The Web Foundation is delighted to join the Governance Data Alliance, a group of organisations working together to improve the quality, availability, breadth and use of governance data.

We believe that governance data is a powerful tool to shape policy, improving economic and social development. That is why we produce the Open Data Barometer, the Web Index, and the Alliance for Affordable Internet’s Affordability Report.

However, the impact of these and many other datasets can be greater if organisations work together to improve the production and use of governance data.

Recognising a current lack of coordination among producers and users of data, the Alliance brings parties together to fill data gaps and better understand governance data usage, with the ultimate goal of producing and aggregating high-quality, accessible governance data that policymakers and others can use to take action.

The Alliance will focus on four key areas:

Knowledge sharing and collaboration

Supporting peer exchange and technical assistance on topics ranging from research methodology design and data analysis tools to data storage, data visualisation techniques, and managing government feedback.

Publishing a governance data dashboard

Aggregating high-quality data in one place to promote improved accessibility, standardisation, and use of existing governance data.

Understanding usage of governance data

Collecting and analysing governance data user habits and trends to better understand and meet their needs.

Explore possible economies of scale

Piloting coordinated data co-production efforts to improve the availability of data, particularly for under-assessed countries, and to drive down the costs of data production over time.

The Web Foundation will work with fellow members, including the Centre for Law and Democracy, Transparency International, USAID, and others, to pursue our shared goal of creating robust, accessible governance data to influence decision makers and drive social and political development.

For more details on the Governance Data Alliance, visit: www.governancedata.org and follow the latest on Twitter @govdataalliance.