About the Event
On November 9th, during the last day of the Festival de Datos, Cepei shared the Data Action Plan, a roadmap created together with the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data, PARIS21, Open Data Watch and SDSN TReNDS, which proposes to harness the transformative power of data through inclusive multi-stakeholder partnerships across the systems that produce development data.
Speakers
Philipp Schönrock
Executive director
Cepei
Krista Jones Baptista
Executive director
Data 2X
Maurice McNaughton
Executive director
Centro para la Innovación basada en las tecnologías
Claudia Wells
Internacional Hub Director
Development Initiatives
Kim Mallaieu
Deputy Chair
Board of the Telecommunications Authority
Trinidad and Tobago
Tom Orrell
Executive director
DataReady Limited
Deirdre Appel
Communications Adviser
Open Data Watch
The discussion featured Philipp Schönrock, executive director of Cepei, Kim Mallaieu, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT), Claudia Wells, International Hub Director of Development Initiatives, Krista Jones Baptista, executive director of Data 2X, Maurice McNaughton, Director of the Centre of Excellence and Innovation at Mona School of Business and Management, and Tom Orrell, CEO of DataReady Limited.
One of the key ideas that came out of the space was the need to unite positions, reach agreements and think collectively to achieve long-term sustainable development. “We have to connect all the actors and not overlap them. The tricky part is how to do it, because everyone claims to have a great idea, but the sum of all these great ideas is what we must reach,” said Philipp Schönrock.
On this subject, Maurice McNaughton stressed the importance of thinking collectively to navigate a world that is currently experiencing multiple crises: “You always have to think in partnerships. This takes time and builds trust, but it is the only way to bring together skills and creativity to overcome data challenges.”
Recomendations
Indeed, Cepei’s initiative calls on the data communities and all stakeholders to focus on five key points to reinvigorate the data revolution:
1. Prioritize data on climate change, gender equality and poverty reduction.
2. Double investments in data at national and subnational levels.
3. Align policies on digital transformation and data systems strengthening.
4. Support national strategies for strengthening data systems.
5. Catalyze change through multi-stakeholder partnerships.
These points will seek to give meaning to the roadmap that makes up the Data Action Plan and that concludes in November 2024, when the World Data Forum will be held in Medellin (Colombia). Taking advantage of this space will be decisive to show the power of actions and collaborations between actors.
The event also emphasized the need to involve as many stakeholders as possible through partnerships to strengthen data ecosystems, which are indispensable for monitoring and implementing the SDGs. Kim Mallaieu stated: “The benefits of such partnerships derive above all from the standardization, acquisition and sharing of data. This is key for decision making and it is amazing to see the multiple perspectives, sectors, disciplines, levels, coming together to raise their voices and call for more data.”
Philipp Schönrock therefore invited all stakeholders “to join our call to action, which is about how we can support the power of action, how we can support the SDGs. For that we have one year in which we will open this platform and thus create the dialogue and, more importantly, have concrete actions and answers in public policy.”
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