Making Communities Count: Strengthening Participation in Official Data

In many countries, communities are systematically left out of the data that shapes policies, budgets, and development plans. Official data—collected by states and public authorities—often overlooks the lived realities of people most affected by inequality, discrimination, and rights violations. This gap undermines the promise of human rights.

To close this gap, ESCR-Net members have been advancing strategies to ensure that communities can meaningfully participate in data processes. The new data brief, Making Communities Count: ESCR-Net Members’ Experiences with Strengthening Communities’ Participation in Official Data, highlights lessons and practices from around the world

Participation is key to fulfilling human rights, particularly economic, social, and cultural rights. Participation means that people can freely, actively, and meaningfully influence decision-making processes that affect their lives. States have a legal obligation to ensure that communities participate in decision-making processes. Rights-holders have first-hand knowledge on the enjoyment of economic, social, and cultural rights based on their lived experiences, which is vital information that warrants consideration in decision-making processes. However, official data – that is, data collected by states and public authorities- often does not accurately reflect the needs and perspectives of communities. This results in a gap between the communities’ needs and what public policies and political decisions make available to them. This brief illustrates strategies that ESCR-Net members have put in place to close this gap by strengthening communities’ participation in official data collection. Data is about identity and visibility: what is not counted does not count. Participation in official data gathering can be an inroad for communities that have historically been sidelined due to colonialism, patriarchy, and racism to have a say in policy and decision-making, including around planning and resource allocation.