Data Collection in Fragile States: Innovations from Africa and Beyond

‘This open access book addresses an urgent issue on which little organized information exists. It reflects experience in Africa but is highly relevant to other fragile states as well.’
―Constantine Michalopoulos, John Hopkins University, USA and former Director of Economic Policy and Co-ordination at the World Bank

Fragile countries face a triple data challenge. Up-to-date information is needed to deal with rapidly changing circumstances and to design adequate responses. Yet, fragile countries are among the most data deprived, while collecting new information in such circumstances is very challenging. This open access book presents innovations in data collection developed with decision makers in fragile countries in mind. 

Looking at innovations in Africa from mobile phone surveys monitoring the Ebola crisis, to tracking displaced people in Mali, this collection highlights the challenges in data collection researchers face and how they can be overcome.

Johannes Hoogeveen is Lead Economist in the Poverty and Equity Global Practice at the World Bank. He combines analytical and strategic work with the implementation of lending operations, and has published academic papers on various topics of relevance to this book including mobile phone surveys, statistics governance, displacement, and the welfare consequences of crises.  

Utz Pape is Senior Economist in the Poverty and Equity Global Practice at the World Bank. He leads teams to design and implement lending projects to improve national statistical systems and to prepare analytical poverty work including poverty assessments, poverty impact studies, and Systematic Country Diagnostics. His work experience in post-conflict countries contributes to his research agenda including the design of methodologies for poverty measurement in fragile settings.