Publication: Data-Driven Decision Making in Fragile Contexts: Evidence from Sudan
Loading...
Files in English
6,961 downloads
Published
2017-05-31
ISSN
Date
2017-05-31
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Abstract
Data deficiencies contribute to state fragility and exacerbate fragile states’ already limited capacity to provide basic services, public security and rule of law. The lack of robust, good quality data can also have a disabling effect on government efforts to manage political conflict, and indeed can worsen conflict, since violent settings pose substantial challenges to knowledge generation, capture and application. In short, in fragile contexts the need for reliable evidence at all levels is perhaps greater than anywhere else. The development of sustainable and professional ‘data-literate’ stakeholders who are able to produce and increase the quality and accessibility of official statistics can contribute to improved development outcomes. Good quality and reliable statistics are also required to track the progress of development policies through the monitoring of performance indicators and targets and to ensure that public resources are achieving results. While data alone cannot have a transformative effect without the right contextual incentives it is an essential and necessary prerequisite for greater accountability and more efficient decision-making. This volume explores methods and insights for data collection and use in fragile contexts, with a focus on Sudan. It begins by posing several questions on the political economy of data, and then sets out a framework for assessing the validity, reliability, and potential impact of data on decision-making in a fragile country. It also sets out insights on challenges associated with fragile states, derived from recent data collected in Sudan: the 2014/2015 DFID Sudan household survey. This includes data-driven analysis of topics including female genital mutilation, public service delivery, and the interplay of governance, service quality, and state legitimacy.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“Hamilton, Alexander; Hammer, Craig. Hamilton, Alexander; Hammer, Craig, editors. 2017. Data-Driven Decision Making in Fragile Contexts: Evidence from Sudan. Directions in Development—Public Sector Governance;. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/26799 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
Digital Object Identifier
Associated URLs
Associated content
Other publications in this report series
Publication Democratic Republic of Congo Urbanization Review(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2018)The Democratic Republic of Congo has the third largest urban population in sub-Saharan Africa (estimated at 43% in 2016) after South Africa and Nigeria. It is expected to grow at a rate of 4.1% per year, which corresponds to an additional 1 million residents moving to cities every year. If this trend continues, the urban population could double in just 15 years. Thus, with a population of 12 million and a growth rate of 5.1% per year, Kinshasa is poised to become the most populous city in Africa by 2030. Such strong urban growth comes with two main challenges – the need to make cities livable and inclusive by meeting the high demand for social services, infrastructure, education, health, and other basic services; and the need to make cities more productive by addressing the lack of concentrated economic activity. The Urbanization Review of the Democratic Republic of Congo argues that the country is urbanizing at different rates and identifies five regions (East, South, Central, West and Congo Basin) that present specific challenges and opportunities. The Urbanization Review proposes policy options based on three sets of instruments, known as the three 'I's – Institutions, Infrastructures and Interventions – to help each region respond to its specific needs while reaping the benefits of economic agglomeration The Democratic Republic of the Congo is at a crossroads. The recent decline in commodity prices could constitute an opportunity for the country to diversify its economy and invest in the manufacturing sector. Now is an opportune time for Congolese decision-makers to invest in cities that can lead the country's structural transformation and facilitate greater integration with African and global markets. Such action would position the country well on the path to emergence.Publication An Investment Framework for Nutrition(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2017-04-12)The report estimates the costs, impacts and financing scenarios to achieve the World Health Assembly global nutrition targets for stunting, anemia in women, exclusive breastfeeding and the scaling up of the treatment of severe wasting among young children. To reach these four targets, the world needs $70 billion over 10 years to invest in high-impact nutrition-specific interventions. This investment would have enormous benefits: 65 million cases of stunting and 265 million cases of anemia in women would be prevented in 2025 as compared with the 2015 baseline. In addition, at least 91 million more children would be treated for severe wasting and 105 million additional babies would be exclusively breastfed during the first six months of life over 10 years. Altogether, achieving these targets would avert at least 3.7 million child deaths. Every dollar invested in this package of interventions would yield between $4 and $35 in economic returns, making investing in early nutrition one of the best value-for-money development