First COVID-19 Stats Twitter chat

On 1 April at 9AM ET/1PM UTC the UN Statistics Division, the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data and Open Data Watch hosted on Twitter a #CovidDataChat in which representatives from National Statistical Offices and their partners discussed the challenges they are facing in dealing with the COVID-19 crisis, share potential solutions, and identify immediate technical assistance and funding needs. Below we share a selection of responses from the discussion as well as a list of resources shared during the chat. To see more of the online conversation, follow the hashtag #CovidDataChat on Twitter.

• #CovidDataChat Q1: What are the main challenges your organization is facing in responding to #COVID19?

#CovidDataChat A1: To maintain Data collection during quarantine-time. Field work is being challenged. We in Mongolia give our best not to stop survey data collection, try to use telephone or leave questionnaire at household and take back. As for admin-data, no problems yet.

— Аюушийн Ариунзаяа / Ariunzaya Ayush (@ariunzaya_a) April 1, 2020

#CovidDataChat A1 Our main challenge as NSO is Data Collection because Palestine is under lockdown. We managed only to do data collection via phone for price indices.

— Ola Awad (@Olashakhshir) April 1, 2020

• #CovidDataChat Q2: How are you adapting your current field data collection efforts, whether it be a survey or census, to the new circumstances during the #COVID19 crisis?

#CovidDataChat A2 presently the Government of Trinidad & Tobago is preparing its first VNR Report..consultations with the wider public are now challenged..together with support from the UNCT, data collection strategies now include online surveys and emailed written responses

— Anand Maraj (@anand_maraj) April 1, 2020

#CovidDataChat A2: This is time for strong management decisions on how to change priorities AND how to simplify and innovate. More than ever we need NSO leadership and strong data stewardship. We stand ready to help. @OpenDataWatch @Data4SDGs @UNStats @ContactPARIS21

— Shaida Badiee (@ShaidaBadiee) April 1, 2020

• #CovidDataChat Q3: Which actions are you taking to respond to #COVID19? (a) Telecommuting of staff (b) Phone/web data collection (c) Use alternative sources (admin records, big data…) (d) New data products on COVID19 (e) Dedicated webpage or dashboard. (f) Other (please explain)

#CovidDataChat A3: On hand of monthly stats-bulletin we prepared a short analysis of COVID impact on main economic-indicators. Government has established COVID emergency response unit, where NSO staff is part of. Working on real-time dashboard and providing with necessary Data.

— Аюушийн Ариунзаяа / Ariunzaya Ayush (@ariunzaya_a) April 1, 2020

#CovidDataChat Q3: @Data2X is taking measures to compile resources on gender and #genderdata as it relates to COVID-19 preparedness & response around the world. We created a new webpage for this purpose. https://t.co/vrwkFLT490

— Data2X (@Data2X) April 1, 2020

• #CovidDataChat Q4: How are you partnering with actors in your country to open up private and non-traditional sources of data to the public during the #Covid19 response, while ensuring their quality and suitability to produce trustworthy statistical outputs?

#CovidDataChat A4: At a crisis times such as this, timely data is essential. NSO’s can not deliver daily. Non-traditional sources or quick surveys are needed. Our dev.UN-partners in Mongolia joined forces together to have a snapshot survey within 2 weeks. NSO advises on it.

— Аюушийн Ариунзаяа / Ariunzaya Ayush (@ariunzaya_a) April 1, 2020

#CovidDataChat Q4: Due the emergency caused by the Covid-19, since March 17, a collaborative inter-institutional approach has been adopted between several entities (@MinSaludCol, @DNP_Colombia and others).

— DANE Colombia (@DANE_Colombia) April 1, 2020

• #CovidDataChat Q5: What type of additional resources are most urgently needed to enable the National Statistical System of your country to continue operating effectively during the #COVID19 crisis?

#CovidDataChat A5: @UNECE is collating resources to help NSOs struggling to compile consumer price indices. Consult or add to them here: https://t.co/GKQ7lDGNdD

— unecestat (@unecestat) April 1, 2020

#CovidDataChat A5: Simply put, the work requires more IT. There's a need for fewer enumerators, more data scientists. https://t.co/JCrcTcz4ft

— Positium (@positium) April 1, 2020

• #CovidDataChat Q6: Which tools are you developing or using to respond to the #Covid19 crisis?

#CovidDataChat A6: We have been in NSOs experimenting with different tools for quite some time and now seems the right time to fully utilize. These tools include Telephone interviewing as well as internet data collection.

— Ola Awad (@Olashakhshir) April 1, 2020

#CovidDataChat A6: In the #COVID19 crisis response in Estonia, we are contributing with methodological development and data visualisation. Visuals can be a powerful tool in communicating. Here's an example: https://t.co/ImqOGcNLDo https://t.co/qsSQ0NdiUr

— Positium (@positium) April 1, 2020

Sharing of resources

In addition to the answers shared during the discussion, participants shared new resources and publications that their respective organizations have created in response to COVID-19:

• How PARIS21 is Supporting National Statistical Systems amid COVID-19 —(PARIS21)
• Mobile phone data and COVID-19: Missing an opportunity? (Multiple Experts)
• COVID-19 impact on the collection of labour market statistics (The International Labour Organization)
• Surveys Under Lockdown; a pandemic lesson (UNESCAP)
• DataLat- Shares link to Webinar with DataLat, Escuela de Datos, Redam (DataLat)
• Publishing data on COVID-19 using the IATI Standard (IATI)
• Data responsibility guidelines (The Centre for Humanitarian Data)
• Top tips for quality assuring urgent pieces of ad-hoc statistical analysis (ONS)
• Airtel case study: Harnessing mobile Big Data to identify tuberculosis hotspots in India (AIRTEL)
• Compilation of CPI in times of COVID-19 (UNECE)
• COVID-19 Pandemic in Locations with a Humanitarian Response (OCHA)
• Skoll World Forum session: Using data for good in the fight against COVID-19 (Atlantic Council)

Stay tuned!

Thank you to all who joined the first #CovidDataChat on Twitter. We look forward to continuing the discussions in the next one. Please visit our website or follow @UNStats on Twitter for more information on the next #CovidDataChat’s date.