Data-Driven Pakistan?

The advent of new data technologies is undoubtedly transforming the world. Realising the massive potential embedded within these technologies, 21st-century governments began to utilise data algorithms and analytics in order to transform governance structures and improve service delivery. While developed countries have made significant progress in strengthening their respective capacities to use data strategically, developing countries such as Pakistan are finding it difficult to keep pace.

Numerous case studies highlight the significance of developing a coherent and comprehensive model of data governance. In 2015, the United States government, working with Google, initiated a project for crisis situations that uses geographic information systems (GIS) to combine data from across state agencies and map it in a way that is easy to understand. In the midst of a hurricane in Texas, the Google Imagery project shared hourly map updates to keep first responders abreast of the situation; in the aftermath, it was used to predict when school areas could be expected to reopen. This strategic use of data allowed rescuers and government agencies to make far more intelligent, real-time decisions than would have been possible previously. Perhaps if Pakistan had developed a similar crisis management system, millions of people would not have been left homeless and displaced by the on-going flooding in Sindh, Balochistan and South Punjab.

Similarly, the Government of India analysed data using certain data mining techniques to catch tax evaders in 2017. It rolled out a platform completely based on big data analytics known as 'Project Insight' to make this happen. The project tracked down approximately 50,000 such entities which were still in existence in spite of their deregistered firms. This helped in accumulating information about the black money potholes still in existence. In comparison, the total taxpayers in Pakistan constitute only 1 percent of its population and efforts to broaden the tax net are limited to amnesty schemes and banking incentives.

Browsing through the internet, one may find numerous case studies that illustrate the growing significance of data analytics in public policy. What happened in these countries was that they were successful in securing the leadership and vision to ensure strategic direction. At all governmental levels, we could see facilitation for the...