actions. Although some of the targets—especially those for reducing stunting in children and anemia in women—are ambitious and will require concerted efforts in financing, scale-up, and sustained commitment, recent experience from several countries suggests that meeting these targets is feasible. These investments in the critical 1000 day window of early childhood are inalienable and portable and will pay lifelong dividends – not only for children directly affected but also for us all in the form of more robust societies – that will drive future economies.Publication At a Crossroads(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2017-05-02)Higher education (HE) has expanded dramatically in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) since 2000. While access became more equitable, quality concerns remain. This volume studies the expansion, as well as HE quality, variety and equity in LAC. It investigates the expansion’s demand and supply drivers, and outlines policy implications.Publication Getting to Work(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2020-03-02)Sri Lanka has shown remarkable persistence in low female labor force participation rates—at 36 percent in the past two years, compared with 75 percent for same-aged men—despite overall economic growth and poverty reduction over the past decade. The trend stands in contrast to the country’s achievements in human capital development that favor women, such as high levels of female education and low total fertility rates, as well as its status as a lower-middle-income country. This study intends to better understand the puzzle of women’s poor labor market outcomes in Sri Lanka. Using nationally representative secondary survey data—as well as primary qualitative and quantitative research—it tests three hypotheses that would explain gender gaps in labor market outcomes: (1) household roles and responsibilities, which fall disproportionately on women, and the associated sociophysical constraints on women’s mobility; (2) a human capital mismatch, whereby women are not acquiring the proper skills demanded by job markets; and (3) gender discrimination in job search, hiring, and promotion processes. Further, the analysis provides a comparison of women’s experience of the labor market between the years leading up to the end of Sri Lanka’s civil war (2006–09) and the years following the civil war (2010–15). The study recommends priority areas for addressing the multiple supply- and demand-side factors to improve women’s labor force participation rates and reduce other gender gaps in labor market outcomes. It also offers specific recommendations for improving women’s participation in the five private sector industries covered by the primary research: commercial agriculture, garments, tourism, information and communications technology, and tea estate work. The findings are intended to influence policy makers, educators, and employment program practitioners with a stake in helping Sri Lanka achieve its vision of inclusive and sustainable job creation and economic growth. The study also aims to contribute to the work of research institutions and civil society in identifying the most effective means of engaging more women—and their untapped potential for labor, innovation, and productivity—in Sri Lanka’s future.Publication Transforming Karachi into a Livable and Competitive Megacity(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2018-02-27)With a population of 16 million, Karachi is the largest megacity in Pakistan. Despite being a large city that is home to many, it has seen a substantial decline in quality of life and economic competitiveness in recent decades. Basic service delivery is very poor, with very low indicators for water supply, sanitation, public transport and public spaces. Pollution levels are high, and the city is vulnerable to disasters and climate change. A highly complex political economy, institutional fragmentation, land contestation, crime and security issues and social exclusion exacerbate these issues and make city management challenging. The Karachi City Diagnostic and Transformation Strategy attempts to present detailed data on the economy, livability and key urban services of the city, by identifying and quantifying the requirements to bridge the services gap in the city. It also proposes pathways towards the transformation of Karachi into a more livable, inclusive and economically competitive city by outlining policy actions that the city can undertake. The first part of the report provides an in-depth review of Karachi and is organized into three themes focused on key aspects of city management: (i) city growth and prosperity – discussing city economy, competitiveness, business environment and poverty; (ii) city livability – discussing urban and spatial planning, urban governance and municipal service delivery (water and sanitation, public transport and solid waste); and (iii) sustainability and inclusiveness – discussing the city’s long term resilience based on fiscal management, disaster resilience and climate change, and social inclusion. In each section, a diagnostic is provided on the issues, along with possible prioritized actions to resolve them. The second part of the report concludes by identifying four pillars for city transformation. These include: (i) building inclusive, coordinated and accountable institutions; (ii) greening Karachi for sustainability and resilience; (iii) leveraging on the city's economic, social and environmental assets; and (iv) creating a smart city through smart policies and technology.
