Building trust and facilitating use of data

Abstract

Multiple crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic and increased frequency and intensity of disasters related to climate change, have demonstrated the critical importance of timely and open access to trusted data. Open data principles and practices that facilitate data access and use, relevance to policy needs, and increase the impact and value of data are central to building trust in data. The paper outlines four trends that present opportunities for expanding adoption and use of open data principles and practices and building data trust: the modernization of data governance; increased attention to the role of citizens in building trust and increasing the relevance of data and citizens’ contribution to data throughout the data value chain; the adoption of open data principles; and the work of watchdog organizations monitoring the progress of countries and agencies and identifying areas of data governance that still need attention.