Innovative data solutions for fragile and conflict-affected settings

Fragility increasingly shapes global development outcomes. Countries facing high or extreme fragility encompass one-quarter of the world’s population and nearly three-quarters of its extreme poor. Yet it is difficult to find reliable, timely and granular data from these countries due to insecurity, weak infrastructure, displacement, and institutional deficits. These gaps undermine efforts to understand evolving situations, target resources effectively, and measure impact.

Closing these data and evidence blind spots is essential for shaping effective responses in fragile contexts. Research plays a critical role: it offers innovative ways to collect and analyse the data that can inform policy decisions, build local capacity, and adapt interventions to uncertain situations. Beyond the immediate policy needs, such research deepens our understanding of what drives fragility and how institutions emerge. It also provides insights into how people behave in diverse political, economic, and social conditions, refining our broader understanding of how societies adapt to different and evolving equilibria.

This framing paper examines how innovative data solutions can complement traditional statistical systems in fragile and conflict-affected settings (FCAS). While these innovations cannot replace robust national data infrastructure and systems, they offer promising ways to generate timely, granular insights when standard methods are unfeasible.