Better data, better lives

Quality data has played a vital role in supporting Vietnam to develop the ecosystem amid global digital transformation to achieve impressive socioeconomic growth, said a United Nations representative in Vietnam.

Rémi Nono Womdim, UNFPA Vietnam Officer-in-Charge/ FAO Representative speaks at the event held in Hanoi on August 16. Photos: UNFPA

Rémi Nono Womdim, UNFPA Vietnam Officer-in-Charge/ FAO Representative, shared the view on data ecosystem management – prerequisite for solid policy and decision-making at an international experience sharing held today [August 16] in Hanoi.

Domestic and international experts on data and statistics shared their experience in data ecosystem management, data governance, and data stewardship to foster a deeper understanding of the data ecosystem among policymakers, data producers, and other stakeholders in Vietnam.

The event, co-chaired by the General Statistics Office (GSO) of Vietnam and the United Nations for Population Fund (UNFPA)  seeks consultations, studies the feasibility, and implements effective data management, governance, and stewardship practices.

International experts from the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, UNFPA Asia-Pacific Regional Office, Denmark, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Thailand shared insights and practical experiences with a particular focus on issues related to digitalization.

It included the use of administrative data sources, big data, and mechanisms for sharing administrative data between the National Statistics Offices and other government agencies. The participants also discussed the challenges in data governance and stewardship, along with exploring future trends in this domain.

Nguyen Thi Huong, Director General of the General Statistics Office (GSO) of Vietnam, at the event.

Addressing the event, Nguyen Thi Huong, Director General of GSO, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, said GSO, with its functions of conducting and coordinating statistical activities, expected to receive more support from other agencies and international organizations in enhancing data ecosystem management in the coming years.

International expertise

Notably, Rémi Nono Womdim linked the importance of having high-quality population data in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

“Our commitment to leaving no one behind means everyone must be counted for, so everyone can be reached, including those furthest behind, and quality, reliable, consistent and comparable data is a crucial element in making this a reality,” he said “Better Data, Better Lives.”

Rachael Beaven, Director Statistics Division of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), stressed the role of data governance, saying it is defined as the exercise of authority and control over the management and transformation of data to enhance the value of data assets and mitigate data-related risks.

Regarding data governance in Vietnam, he said the e-government development strategy has a vision for Vietnam to be one of the top 30 countries regarding e-govt and digital government.

Meanwhile, Professor Paul Cheung, National University of Singapore, stated the modernization of the National Statistical System with three key aspects of modernization, namely Role and Governance, Range of Output, and Deep Technology.

He highlighted the need to advance data as a service by defining and managing the ecosystem of official statistics and integrating with other data ecosystems.

Overview of the conference.

This international conference was supported financially and technically by UNFPA under the framework of the Project “Supporting Vietnam in the production and utilization of quality population data and evidence for the evaluation, formulation and implementation of the country's socio-economic development policies, strategies, plans and monitoring of Sustainable Development Goals” costing US$1.9 million for 2022-2026.

It aims to assist Vietnam in applying new technologies and communication platforms to the data collection, analysis, and dissemination and ensuring evidence-based policies, strategies, and programmes for the achievement of SDGs by 2030.

Vietnam is in the midst of rapid transformation for its socio-economic growth. The country has been implementing the Socio-economic Development Strategy (SEDS) 2021-2030, the Socio-economic Development Plan (SEDP) 2021-2025, and the National Plan of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

To achieve its set targets, Vietnam needs reliable and quality data statistics, which are the prerequisite for solid policy and decision making as well as fundamental foundation to formulate, implement, monitor and assess the country’s progress to achieving socio-economic and SDGs targets.