How is the Governance Framework Evolving? A Comparative Analysis with the First Edition​

Following the release of the second edition of the Global Data Barometer, we received encouraging feedback from partners and readers—many of whom are eager to understand how data governance practices have shifted since the first edition.

As noted in a previous post, direct comparisons between the two editions are not always possible due to methodological changes, including revised indicator structures, redesigned questions, and new weighting systems. Nonetheless, meaningful insights can still be drawn when we focus on specific clusters and examine contextual changes.

In this blog post, we focus on the Governance Foundation cluster. Using comparative visualizations and updated data, we explore the evolution of data protection, data management, and data sharing frameworks across the 43 countries assessed.

Data Protection

The second edition highlights notable progress in data protection frameworks across Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and Africa. Improvements in legislation are increasingly addressing emerging concerns such as algorithmic decision-making and location-related data.

 

Among countries with data protection regulations in place, several key improvements emerged when compared to the first edition:

• +11.43: Greater coverage of access and correction rights
• +29.04: Significant growth in attention to algorithmic privacy
• +10.96: Expanded mechanisms to address rights violations, often involving independent oversight bodies

These trends suggest growing alignment with international data protection standards and increasing awareness of rights in digital environments.

Data Management

Strong legal protections must be matched by robust data management practices to ensure that data remains secure, usable, and trustworthy across its lifecycle. The second edition reveals tangible gains in how countries manage public data, with noticeable improvements in:

• +23.81: Adoption of quality control processes
• +26.66: Implementation of user feedback mechanisms
• +19.53: Use of standardized metadata practices
• +21.43: Adoption of structured technical standards

These gains reflect a shift from policy to operational capacity—an essential step toward building healthy and sustainable data ecosystems.

 

 

 

Data Sharing

Effective data sharing frameworks are vital to enabling cross-sector collaboration while protecting privacy and ethical standards. These frameworks guide how specific stakeholders access and use sensitive or non-open data, often through legally binding policies or technical guidance.

 

Key changes observed in the second edition:

• The share of countries with data-sharing frameworks grew from 52.38% in the first edition to 74.42% in the second.
• There is a notable increase in countries referencing multiple regulatory instruments—including data protection laws and interoperability guidelines—when governing data sharing. Specifically, 21 countries cited two or more distinct frameworks in the second edition, up from 15 in the first.

This signals a move toward more comprehensive and layered governance approaches, with better integration between privacy, access, and interoperability.

Observations

While the second edition shows encouraging progress across data governance dimensions, it also reveals a persistent implementation gap, particularly in countries with weaker institutional capacities. Notably, while strong governance frameworks correlate with higher data availability, many countries struggle to operationalize these frameworks effectively.

To address this gap, countries must:

• Integrate governance into AI strategies
  This involves aligning national AI agendas with foundational data governance principles to ensure fairness, transparency, and accountability in their implementation. This is crucial as data protection frameworks are increasingly addressing emerging concerns such as algorithmic decision-making, with significant growth in attention to algorithmic privacy.
• Strengthen legal enforcement and oversight
  Improvements require addressing legislative gaps in data protection through improved enforcement mechanisms and the establishment of truly independent oversight bodies. This builds upon observed progress where countries have expanded mechanisms to address rights violations, often involving independent oversight bodies, signaling a growing alignment with international data protection standards and increased awareness of rights in digital environments. Despite stronger legal protections, the challenge of operationalization underscores the need for robust enforcement.
  
• Build operational capacities for data management
  This necessitates investing in national capabilities for managing and reusing data. Such investments should include incorporating standardized metadata, ensuring technical interoperability, and implementing responsive feedback systems. These steps reflect a crucial shift from merely having policies to building operational capacity, which is essential for creating healthy and sustainable data ecosystems. Tangible gains in adopting quality control processes, user feedback mechanisms, standardized metadata practices, and structured technical standards have already been observed, indicating movement in this direction.

 

Ultimately, strengthening these governance frameworks is not just about regulation; it is about building trustworthy and inclusive data ecosystems that support public interest goals and democratic values in an increasingly digital world. This comprehensive approach is vital given that while strong governance frameworks correlate with higher data availability, many countries still struggle with effective operationalization.

 

Looking Ahead

The evolution of the Governance Foundation cluster illustrates both progress and persistent challenges. As countries continue to expand their data governance agendas, the Global Data Barometer provides a valuable tool for identifying strengths, gaps, and emerging priorities.

To support deeper understanding of these findings, we will be publishing a series of blog posts exploring each of the areas where comparative analysis between the two editions has been possible. These posts will unpack key trends and highlight where meaningful changes have occurred across different clusters.

Ultimately, strengthening governance frameworks is not just about regulation—it’s about building trustworthy and inclusive data ecosystems that support public interest goals and democratic values in an increasingly digital world.