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
Publication Assessing Statistical Needs in Belize for Data-Driven Decision-Making(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-05-22)This note presents findings of a Statistical Needs Assessment (SNA) of the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB). The aim of the assessment is to inform efforts to enhance the national statistical system for data driven decision-making. Belize has shown good progress in the development of its statistical infrastructure. Some challenges persist in data collection, coordination, and usage. Key priorities include developing the National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS), integrating administrative data, and addressing resource constraints. Strengthening these areas will bolster SIB's capacity as a pivotal data producer and coordinator for informed policymaking.Publication Data Utilization and Evidence-Based Decision Making in the Health Sector : Survey of Three Indian States(World Bank, 2009-04-01)Recently, there has been increased attention to data use in the international public health community. At the global level there have been major investments in data collection for public health programs. However, there is concern that such data are not being used. Data and information lack value unless they are used to inform decisions. Interventions that increase local demand for information and facilitate its use enhance evidence-based decision making. Data use therefore, is critical to improving the effectiveness and sustainability of the health system. Data quality is poor and use of available data is low in India's health sector. The current study focuses on issues of data use. It aims to shed light on how data are used for decision-making at different levels of the health sector in India and to highlight impediments to improved data utilization. This report is organized in five sections. The survey design, instruments and the data collection process will be described in the next section. Findings including measurement of data use, perceived data use issues, skills assessment of respondents and ranges of actual decision making are presented in section three. Section four presents a number of hypotheses and discusses their implications. The last section provides conclusions and recommendations.Publication Voice, Choice, and Decision 2 : A Study of Local Basic Service Delivery in Cambodia(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2013-03)The Voice, Choice and Decision (VCD): a study of local governance processes in Cambodia (VCD1) study, conducted in 2011, led to a set of useful insights into the channels through which citizens are heard in commune level decision-making. It presented the formal and informal framework for, and constraints to, citizens' voicing issues, and the overall downward accountability framework of commune and sangkats in Cambodia. The findings of this exploration provide policy makers, development partners and other stakeholders significantly more detail and in-depth understanding of commune decision-making processes and the engagement of citizens, informing both quantitative studies and the very extensive literature on decentralization reform. Voice, Choice and Decision: local basic service delivery: (VCD2) aims to generate better understanding of the platform for citizen and user voice in basic service delivery by considering, in detail, the nature, scope and role of local agents (committees, institutions, individuals) established to implement sector policies, and to identify any other informal channels for the voice of citizens and users of services. In its final form, the study focuses on developing an understanding of voice and accountability in three sectors, health, education and rural water supply. The research and documentation adopted a common framework to the extent possible, considering, in the first instance, what was intended by policy (the arena, organizations, roles and relationships), and comparing this with the reality on the ground in each of the sectors. This final paper then considers the cross cutting themes, identifying the commonalities and differences between these sectors.Publication Dealing with Politics for Money and Power in Infrastructure(2010-10-01)Policy recommendations for infrastructure provision usually build on a well-established understanding of best practice for sector governance. Too rarely are they adapted to the country-specific political environment even if this is an area where policy choices are likely to be subject to private agendas in politics. The fact that such private agendas are often ignored goes a long way toward explaining why infrastructure policies fail and why best practice can be counterproductive. While non-benevolence and rent-seeking are well described in the literature and anecdotes abound, there is only limited consideration of how the different incentive problems in politics impede policy improvements in infrastructure. This paper addresses why politics in infrastructure cannot be ignored, drawing on theoretical results and a systematic review of experiences. It reviews how different private agendas in politics will have different impacts for sector-governance decisions -- and hence service delivery. The concept of best practice in policy recommendations should be reconsidered in a wide perspective and allow for tailored solutions based on an understanding of the given incentive problems. Policy recommendations should take into account how coordination trade-offs may complicate efforts to reduce the possible impact of private agendas on infrastructure policy decisions. Although more transparency linked to service delivery indicators is a "safe" recommendation, it is also clear that the demand for good governance will not be sufficient to secure political accountability in a sector with huge vested interests