The Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) on Thursday (June 22) officially launched the Data 4 Development online monitoring platform at the Marriott Courtyard Hotel in St Andrew.

The platform supports the use of data and statistics for analysis, monitoring and evaluation by all stakeholders.

It will also strengthen the PIOJ’s ability to support policy development, the alignment of planning and development financing and budgeting, and the management of public investment.

The portal was developed by the Government of Jamaica with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) towards advancing the Vision 2030 Jamaica National Development Plan and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In his remarks, PIOJ Director General Dr Wayne Henry said the platform is geared towards promoting the use of evidence in decision-making by the various stakeholders who directly or indirectly develop policies and plans, provide financing, and implement programmes advancing Jamaica’s development towards the 2030 goals and beyond.

“For government, the Data 4 Development online monitoring platform is an important component in advancing integrated results-based management, which is being led by the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, PIOJ, and the Cabinet Office,” he indicated.

“It facilitates the translation of data and statistics on global, national and local-level indicators produced by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (Statin), international organisations, and other data producers into evidence targeted at addressing specific development problems towards producing planned development results,” Dr Henry added.

The director general further noted that the digital portal is an important pillar in the PIOJ’s institutional capacity-building in support of fulfilling its mandate.

This, he said, includes advancing national and sector plans promoting efficiency and effectiveness in the use of Jamaica’s resources and supporting the empowerment and enablement of every Jamaican at home and in the diaspora, as well as the country’s partners, to participate in the development process.

Specific areas where the Platform’s resources will be applied include improved results-based national development policy and planning; supporting the alignment of development financing with the national development agenda, including medium-term results-based budgeting; and results-based monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning towards action.

Dr Henry noted that the journey to the launch started in 2019 under the UNDP-supported project – ‘Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through Vision 2030 Jamaica.’

He said the platform was first developed with funding from the UNDP and counterpart financing from the Government of Jamaica (GOJ), noting that it started with an integrated Jam Data database of social, economic, and environmental development indicators and associated time series data.

The database comprises information from the Jam Stats, Child Protection and Education Statistics databases that were previously available on the Jam Stats site which has been discontinued.

“A Vision 2030 Jamaica Monitoring Dashboard, a metadata hub, Child Protection and Education Statistical Dashboards, and a mobile application are the other features of the first phase of development of the Platform,” Dr Henry informed.

The PIOJ has also made significant investments in expanding the platform. These include installing a data visualiser that supports the use of data on development indicators by everyone; adding to the functionalities of the Vision 2030 Jamaica Monitoring Dashboard and creating a Local Development Dashboard with parish level disaggregation of the National Outcome Indicators, where data is available; adding a Jam Data Dashboard and a Road Safety Dashboard to the menu of statistical dashboards; and developing an Online Resource Library for Vision 2030 Jamaica and the SDGs.

“While there is a functioning mobile application, we are in the process of upgrading it to the latest software. There are also other functionalities that are being built-out and not yet publicly available… so stay tuned,” Dr Henry said.

“The platform is intended to support evidence-driven and results-based national development to beyond 2030 and, therefore, will continue to build and grow using the latest available technologies and [be] informed by lessons learned and emerging knowledge,” he added.

Meanwhile, UNDP Resident Representative Denise Antonio, said the platform provides the Government and people of Jamaica with a centralised digital system to support monitoring of the country’s progress in implementing the SDGs and Vision 2030 Jamaica.

“By offering data on demand which can be visualised in user-friendly formats, PIOJ has not only digitised Agenda 2030 monitoring and evaluation, but also curated a fully accessible experience for a wide range of stakeholders,” Antonio said.

She noted that Jamaica’s data for development platform ushers the PIOJ’s Agenda 2030 monitoring, evaluation, and planning ambitions into the digital era.

Persons may visit the information portal at https://data4development.gov.jm/

The target audience includes policymakers, planners, sector specialists, researchers, academics, students, decision-makers, development partners, implementers, and citizens.