Publication

This brief looks at the problems associated with generating and accessing quality data in sub-Saharan Africa. The authors attribute these to: 1) national statistics offices having limited independence and unstable budgets, 2) misaligned incentives encouraging the production of inaccurate data, 3) donor priorities dominating national priorities, and 4) the limited access to and usability of data in the region. They then give recommendations on how to address these issues. These include funding more and differently; building institutions that can produce accurate data; and prioritizing data accuracy, timeliness, relevance and availability.