The unprecedented growth of data and its ubiquity in our lives signals that the data revolution is transforming the world. And yet much of the value of data for global development remains untapped. Data collected for one purpose has the potential to generate economic and social value in applications far beyond those originally anticipated. But many barriers stand in the way, ranging from misaligned incentives and incompatible data systems to a fundamental lack of trust. What are the kinds of international and national institutions, and governance arrangements, that can ensure that the value of data for global development is equitably delivered and that risks are minimized?

On Friday 27th January, we’ll be joined by Dean Jolliffe as he unpacks these questions. Dean is the Lead Economist in the World Bank’s Development Economics Data Group and was co-director of the World Bank’s World Development Report (WDR) 2021 on Data for Better Lives. Two years after the launch of the 2021 World Development Report, we hope to review the ingredients for, and progress towards, an effective social contract for data, both within countries and internationally.

Dean’s presentation (45mins) will be followed by time of discussion, led by Oxford Martin Programme on the Future of Development Researcher Tichinashe Mabugu, as well as an opportunity for Q&A.