The multi-stakeholder partnership (MSP) the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data (Global Partnership) published a paper focusing on accountable data governance.

The paper “Governing data to benefit people: Decision-making that builds trust and accountability” by the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data (Global Partnership) is based on consultation and learning processes across their network of partners and aims to point out ways to make data governance more accountable. It also outlines practical steps to achieve this goal.

The authors define accountable data governance as practices, policies and decision-making strategies characterized by sustainability, participation and transparency. It is argued that the implementation of accountable data governance is essential for trust building among stakeholders when it comes to the way data is collected, managed and used. Fair and sustainable data ecosystems can be achieved if trusted and trustworthy data systems are used.

Furthermore, it is argued that the creation of spaces for participation in data governance can be very effective for the mobilization of communities and individuals that were not previously involved, even when the demand is not clearly articulated. This argument is illustrated by an example from Senegal, where the trustworthiness of the annual agricultural statistics by the Ministry of Agriculture was questioned by data users until a multi-stakeholder forum emerged in 2022. It consists of over 50 stakeholders from academia, civil society and the government and brought together actors to align interests and resolve conflicts around data production.

Therefore, multi-stakeholder partnerships (MSPs) as well as for example public consultations and peer-to-peer exchanges, are some of the already existing instruments to test new approaches for achieving more accountable data governance.

Click here to read the paper.

The Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data (Global Partnership) was founded in 2015 and connects different actors to leverage the power of data to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).