combined with complicated funding schemes and complex contracts.Publication Building Monitoring and Evaluation Capacity in Young Systems : The Experiences of Rwanda, Vietnam, and Yemen(World Bank Group, Washington, DC, 2014-06)This study is funded by the Governance Partnership Facility to better understand country experiences with building monitoring and evaluation (M&E) capacity to identify paths to success and obstacles to reform. For every country, whether recently emerging from conflict, low-income, or Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), M&E is critical to evidence-based policymaking, budget decisions, management, and accountability, all elements of good governance. Building M&E capacity in fragile and conflict-affected states is not a well-documented topic, although analysts generally agree that even in these challenging contexts, countries can set up monitoring capabilities, albeit with heavy donor support. This study aims to strengthen the knowledge base by synthesizing and comparing the experiences of Rwanda, Vietnam, and Yemen in building capacity for their recently established M&E systems. The study also draws comparisons with Mexico's more well-developed M&E system. This paper is directed to policymakers, development workers, donors, and other supporters of M&E research, operations, and activities. The author envision that providing country case studies on implementing M&E programs in difficult circumstances will contribute to a South-South knowledge exchange for key stakeholders who are working to advance newly established M&E systems in their own countries.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
Publication Toward Next-Generation Performance Budgeting(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2016-11-01)Toward Next-Generation Performance Budgeting: Lessons from the Experiences of Seven Reforming Countries analyzes the difficulties that national governments have had in linking measurement of performance and results to the annual budget process. The book is based on intensive reviews of four advanced countries that were early reformers and three pioneers in Central and Eastern Europe. In addition to looking at their current systems, Toward Next-Generation Performance Budgeting looks at how their approaches have evolved over time. This book attempts to fill a gap between survey-based self-assessments and best-practice guides. It was compiled in response to the concerns of budget departments in countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, many of which are committed to adopting some form of performance-based budgeting and are seeking to learn from the experiences of previous reformers what the practical challenges are and how they can adapt best-practice approaches to a messy reality. The case studies demonstrate a general pattern of disappointment with the results of performance budgeting, balanced by a strong belief in the underlying logic, which has resulted in repeated efforts to modify approaches to tighten the links between budgeting and performance. These efforts have resulted in significant variation in how countries have implemented performance budgeting and in the benefits they have derived. These variations offer guidance for models of next-generation performance budgeting, avoiding classic pitfalls, and incorporating modifications introduced by those who have used it longest and found it useful.Publication Digital Africa(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2023-03-13)All African countries need better and more jobs for their growing populations. "Digital Africa: Technological Transformation for Jobs" shows that broader use of productivity-enhancing, digital technologies by enterprises and households is imperative to generate such jobs, including for lower-skilled people. At the same time, it can support not only countries’ short-term objective of postpandemic economic recovery but also their vision of economic transformation with more inclusive growth. These outcomes are not automatic, however. Mobile internet availability has increased throughout the continent in recent years, but Africa’s uptake gap is the highest in the world. Areas with at least 3G mobile internet service now cover 84 percent of Africa’s population, but only 22 percent uses such services. And the average African business lags in the use of smartphones and computers as well as more sophisticated digital technologies that catalyze further productivity gains. Two issues explain the usage gap: affordability of these new technologies and willingness to use them. For the 40 percent of Africans below the extreme poverty line, mobile data plans alone would cost one-third of their incomes—in addition to the price of access devices, apps, and electricity. Data plans for small- and medium-size businesses are also more expensive than in other regions. Moreover, shortcomings in the quality of internet services—and in the supply of attractive, skills-appropriate apps that promote entrepreneurship and raise earnings—dampen people’s willingness to use them. For those countries already using these technologies, the development payoffs are significant. New empirical studies for this report add to the rapidly growing evidence that mobile internet availability directly raises enterprise productivity, increases jobs, and reduces poverty throughout Africa. To realize these and other benefits more widely, Africa’s countries must implement complementary and mutually reinforcing policies to strengthen both consumers’ ability to pay and willingness to use digital technologies. These interventions must prioritize productive use to generate large numbers of inclusive jobs in a region poised to benefit from a massive, youthful workforce—one projected to become the world’s largest by the end of this century.Publication The Distributional Impact of Taxes and