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61. Inside the Engine Room: Enabling the Delivery of UN Mandates in Complex Environments

Author:
Marc Jacquand
Publication Date:
07-2019
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
International Peace Institute (IPI)
Abstract:
Particularly in the complex environments where it increasingly deploys, the UN depends on a range of functions to implement its mandate. These include but are not limited to provision of security, facilitation of access, medical support, support to staff welfare, logistics, coordination, and risk management. Compared to substantive tasks implemented as part of mandates, these enabling functions, or enablers, have received less scrutiny. As a result, enablers—and their financial costs—are often unknown or misunderstood by member states, donors, and even UN staff. This paper explores these enablers by explaining what they are, why they are needed, how much they cost, and how they are—or should be—funded. It then investigates the challenges the UN needs to tackle to put enablers on a path to sustainable funding, including: Reporting and consolidating data: While data is not the end point, it is a necessary starting point for the UN to engage in dialogue with those who use enablers and those who pay for them. Dedicating the necessary capacity: More spending on enablers is required now if lives and resources are to be saved later. Managing trade-offs: The UN needs to set and articulate clear priorities to guide the difficult trade-offs between different enablers and their associated risks. Integrating operations into planning: Operational planning is critical to avoid retroactive, ad hoc arrangements, especially during mission transitions. Communicating the importance of enablers: Effective communication on the need for enablers is necessary to convince member states and donors to fund them. Ultimately, there must be greater coherence between those who define UN mandates, those who fund them, and those who implement them.
Topic:
United Nations, Capacity, Data, and Operational Planning
Political Geography:
Global Focus

62. Data Is a Development Issue

Author:
Susan Ariel Aaronson
Publication Date:
07-2019
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI)
Abstract:
Many wealthy states are transitioning to a new economy built on data. Individuals and firms in these states have expertise in using data to create new goods and services as well as in how to use data to solve complex problems. Other states may be rich in data but do not yet see their citizens’ personal data or their public data as an asset. Most states are learning how to govern and maintain trust in the data-driven economy; however, many developing countries are not well positioned to govern data in a way that encourages development. Meanwhile, some 76 countries are developing rules and exceptions to the rules governing cross-border data flows as part of new negotiations on e-commerce. This paper uses a wide range of metrics to show that most developing and middle-income countries are not ready or able to provide an environment where their citizens’ personal data is protected and where public data is open and readily accessible. Not surprisingly, greater wealth is associated with better scores on all the metrics. Yet, many industrialized countries are also struggling to govern the many different types and uses of data. The paper argues that data governance will be essential to development, and that donor nations have a responsibility to work with developing countries to improve their data governance.
Topic:
Development, Economics, Governance, and Data
Political Geography:
Global Focus

63. An Eclectic Methodological Approach in Analyzing Foreign Policy: Turkey’s Foreign Policy Roles and Events Dataset (TFPRED)

Author:
Ismail Erkam Sula
Publication Date:
07-2019
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
All Azimuth: A Journal of Foreign Policy and Peace
Institution:
Center for Foreign Policy and Peace Research
Abstract:
This article describes the steps in developing an eclectic coding scheme that utilizes the Role theory framework. Role theory proposes that foreign policy is conducted with an attempt to fulfill the role conceptions that decision-makers formulate. Studies utilizing this framework usually identify national role conceptions (NRCs) in the foreign policy speeches of decision-makers with various research techniques. Following the literature, this article first explains how to use content analysis in identifying the most frequently referred NRCs in Turkish Foreign Policy (TFP). Then, unlike the literature, it takes a step further and offers event data analysis to look at the performance of these NRCs as well. With such an approach, it develops the Turkish Foreign Policy Roles and Events Dataset (TFPRED). The TFPRED is a dataset that is the product of a combination of ‘hand-coded content analysis’ with ‘computer-assisted event data analysis’. The article presents a detailed explanation of the steps in using content analysis and event data analysis to build the TFPRED. It also explains the development of the eclectic methodological approach and gives an assessment of the author’s experiences in combining the two methods.
Topic:
Foreign Policy, Research, Data, Content Analysis, and Social Science
Political Geography:
Global Focus

64. Large-N Analysis in the Study of Conflict

Author:
Belgin San-Akca
Publication Date:
07-2019
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
All Azimuth: A Journal of Foreign Policy and Peace
Institution:
Center for Foreign Policy and Peace Research
Abstract:
In this paper, I examine the generation and use of large-N datasets and issues related to operationalization and measurement in the quantitative study of inter-state and intra-state conflict. Specifically, I critically evaluate the work on transnational dimensions of internal conflict and talk about my own journey related to my research on interactions between states and nonstate armed groups. I address the gaps in existing research, the use of proxy measures in large-N data analysis, and talk in detail about observational data collection and coding. I argue that future research should bridge the gap between studies of conflict across the fields of Comparative Politics and International Relations. I make suggestions laying the standards of academic scholarship in collecting data and increasing transparency in research.
Topic:
International Relations, Civil War, War, Research, Conflict, and Data
Political Geography:
Global Focus

