Today’s unprecedented growth of data and its ubiquity in our lives are signs that the data revolution is transforming the world. In recent years, the Philippines has embarked on liberating data access inside and outside the government. Currently, there are thousands of accessible and machine-readable data in different government platforms. And yet much of the value of data remains untapped. The current COVID-19 pandemic experience highlights the importance of data-driven policy making and service delivery especially by local government units (LGUs). However, there is little or no data to understand the “state of data” in the Philippines.
Integral to these data-driven public sector initiatives is the presence of Information and Communications Technology (ICT). ICT facilitates a broader interaction between the citizens and the government being the key enabler of improved governance and the widespread dissemination of data. Currently, there are thousands of accessible and machine-readable data in different government platforms. But data per se does not have inherent meaning. They have to be processed to make them relevant and useful for decision making. When raw data are turned to information and insights, they can be valuable for policy change.
Do LGUs have sufficient capacity in data collection, analytics, and management? Are perceptions of capacity consistent with their prevailing practices? Is there a gap between practice and perception? Is there opportunity to realign and improve on current practices? The reports attempt to answer these questions and provide information about LGUs’ existing state of data readiness, culture, and practices.
Download the full reports below