Bureaucracy Labs Day: Turning Government Data into Better Policy

Government data represent an enormous resource for problem solving—how are analytical labs around the world tapping this resource to drive evidence-based reforms?

The Bureaucracy Lab is a joint initiative of the World Bank’s Development Impact Group and Governance Global Department that seeks to promote government administration reform through the use of evidence and technology. On June 23, the Lab hosted the inaugural Bureaucracy Labs Day—a conversation among public servants about repurposing government data to strengthen public administration, and how to build organizations to sustain this work.

Representatives from 18 organizations discussed the origins of successful analytical labs in Brazil and the Slovak Republic; recent efforts to build tax data labs in Africa and Central America; and a wide range exciting analytical initiatives—from education to energy, and from Ghana to Greece.  

The discussions reinforced the importance of creating spaces where public-sector innovators can learn from one another.

Participants also discussed the challenges to building and sustaining bureaucracy labs— including technical, administrative, and political obstacles—and the need for collaboration to identify solutions. As one participant reflected, “The discussions reinforced the importance of creating spaces where public-sector innovators can learn from one another, share practical experiences, and build collective capacity across borders.”

The conversations sparked at Bureaucracy Labs Day are ongoing, with more events and opportunities for collaboration to come. If you know of government analytical labs with stories to tell and wisdom to share, please get in touch! 

Tune in to our Government Analytics podcast series to learn more.