The Guardian: If we want to end poverty, we need to be able to measure it properly
Sabina Alkire, director of OPHI and professor at George Washington University

“…By pinpointing exactly how and where people are poor, national [multidimensional poverty indexes (MPIs)] enable governments to better target their resources and combat poverty more effectively through integrated and well-coordinated policy interventions. The [the Multidimensional Poverty Peer Network (MPPN)] hopes that the global and national MPIs will receive support at the U.N.’s conference on financing for development in Addis Ababa next month. It also hopes the MPIs will be recommended as indicators by the expert group that recently concluded its first meeting on the indicator framework in New York…” (6/22).

The Guardian: Why we shouldn’t get too excited about using big data for development
Paul Jasper, development economist and data specialist at Oxford Policy Management

“…In order to be truly transformative rather than just another fad, the so-called data revolution will have to deal with the following issues: 1. You can’t always get access to the data you need when you need it …; 2. Data can be used to spy on citizens or discriminate against consumers …; 3. Big data on its own doesn’t provide valuable insights …; 4. Millions of people still have no access to digital technology…” (6/22).

Devex: How reliable data can secure a healthy future
Jonathan S. Jay, attorney, bioethicist, and senior writer for Management Sciences for Health, and Ariella Rojhani, senior advocacy manager for the NCD Alliance

“…Transforming global health by 2030, as the SDGs intend to do, will require massive scale up in country capacity to collect timely, reliable data in a way that’s sustainable and aligned with global health priorities. If a newly launched health data initiative can win political momentum, it could help countries currently lagging to leap ahead and develop systems that meet not just today’s standards but the demands of 2030: health for all, at all ages…” (6/22).