Side-Event at High Level Political Forum 2020 on “Accelerating Post Covid Recovery Using Data Revolution”
Context
When the COVID-19 pandemic started to affect countries, , governments, private sector companies, UN agencies, Inter- Governmental Organizations (IGO)’s and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO)s were challenged to respond effectively in the face of tens of thousands who became sick; collapsing social safety nets for the millions who lost their daily wages; and the changing nature of jobs. These challenges occurring much faster than the 4th industrial revolution shifts which the world had been grappling with required ‘instant” transformations. The world entered a ‘new normal’ in a matter of weeks.
In developing responses to any crises, the scarcity of urgent data, inaccessibility to data, absence of common data-sharing platforms, different data collection standards, formats and conventions for recording data, and the lack of common identifiers like Unique Property Reference Numbers (UPRNs) are usual accentuate difficulties to come up with an effective response. However, crises also provide opportunities to think differently and in a better way. The responses of various countries around the world depict how this crisis has integrated the efforts of tons of epidemiologists, data scientists, economists, and anthropologists who never typically work together. Furthermore, in an unpredicted way, it has fostered new data management policies and developed a great amount of collaboration between the private and public sectors. This is even more evident in the countries which have responded successfully to the crisis.
An example is Vietnam, a country that has successfully managed the response to the pandemic. Vietnam introduced strict contact-tracing processes and early hospital management with the use of available data in granules. Bangladesh is another example. Recently, Bangladesh introduced a new form of social safety net for the short-term. It created a database of 5 million needy people, based on the National Citizen Database, and deposited a certain amount of cash in their mobile accounts. Yet another example is that of Somalia and Bangladesh introducing virtual training classes to ensure the development of post COVID skills.
In all this, there remains a concern on how realistic it is for low-income countries with limited resources to upgrade their processes to align with those in the developed world? For example- the government of Bangladesh has introduced a prediction model like – SEIR model and agent-based model. On the basis of analyses of these models, policymakers and health care administrators can, take timely action, target recipients, and take effective measures prior to the crisis occurring.
Objective
The primary objective of this side event is to bring governments, Development Partners (DP)s, UN entities, the private sector, and academia together to share best practices and exchange views on how to accelerate post COVID recovery using a collective data intelligence platform and create scope for collaboration within/among nations as well as to boost the taking of timely actions through a “data revolution” to ensure equal access to health services and social protection, jobs, and support for businesses.
During the side-event, participants will analyses specific case studies and strategy recommendations pertaining to:
- How to access data for targeting when compiling the country’s health and socio-economic response measures during Post –COVID recovery and, how to ensure that everyone is included?
- Which barriers keep people from being included in databases for access to infrastructure, employment, public services, jobs, and other socio-economic response measures?
- How can those who are excluded, marginalized, and vulnerable come into the fold? What are community initiatives that can help resolve this challenge? How can they be made more resilient to shocks and crises?
- What should be the role of Academia in supporting the governments to develop strategies and policies to collect and use data to take timely actions during the post-recovery period of COVID-19?
- How can public agencies, the private sector, telecommunication operators and academia work together to mobilize the true potential of the “data revolution” to leave no one behind during post-COVID-19 recovery?
- What are the effective avenues for international cooperation for capturing and using data for post- COVID-19 jobs?
Please find the detail concept note and programme outline in the documents below:
Final_Concept Note of the HLPF Side Event _2020 (1)