to build a comprehensive data production model that incorporates different data sources and data sharing mechanisms to meet policy data needs is urgently needed. We are living a veritable data revolution – data is currently produced by a myriad of stakeholders, mainly from the private sector, faster than it can be used and transformed into information that can drive sustainable development. Official data producers will increasingly depend on their capacity to partner with these stakeholders to develop and disseminate information and knowledge to promote development. In this context, on the one hand, policymakers increasingly require official data producers, e.g. national statistical systems, to produce high-quality data in a timely manner to monitor progress towards sustainable development goals. On the other hand, a wide range of data providers from both public and private sector must work in collaboration to produce relevant and timely data for monitoring progress towards the SDGs. Enormous amounts of data available at ever-increasing rates, new data sources, and institutional arrangements will reshape the production of statistics. Big data, along with traditional sources such as administrative and survey data, has emerged as a promising paradigm. This session addresses the key opportunities, challenges and alternatives for data governance arising of such new model of public statistics production, so that to ensure trusted data sharing and use for development.

Online Participation

 

Usage of IGF Official Tool. Additional Tools proposed: A Twitter hashtag will be used as an additional resource for encouraging online participation.

 

1. Key Policy Questions and related issues
How to maximize the benefits of data sharing, while minimizing its associated risks, such as confidentiality and privacy issues?
What is the potential of private sector’s data, e.g. big data sources (social media, web data, transaction data, image data) to the production of reliable and timely public statistics?
• How can governments and institutions from the private sector engage in the debate on a new and comprehensive data production ecosystem?
2. Summary of Issues Discussed

There was overall agreement on that:

Administrative, national statistical and big data need to complementary, one will not substitute the others.

There are still significant limitations in data availabitity, particularly  in the African region. In countires with low levels of digitalisation there is also scarcity of big data.

One-off initiatives are not sustainable - such as it is the case of several COVID-19-related data sharing models.

“Data sharing” does not literally mean “sharing datasets”, it might be enough to share statistics derived from those datasets.

No significan points of disagreement were identified. 

 

 

  

3. Key Takeaways

Traditional data producers are still essential, but traditional methods alone may not be able to meet policy design and SDG monitoring needs in a timely and cost-effective manner.

Long term data ecosystems need to be put in place and address the issue of privacy and equal access.

There is still a long way to go in order to advance dialogue between industry and statistical offices for an effective collaboration. 

6. Final Speakers
  • Alison Gillwald, RIA – Research ICT Africa (Civil society, Africa)
  • Helani Galpaya, LIRNEASIA (Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group)
  • Daniel Ker, OECD (International Organization)  
  • Jaco Toit, UNESCO (Intergovernmental Organization)
  • Mark Uhrbach, STATISTIC CANADA (Government, Western European and Others Group)
  • Dominik Rozkrut, STATISTICS POLAND (Government, Eastern European Group)
10. Voluntary Commitment

A call for voluntary commitments was made by the session moderator, the speakers chose to express them later in the written form.