PRESENTATION: Europe and Central Asia Economic Update, Spring 2021: Data, Digitalization, and Governance
Emerging and developing economies in the Europe and Central Asia region are expected to grow by 3.6 percent this year. The significant role that government plays underscores the importance of the quality of governance in determining productivity and growth and effectively responding to the region’s economic and social challenges.
Digital technology and the data revolution offer the potential to increase efficiency, transparency, responsiveness, and citizen trust, directly impacting the quality of government.
The report Data, Digitalization, and Governance in Europe and Central Asia examines the potential role of data and digitalization in improving governance in the region. Across the world, the quality of government is increasingly informed by the extent to which governments harness digital tools and GovTech to optimize management, service delivery, and overall state capacity.
Technology and data are vital for fostering collaboration between governments, the private sector and civil society. Many citizens in the Europe and Central Asia region mistrust the government and perceive political decisions to lack transparency. Evidence from the report shows that the data revolution and digitalization of governments are key elements to foster collaboration between governments and civil society and contribute to the enhancement of public sector efficiency and service delivery.
During this session, the speaker discussed the chapter on Data, Digitalization and Governance, including policy recommendations, grounded in empirical evidence for harnessing the data revolution to improve governance across the region.