ECA partners with Africa on data analytics, management
By Tanko Mohammed
The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), says it is partnering with African governments to include data analysis and management in governance to build Africa’s resilience to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a statement from the Communications Section on Thursday, Mr Oliver Chinganya, ECA’s African Centre for Statistics Director said this in a virtual webinar.
The ECA and the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data (GPSDD) on Wednesday hosted a virtual webinar showcasing the power of data partnerships in combating the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic in Africa.
Chinganya said the inception of the ECA-GPSDD partnership was to support countries to better respond to COVID-19 and build Africa’s resilience to the pandemic.
“We have worked with a consortium of partners who have supported the continental and national statistical systems to adapt to the ongoing challenges and revamp statistical production, dissemination and use.
“The idea was to bring the best data, platforms and analytics to combat COVID-19 across Africa,” he said.
The director said the partnership meant working with governments to understand priority data needs, and bringing providers of data, platforms and analytics together in partnership with governments to offer solutions.
He also said it meant putting tested solutions to work, and strengthening systems by ensuring new solutions were sustainable and could be maintained for the long-term.
Chinganya said that it included increasing the effective use of partner resources by targeting the most acute data gaps and minimising duplication, developing skills and capacity to strengthen systems in the long term.
“We set our ambition and target very high by aiming to support more than at least two-thirds of countries working with UN Resident Coordinators, government agencies and other partners,” Chinganya said.
Also, Claire Melamed, GPSDD Chief Executive Officer, lauded the ambition and dynamism of the partners in making sure data informed Africa’s response to the pandemic and created efforts to build forward, better.
Melamed said the partners worked hard to ensure there was timely and accurate data that was well understood by the citizenry and policymakers for informed decisions.
“We must celebrate each other, our achievement and the huge progress that we have made in data.
“We also have to celebrate and recognise the very hard working public servants across the continent who have been responsible for using this data and for turning it into the impact that we have seen and are all proud to have helped to create,” she said.
According to the statement, lessons and information have also been shared among partners and countries for quick adoption and replication of effective solutions.
During the webinar, partners showcased the results of various data partnerships and emerging data stories at the national levels in combating COVID-19.
They also celebrated their achievements and shared experiences and challenges through peer-peer learning from ongoing partnerships and initiatives to inspire replication.
UN Resident Coordinators, National Statistical Offices and surveillance teams were introduced to providers of data, interactive data platforms, analytics and tested solutions in the priority areas.
The partners also explained the process of how participants would gain access to the range of resources and other capacity support made available by the supply side providers.