Global Data Barometer Handbook (2024)

In our rapidly evolving digital age, the quest for a healthy data ecosystem—one that serves the public good, ensuring benefits for all and safeguarding against harm—has emerged as an important priority. (Rapport, Gaudet, Constanza, Epstein, and Levins, 2009; Mars, Bronstein, and Lusch, 2012; Crusoe, 2021) Such ecosystems can significantly improve the situation created by the proliferation of misinformation, disinformation, surveillance, and other harmful practices that erode trust, polarize communities, and threaten democratic values. When governments produce and publish high-quality data, and when communities and individuals have access to it, they can make informed decisions about their health, safety, and civic participation. This, in turn, strengthens democratic values, enhances public trust, and fosters social cohesion.

A robust data foundation that promotes transparency and encourages responsible data sharing and protection can ensure that the data used for decision-making is accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. An ecosystem approach recognizes the interconnectedness of all parts, actors, and practices involved in data governance, management, and use. (Harrison, Pardo, and Cook, 2012; Zuiderwijk, Janssen, and Davis, 2014) This comprehensive perspective acknowledges the importance of data quality, accessibility, and ethical considerations, ensuring that data serves the public good rather than undermines it. (TAI, 2024).

Without a comprehensive understanding of existing capacities and available data, measures such as health programs and educational reforms risk undermining desired developmental outcomes, particularly in the Global South. As Klein & D’Ignazio (2020) portrayed, without the right data, there can be no social change. Worst-case scenarios involve data exploitation for repressive purposes to identify and discriminate against individuals or entire communities.

In response to these issues, the Global Data Barometer (GDB) emerged in 2020, building upon the Open Data Barometer (ODB). (GDB, 2022) Unlike its predecessor, the GDB delves beyond the legal and technical dimensions of open data to explore broader data landscapes. In this context, the GDB assesses essential data foundations—crucial for developing healthy ecosystems. This methodology has been refined in this second edition to better address bright spots of use as well as relevant cross-cutting themes, as explained later in this note. Overall, the GDB provides a benchmark that makes it possible for governments to align policies with the concept of 'data for public good,' fostering a healthier data ecosystem that protects democratic values, enhances transparency, and ensures a more informed and enlightened global society.

To measure country performance, the GDB employs an expert survey developed in partnership with leading organizations in different fields and drawing on an open, participatory process to ensure consistent and comparable evaluations across different regions. Built upon results from its first edition, the GDB has enhanced its methodology to better speak to data practices and policies, and to refine and strengthen its survey instrument. The data collection is conducted by a network of local researchers, enriched with secondary data from existing sources, ensuring a comprehensive and accurate assessment.