Although we all know the saying, “Data is the new oil”, Caribbean countries seem especially challenged to mine that new oil and derive the value to be realised for the betterment of their societies and citizens.

 

For at least a decade, the term “knowledge economy” became part of our vocabulary, although with sayings like “Knowledge is power” and “Data is the new oil”. Further, around us, we have seen other countries make significant advances in digitally transforming their systems and processes, which consequently, have positioned them to considerably improve their societies and economies.

A key component of their underlying strategies has been not only to digitise and digitalise their operations but also to become more data-reliant to improve processes, make them more efficient and effective, as well as more accessible and inclusive. Across the Caribbean region, governments have engaged in a broad range of digital transformation activities, but often, limited improvement in the services provided or the processes that are being followed is evident, whilst at the same time, technology continues to advance, and consumer expectations grow.

It is thus within this context that our attention shifts to data, which virtually all Caribbean countries are not fully harnessing. However, in not doing so, it is tantamount to leaving money on the table. In other words, we are not maximising our potential fully, which has hindered our transformation to digital societies and data-driven economies. In this article, we highlight some reasons why we, as Caribbean countries, have not been fully leveraging data, though the odds are we know that we should.

 

1.  Lack of data infrastructure

One of the primary reasons for the underutilisation of data is the absence of robust data infrastructure. Typically, robust data infrastructure is underpinned by a national data (or ICT) policy that outlines ‘the why’, the anticipated outcomes and the impact, which in turn justifies the effort and resources that would be required to take a country from where it is (data-wise) to where it wants to be. Further, strategies, including the laws to create the enabling environment would need to be implemented. Without those critical steps – which in turn should drive political will and project champions –  it is likely that securing and operationalising the requisite data infrastructure will become highly protracted, and will thus be inadequate to collect, store, and analyse data effectively.

 

2.  Too many silos, too much fragmentation

Although electronic (e-)government, seamless government and whole-of-government approaches have been buzzwords across the region, with few exceptions, government processes are still siloed, highly fragmented and inefficient. For example, we still have various ministries, departments and agencies requiring hard copies of completed documents with wet signatures being submitted, that corrections to these documents be collected from one office and physically resubmitted at another office.

Inefficient data management practices often result in data silos, where information is isolated within different departments or organisations. This fragmentation inhibits data sharing and collaboration, preventing comprehensive insights and hindering decision-making processes. However, breaking down these silos requires significant effort and investment in interoperable systems and standardised protocols, it is crucial to increase public service productivity, efficiency and effectiveness and those of citizens and organisations when they need to engage with government.

 

3.  Resource constraints

Based on the previous points, it is important to highlight that the limited financial resources of Caribbean countries and competing priorities may be a key reason why there has been inadequate investment in data initiatives. However, it could be argued that the far-reaching and comprehensive improvements that could be realised across the entire society would be worth the investment.

Having said this, it is likely that the investment needed would not be insignificant in terms of the initial capital outlay, and thereafter, for maintenance, ongoing expenses and upgrades. Often, many Caribbean countries have adopted a piecemeal approach, with numerous projects being implemented, but with disjointed results and no appreciable improvement being realised.

 

4.  Lack of data literacy and skills

Despite the growing importance of data, there remains a significant gap in data literacy and skills among policymakers, government officials, and the general population. According to Gartner, data literacy means, “the ability to read, write and communicate data in context, including an understanding of data sources and constructs, analytical methods and techniques applied, and the ability to describe the use-case application and resulting value.” Although we do not need all of our policymakers, government officials, and even the society at large to become data experts, there ought to be a true appreciation for the power of data and being comfortable interacting with data. However, without the skills to interpret and analyse data effectively, and the knowledge to recognise the current and future potential of data to improve our societies, policymakers may not develop and champion progressive policies and programmes to drive our societies forward.

 

5.  Cultural and institutional barriers

Finally, we must highlight that cultural attitudes and institutional biases towards data and information-sharing can hinder countries from leveraging data effectively. For example, across the Caribbean region, many countries have implemented Access to Information frameworks, but it can still be a difficult and time-consuming process to get access to information that the public can request. Further, this reluctance to share data may be due to historical practices, when governments were not required to be as transparent or accountable, which are supported by entrenched bureaucratic structures and can slow down efforts to modernise data practices and systems.

 

To be fair, these five challenges are not a quick fix. They require a concerted effort from Caribbean governments, civil society, and the private sector to unlock the full potential of data in our societies. We thus need to move beyond the idle talk and develop specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) plans and goals that we are committed to implementing.

 

 

Image credit: Mika Baumeister (Unsplash)