We need data for focused intervention – GSS

Mr William Addo, Assistant Chief Technical Officer, Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), has said that Ghana needed to collect quality data to help focus its intervention policies.

He said when data is readily available and understood by everyone, it yields results and helped in nation building from the grassroots level.

Mr Addo, who was speaking at the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) Data Awareness Workshop in Ho, said data is relevant to Ghana in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

He said for the nation to realize the SDGs by 2030, there is the need to monitor and measure all interventions in order to rectify any if need be, to achieve the goals.

Mr Addo said the GSS was collaborating with the public, private sectors and civil society, to develop the country’s administrative data structures to provide more data instead of “our main reliance on survey data which requires lots of resources to accomplish.”

Mr Wisdom Donkor, President, Africa Open Data, said data was very relevant to development as it promoted transparency in government, generated economic value and improved public service.

He said an open data must be complete, timely and easily accessible to the public without restriction for usage.

Mr Theo van de Sande, Governing Chair, IATI, said gathering data and monitoring SDGs still remained a challenge, and that, usually the goals were often wider than the associated targets and indicators, making collection cumbersome.

Source: GNA