World Bank Report “Stocktaking of Global Forced Displacement Data”: Recognising the Value of Profiling IDP Situations – JIPS – Joint IDP Profiling Service

World Bank Report “Stocktaking of Global Forced Displacement Data”: Recognising the Value of Profiling IDP Situations

2.May.2017
By JIPS
Related Topics: Refugee & IDP statistics

Data collection and data quality present significant challenges for evidence-based responses to displacement. This is echoed in the recent World Bank report, Stocktaking of Global Forced Displacement Data (Feb 2017), which outlines the need for more and better data on forced displacement, and specifically acknowledges profiling as a method for overcoming this gap.

 

 

Improved data for development planning

The report reviews available data on forcibly displaced persons, including the group for which the evidence is least robust, IDPs. Data from UNHCR and IDMC form the backbone of the global analysis on IDP data and various challenges are outlined providing a good overview of the subject.

The World Bank attributes the inconsistency of displacement data to a variety of reasons, including a lack of consensus on definitions; limited official standards and guidance on how to collect data on IDPs; the difficulty of collecting primary data in conflict-affected areas; the difficulty to obtain figures on displacement flows and protracted situations; the potential for manipulation of data for political purposes; and the generally ad hoc nature of data collection and reporting practices.

The report highlights moreover that development actors especially lack the information needed for longer-term planning and interventions. This includes data on the socio-economic vulnerabilities and needs of both displaced and host communities, as well as returnees. Furthermore, it calls for assessments of interventions to address the development impacts of forced displacement.

 

Profiling proves effective

The following recommendations are given to improve forced displacement data under the following areas:

  • Implement more rigorous data collection methods and practices to broaden the coverage and improve the quality, reliability and comparability of data;
  • Fill data gaps that are relevant for development policy and planning, including data on socioeconomic welfare of displaced populations;
  • Leverage innovative tools and technologies, such as using big data and satellite imagery and pursuing open data initiatives.

In contrast to the existing gaps, the World Bank highlights the work of JIPS in supporting governments and operational organisations to design and implement data collection processes. The report underlines the value that profiling exercises bring to mitigating the dearth of data on IDPs, especially in developing countries, and welcomes the launch of the DART that increases accessibility to the data produced.

The report also welcomes the work being undertaken through the Expert Group on Refugee and IDP Statistics (EGRIS), endorsed by the UN Statistical Commission (UNSC) and led by UNHCRStatistics Norway and Eurostat, as part of which JIPS is currently leading a group of experts to develop a Technical Report on IDP Statistics and make recommendations for consideration at the UNSC in 2018.

Sign up to our newsletter

Email Format

JIPS – Joint IDP Profiling Service will use the information you provide on this form to send you email updates (usually once a month) about our activities.

You can change your mind at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer of any email you receive from us, or by contacting us at info@JIPS.org. We will treat your information with respect and will never share it with, or sell it to, others. By clicking 'SUBSCRIBE', you agree that we may process your information in accordance with these terms.

We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By clicking 'SUBSCRIBE' to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy practices here.

Get updates
Receive news about profiling practice and improving displacement data, right in your inbox.