Now is the Time to Close Gaps in Governance Statistics – And the Praia Group is ready for the challenge.

October 22, 2021

Osvaldo Borges

Arvinn Gadgil

Dante Rafael Carhuavilca Bonett

After a year and a half of the global COVID-19 pandemic, it’s nearly impossible to overstate the importance and unprecedented need and demand for governance data. “Is testing and medical treatment for COVID-19 accessible to everyone without discrimination?” “What are the most common justice problems created or exacerbated by the pandemic for which people need help?” “To what extent are patients resorting to paying bribes to receive medical care before those unable to pay?” These headline-grabbing questions confronting leaders across the world can only be responded to if timely and reliable governance statistics are available – and more often than not, they’re not.

‘No more data “blah blah”. This is about empowerment.

October 22, 2021

Mitra Modaressi

Lucy Turner

“Data can empower vulnerable people by making their needs visible to decision-makers.”
This is what many advocates for data for development have been saying for years. The logic is that with visibility comes pressure for policies that respond to the needs, and a tool to elicit accountability for failure to deliver on promises. After all, as the saying goes: “good data makes it impossible to do nothing.”
So, let us repeat: we need data. More data. Better data. Data that projects voices and increases visibility —especially those at risk of being left behind.