Across Europe and Central Asia, citizens’ demand for more government accountability and transparency is growing, along with citizen-driven initiatives. To harness the full potential of data, we combine traditional data sources, such as household surveys, with non-traditional ones, to form a granular picture of development challenges, gain a more accurate understanding and address them in an effective way. By using digital data, generated by sensors, web content, GPS devices, social media and mobile phones, we aim to unlock economic and social value to identify uncommon practices, which may have been overlooked by traditional approaches.

Some of our flagship initiatives include:

• Ministry of Data: Open innovation challenges  in the region aiming to create data-driven tools and crowdsource solutions for socio-economic challenges such as air pollution and mobility in cities. 
• Open Data in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ODECA): Covering 18 countries in the region, ODECA aims to stimulate innovation, knowledge management support and learning about open data regionally and globally, while supporting government representatives, civil society activists, tech activists and citizens that care about and work with open data.
  
• Measuring the Unmeasured: Testing unconventional data-measuring approaches to monitor and evaluate SDG Tier 3 indicators to leverage big data for sustainable development in the region and beyond (including Arab States and Africa region).

We also work with various partners to.support UNDP offices in using data in their projects.

• ESA Earth Observation Clinic: A rapid-response mechanism for small-scale and exploratory uses of satellite EO information in support of a wide range of projects and activities specific to International Development from urban mobility in Moldova, Deforestation trends in Armenia, to Waste mapping on river basin in Serbia.