Proposal Description

Building Bridges between Data and Policy Communities: Enabling Inclusive Policy Design through Data Literacy and Knowledge Mobilization

Stronger evidence-based policymaking means better and more equitable outcomes for everyone. To enhance their capacity for inclusive decision-making, policy communities must invest in their data literacy, improving their ability to leverage data and research effectively throughout the policy cycle.

Often a “call to action,” disaggregated data or insights on vulnerable groups act a catalyst for policymakers to respond to urgent community needs. And yet, data and research are critical to the entire policy process, from identifying target groups to evaluating program uptake and economic impacts. To embed data as part of decision-making, governments are increasingly adopting data reporting strategies and frameworks, like gender budgeting and quality of life to influence decisions.

• But what exactly can gender budgeting and greater application of disaggregated data achieve?
• How can the policy community improve their skills and apply data and research more effectively throughout the policy process?

Building bridges between policy and data communities requires ongoing partnerships and dialogue. The policy landscape is becoming increasingly complex for many economies, reflecting entrenched socio-economic structural pressures like inequality. The need to evolve policies and programs to become more inclusive, considering the unique outcomes and experiences of vulnerable communities, will remain a priority. Inclusive evidence-based policymaking calls for lived experiences, disaggregated data, and research to take center stage.

In this session, panelists from different countries will share success stories in enhancing data literacy and knowledge mobilization, drawing on their diverse contexts. Through real-life examples and collaborations with policymakers, they will showcase how these efforts translate into actionable policy interventions.

Key topics include:

1. Gender-based budgeting and strategies for promoting inclusive policy design,
2. Knowledge mobilization for actionable insights,
3. Data literacy for greater application of data across the policy cycle.

Through discussion with panelists, participants will gain insights on strategies for building stronger relationships with the policy community, improving knowledge mobilization efforts, and targeting data literacy initiatives for inclusive evidence-based policymaking.

Chair: Elizabeth Richards, Director, Statistics Canada

Speakers:
• Statchel Edwards, Chief Statistician, Antigua and Barbuda
• Dr. Steve MacFeely, Director of Data and Analytics, World Health Organization
• Jasmin Thomas, Economist, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
• Miriam Willoughby, Deputy Director General, Statistical Institute of Belize