Simon Chadwick

The Data Revolution

There are numerous definitions of the data revolution. The report by the UN Secretary General’s Independent Expert Advisory Group (IEAG) speaks of an “explosion” in the volume and production of data matched by a “growing demand for data from all parts of society” (IEAG, 2014). PARIS21 takes a complementary approach and refers to “delivering the right data to the right people in the right format at the right time” (PARIS21, 2015). This definition puts the emphasis on the fact that the data revolution should increase the use and impact of data on outcomes.