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A Matter of Trust
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table of contents
Cover
Title Page
Dedication
Copyright
Contents
Acknowledgements
About the authors
Introduction
Background
1. Records as evidence for measuring sustainable development in Africa
Breakdown of records systems in Africa
Records management, structural adjustment, public sector reform and computerisation
Consequences for Africa of losing control of records
Open data and records management
Conclusion
2. The state of data and statistics in sub-Saharan Africa in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals
Defining the terms statistics and data
Census data
Statistical activities in Africa
SWOT analysis
Overcoming the challenges
Conclusion
3. Data, information and records: exploring definitions and relationships
4. The potential – constructive and destructive – of information technology for records management: case studies from India
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
Aadhaar
Leaks and the system’s vulnerability to penetration
Coercive action by a government in a hurry
‘Inhuman and illegal’: malfunctions and denials of services cause hardships
Curbing – and enabling – corruption
5. Statistical accuracy and reliable records: a case study of mortality statistics in The Gambia
Background
Mortality rates in The Gambia
How are mortality rates calculated?
Challenges for collecting reliable birth and death statistics in The Gambia
How are deaths recorded?
How are death rates estimated?
The reliability of birth dates
Efforts to strengthen official statistics in The Gambia
The Gambia Bureau of Statistics
The significance of records for mortality statistics and the contribution of the National Records Service
The benefits of shared responsibility for the quality of statistics
Summary and conclusion
6. Mainstreaming records and data management in sustainable development: lessons from the public and private sectors in Kenya
The public sector experience in Kenya
Mobile banking in Kenya
Relationship to the SDGs
How do data and records management support mobile banking?
Building bridges between the sectors
Conclusion
7. Open data and records management – activating public engagement to improve information: case studies from Sierra Leone and Cambodia
Sierra Leone
Open data in support of free and fair elections
The potential records management contribution
Lower Mekong, Cambodia: land investment mapping
The open data initiative
The potential for a records management contribution
Key issues from the two case studies
Conclusion
8. Assuring authenticity in public sector data: a case study of the Kenya Open Data Initiative
Data authenticity
The Kenya Open Data Initiative
Land data
Land information management
Examining the land dataset
Conclusion
9. Preserving the digital evidence base for measuring the Sustainable Development Goals
Elements of a digital preservation capability
Implementation options
Doing nothing
Using open source software
Developing a bespoke solution
Procuring a commercial solution
Outsourcing the service
Partnership approaches
Hybrid approaches
Using consultancy services
Implementation and operational implications
Implementing a digital preservation service
Governance
Roles and responsibilities
Training
Policies and procedures
Conclusion
10. Preserving and using digitally encoded information as a foundation for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals
Requirements for SDG data to be fit for purpose
Authenticity
Longitudinal studies
Combining data
Errors
Collecting and preserving data for SDGs
Semantic issues
Proportions
Unclear metrics
Rates
Number of countries
Money
Prevalence
Structural issues
Virtual data
Input data
Digital preservation and exploiting digital data
Basic concepts in digital preservation
Types of digitally encoded information
Digital preservation
Active data management plans
Is it really being preserved? The importance of certification
Getting to where we need to be
Conclusion
11. Transparency in the 21st century: the role of records in achieving public access to information, protecting fundamental freedoms and monitoring sustainable development
Current transparency initiatives are undermined by weak records and information management
Weakness in records and information management is a widespread and persistent problem
New digital forms of communication and conducting government business have exacerbated earlier weaknesses in records and information management
Weak control of digital records and information weakens transparency and public accountability mechanisms
Persistent cultures of secrecy lead to oral government and avoidance of record-making and keeping
Good data are needed on records and information management implementation in support of transparency
Policy
Standards
Roles and responsibilities
Systems and practices
Capacity
Policy
Standards
Roles and responsibilities
Systems and practices
Capacity
Steps that can be taken to strengthen records and information management
Strengthen laws and policies governing digital records management
Introduce independent records and information management oversight
Align incentives of public officials with RIM principles and transparency policies and laws
Encourage collaboration
Conclusion
12. Information management for international development: roles, responsibilities and competencies
Quality information for international development
Key players in records management, their roles and responsibilities
Group 1: professionals with the necessary technical skills and qualifications (such as records, IT) to ensure information quality
Group 2: managers (senior, programme, functional) who enable or facilitate the work of the professionals
Group 3: all other stakeholders and users of the information, inside and outside the organisation
Capacity for managing records
Capacity Level 1
(Poor quality records undermine SDG implementation)
Group 1: professionals
Group 2: managers
Group 3: other stakeholders and users
Capacity Level 2
(Records enable SDG implementation at a basic level)
Group 1: professionals
Group 2: managers
Group 3: other stakeholders and users
Capacity Level 3
(The quality of records makes it possible to measure SDGs effectively and supports government programme activities)
Group 1: professionals
Group 2: managers
Group 3: other stakeholders and users
Capacity Level 4
(Well-managed records make it possible to measure SDG implementation effectively and consistently through time; data and statistics are of high enough quality and integrity to support government programme activities at the strategic level)
Group 1: professionals
Group 2: managers
Group 3: other stakeholders and users
Capacity Level 5
(Processes generating records, and the framework for managing them, are designed to make it possible to exploit data, statistics and records, including the information used for measuring SDGs, in new and innovative ways)
Group 1: professionals
Group 2: managers
Group 3: other stakeholders and users
Determining and achieving the desired capacity level
Employ staff with formal qualifications
Train existing staff
Contract expert staff short term as change makers
Use standards to guide practice and inform staff recruitment
Benchmark staff skills and knowledge against competency standards
Conclusion
13. The quality of data, statistics and records used to measure progress towards achieving the SDGs: a fictional situation analysis
Background
Organisation of the report
Methodology
Definitions
Analysis
The government of Patria and the SDGs
Data collection and analysis at the ministry level
Survey data
Registration and administrative data
Scientific data
Data and records issues at the ministry level7
Data and records issues at the NBS
Implications of the failure to establish a management framework
Strategies for sustainable solutions
Laws and policies
Issues
Strategies
Standards and practices
Issues
Strategies
Systems and technologies
Issues
Strategies
People
Issues
Strategies
Management and governance
Issues
Strategies
Awareness
Issues
Strategies
Implementing the strategies
Capacity levels to guide the way forward
Level 1: poor-quality data, statistics and records undermine SDG implementation
Level 2: data, statistics and records enable basic SDG measurement
Level 3: the quality of data, statistics and records makes it possible to measure SDGs effectively and supports government programme activities
Level 4: well-managed data, statistics and records make it possible to measure SDG implementation effectively and consistently through time; data and statistics are of high enough quality and integrity to support government programme activities at the strategic level
Level 5: processes generating data, statistics and records, and the framework for managing them, are designed to make it possible to exploit data, statistics and records, including those measuring SDGs, in new and innovative ways
First steps
Identify a leader and assemble a team
Identify processes as examples
Describe the selected processes
Identify issues and implications
Develop strategies for resolving issues
Apply the experience to other processes and to the framework for managing data/statistics/records
Index
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