Briefing papersDecember 2020Barnaby Willitts-King and Alexandra SpencerPhoto: Scott Graham/UnsplashPartnerships between donors and humanitarian agencies are a critical foundation of the international response system. Building and maintaining trust between them has been crucial for important agreements including the Grand Bargain and frameworks such as Good Humanitarian Donorship.At the same time, the collection of large amounts of programmatic data has become normal. Better data on people’s needs and agency responses should lead to better programming and fewer gaps in meeting those needs. However, while there are important developments in sharing open humanitarian data, not all humanitarian data can be shared openly. For example, data about the location of affected people and responders can put people at risk, especially in conflict environments.This briefing note outlines some of the key questions facing the sector around data-sharing. It was originally produced as a background paper for the Wilton Park 1777 meeting, ‘Responsible data sharing with donors: accountability, transparency and data protection in principled humanitarian action’, which took place online, 17–18 September 2020.Read the research Responsible data-sharing with donors: accountability, transparency and data protection in principled humanitarian actionDocumentRelated Bridging humanitarian digital divides during Covid-19How humanitarian actors are using digital technology in the Covid-19 response and what it could mean for the future of the humanitarian sector.Briefing papers20 November 2020 ReliefWatch: designing a new accountability service for people affected by humanitarian crises Lessons learned from developing ReliefWatch, an independent service that enables aid recipients to provide feedback on the assistance they receive.Research reports and studies9 April 2020 New technologies are changing humanitarian action, but don’t assume they're inclusiveTechnology-based tools and approaches are increasingly used in humanitarian crises, but these don’t always serve the needs of those most vulnerable.Articles and blogs29 November 2019 The humanitarian ‘digital divide’Digital transformation in humanitarian action: the state of the evidence.Bibliography and literature reviews25 November 2019See more:humanitarian systemshumanitariandataGlobal