Transfers(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2017-08-24)The World Bank has partnered with the Commitment to Equity Institute at Tulane University to implement their diagnostic tool—the Commitment to Equity (CEQ) Assessment—designed to assess how taxation and public expenditures affect income inequality, poverty, and different economic groups. The approach relies on comprehensive fiscal incidence analysis, which measures the contribution of each individual intervention to poverty and inequality reduction as well as the combined impact of taxes and social spending. The CEQ Assessment provide an evidence base upon which alternative reform options can be analyzed. The use of a common methodology makes the results comparable across countries. This volume presents eight country studies that examine the distributional effects of individual programs and policy measures—and the net effect of each country’s mix of policies and programs. These case studies were produced in the context of Bank policy dialogue and have since been used to propose alternative reform options.Publication Economic Development and Islamic Finance(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2013)Islamic finance has been practiced in some form since the inception of Islam, its practice in modern financial markets became recognized only in the 1980s, and began to represent a meaningful share of global financial activity only around the beginning of this century. In recent years, significant interest in Islamic finance has emerged in the world's leading conventional financial centers, including London, New York, and Hong Kong, and Western investors are increasingly considering investment in Islamic financial products. The organizing principle of Islamic finance in an Islamic economy is transaction based on exchange, where real asset is exchanged for real asset. By focusing on trade and exchange in commodities and assets, Islam encourages risk sharing, which promotes social solidarity. The features of an Islamic economy will change the behavior of society. There will be greater consultation; hence there will be no impulsive-compulsive reaction in financial dealings. At the same time, the labor force in an Islamic economy will work under a rule of trust and full understanding of contracts and obligations. Workers also share in the gains achieved through the risk, based on productive efforts, which is a better incentive system than a fixed wage. Workers will be treated with respect, which reflects the importance of human dignity in Islam. This paper is organized as follows: chapter one discusses the epistemological roots of conventional and Islamic finance. Chapter two provide a perspective of conventional modern economists. Chapter three provides a brief taxonomy of the foundational Islamic market principles and evaluates them in the context of institutional and behavioral economics in the context of Knightian uncertainty. Chapter four accounts for finance and development in Islam from a historical perspective. Chapter five discusses the evolution of the concept of economic development. Chapter six provide an Islamic perspective on financial inclusion and argue that the core principles of Islam place great emphasis on social justice, inclusion, and sharing of resources between the haves and the have-nots. Chapter seven addresses financial inclusion. Chapter eight provide insight into Islam's perspective on social safety sets and social insurance. Chapter nine examines Islamic capital markets in a global context. Chapters ten examines the problems of primary and secondary aspects of the conventional stock markets and their critiques of corporate governance. Chapter eleven give a realistic view of the current state of affairs in Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) countries. Chapter twelve addresses key economic policy challenges in the context of the Islamic economic and financial system.Publication The Road to Academic Excellence : The Making of World-Class Research Universities(World Bank, 2011-09-21)For middle-income and developing countries as well as some industrial nations a major challenge for building and sustaining successful research universities is determining the mechanisms that allow those universities to participate effectively in the global knowledge network on an equal basis with the top academic institutions in the world. These research universities provide advanced education for the academic profession, policy makers, and public and private sector professionals involved in the complex, globalized economies of the 21st century. In addition to their contribution to economic development, these universities play a key societal role by serving as cultural institutions, centers for social commentary and criticism, and intellectual hubs. The positive contribution of tertiary education is increasingly recognized as not limited to middle-income and advanced countries, because it applies equally to low-income economies. Tertiary education can help these countries to become more globally competitive by developing a skilled, productive, and flexible labor force and by creating, applying, and spreading new ideas and technologies. A recent study on how to accelerate economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa spells out the crucial contribution of tertiary education in supporting this endeavor (World Bank 2008). It observes that the key for success in a globalized world increasingly lies in how effectively a country can assimilate available knowledge and build comparative advantages in areas with higher growth prospects and how it can use technology to address the most pressing environmental challenges. The main chapters of this book are nine case studies that illustrate what it takes to establish and sustain research universities and help validate the analytical model outlined above, including the paths to building research excellence.