This event will be held in English. Interpretations in Spanish, French, and Portuguese will be available.
Overview
This webinar will introduce DCI’s new publication: A data governance framework for digital social protection systems. The goal of the guidance framework is to help practitioners, policymakers, and system administrators understand what data governance is, why it matters and how it can support more effective, fair, and trusted social protection systems in a digital age.
The data governance framework offers a practical response to the growing use of digital platforms, administrative data and new technologies in social protection. As systems expand and become more data driven, good governance is essential to ensure data is accurate, secure, and used in ethical and trusted ways. The framework fills an important gap by translating general data governance guidance into the specific context of social protection. It draws on established international standards and practices and is built around four core pillars: management, quality, access, and security. Designed as a flexible foundation, the framework supports countries in improving trust and decision making while adapting to their own legal, institutional, and technological contexts.
We also hear from Chile’s approach to data governance and their experience with the “only ask once” policy. Introduced to address the problems caused by repeated data collection across social protection programs, the approach establishes a single source of truth for each data item and limits requests to citizens only when information is not already available. While simple in concept, its implementation required major coordination, including a central data catalogue, secure data sharing systems, and clear processes for data updates and corrections. Now adopted as a nationwide government policy, the approach is most visible in a digital one stop shop that includes services from multiple institutions.
Türkiye offers a second example of how data governance can support more responsive and dynamic social protection. Faced with the limits of infrequent large-scale surveys and static proxy means tests, the country shifted towards a system that combines interoperable administrative data with regular household visits. Through the integrated social assistance system, data from many public institutions is connected and updated continuously, while local social workers verify information, register new households and capture changes in living conditions. This approach reduces inclusion and exclusion errors, improves fairness in benefit allocation, and allows support to respond more quickly to changing needs.
Presentations will be followed by an open discussion with the speakers to explore questions, challenges, and opportunities raised by the framework and data governance in social protection more broadly. We will wrap up with a Q&A where participants can ask questions and share their insights.
Speakers
Tim Ohlenburg, Data Governance Expert
Verónica Achá Alvarez, Head of Social Information Division, Ministry of Social Development and Family, Chile
Ercan Dansuk, Senior Specialist, Ministry of Family and Social Services, Türkiye
Moderator: Valentina Barca, Social Protection Expert