65. Mile End Institute: Data Rights - Subjects or Citizens?

Publication Date:
11-2019
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
This event explored how the exponential accumulation of data from every day online and offline activities raises tensions about who has the right to produce and own such data.
Topic:
Data, Digitalization, and Economic Rights
Political Geography:
Global Focus

66. Going Digital: Improving Data Quality with Digital Data Collection

Author:
Simone Lombardini, Alexia Pretari, and Emily Tomkys Valteri
Publication Date:
07-2018
Content Type:
Case Study
Institution:
Oxfam Publishing
Abstract:
Three years on from the Going Digital: Using digital technology to conduct Oxfam’s Effectiveness Reviews pilots, where we shared learning on the added value of using digital technology to conduct our impact evaluations, Oxfam continues to develop its survey techniques through the use of technology. The second paper in this series, Going Digital: Using and sharing real-time data during fieldwork, demonstrated how Oxfam was sharing real-time data during fieldwork to increase engagement and participation in surveyed communities, as well as improving integration between qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques. In this third paper, we present some of the features enabled by digital data collection technology that we have been piloted and used to improve quality and accuracy of data. It also explores ways in which the ethics of respecting privacy can be improved in survey data collection.
Topic:
Science and Technology, Privacy, Data, and Digitization
Political Geography:
Global Focus

67. Undocking and Collision: The Recent Paths of the Semi-periphery in the World-System

Author:
Maira Bae Baladao Vieira
Publication Date:
06-2018
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
AUSTRAL: Brazilian Journal of Strategy International Relations
Institution:
Postgraduate Program in International Strategic Studies, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul
Abstract:
Open Journal Systems Journal Help User Username Password Remember me Notifications View Subscribe Language Select Language Language English Português (Brasil) Journal Content Search Search Scope Browse By Issue By Author By Title Other Journals Font Size Article Tools Print this article Indexing metadata How to cite item Email this article (Login required) Email the author (Login required) About The Author Maíra Baé Baladão Vieira IFRS - Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Rio Grande do Sul Brazil Professora do Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Rio Grande do Sul. HOMEABOUTLOGINREGISTERSEARCHCURRENTARCHIVESANNOUNCEMENTS Home > Vol 7, No 13 (2018) > Vieira UNDOCKING AND COLLISION: THE RECENT PATHS OF THE SEMIPERIPHERY IN THE WORLD-SYSTEM Maíra Baé Baladão Vieira Abstract The concept of semiperiphery is considered by many authors as the most important contribution of Immanuel Wallerstein’s work. Since its definition in the 1970s, strenuous attempts have been made to define a geographical dimension. This article seeks to retake the relevance of the semiperiphery to the understanding of contemporary international circumstances. Its operation allows global data to be aggregated, offering a factual and updated cut of the most diverse economic and political facets that make up the World-System. To define which countries make up the semiperiphery in the present time, one of the attempts is replicated and an update of the listing is presented. In the end, some examples of instrumentation of the concept are presented, based on selected indicators.
Topic:
Geopolitics and Data
Political Geography:
Global Focus

68. World table: Monitoring arms control and disarmament agreements 2018

Author:
The Geneva Centre for Security Policy
Publication Date:
03-2018
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
The Geneva Centre for Security Policy
Abstract:
GCSP's Senior Programme Advisor and Arms Proliferation Cluster Leader, Marc Finaud, together with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Parliamentarians for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament and the University of London (SOAS), are working on a joint project that aims to provide parliamentarians from around the world with documents and material about arms control and disarmament agreements to help them monitor the actions of their governments.
Topic:
Arms Control and Proliferation, Treaties and Agreements, Disarmament, and Data
Political Geography:
Global Focus

69. Reducing Sexual Abuse and Exploitation in UN Peacekeeping Missions: Reforming Data Collection to Inform Action

Author:
Anjali Dayal and Sophie Huvé
Publication Date:
12-2018
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security (GIWPS)
Abstract:
Sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) by United Nations (UN) peacekeepers is a critical issue. The UN has had a zero-tolerance policy in place since 2003 and has made data on SEA allegations in peace operations publicly available since 2007. This data reveals that peacekeeping missions with civilian protection mandates account for over 95 percent of reported allegations, while missions without such mandates account for under 5 percent. However, gaps and inconsistencies in data collection, reporting, and interpretation make it difficult to draw conclusions from the data alone. We need substantial context and case-specific knowledge to fully interpret the reported numbers. This policy brief makes recommendations to the UN on how to improve data collection and clarify reporting mechanisms, and calls for extensive external investigation to explain the variation in reported cases of SEA.
Topic:
United Nations, Peacekeeping, Reform, Sexual Violence, Data, and Exploitation
Political Geography:
Global Focus

70. A Method for Agent-Based Models Validation

Author:
Mattia Guerini and Alessio Moneta
Publication Date:
03-2016
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET)
Abstract:
This paper proposes a new method to empirically validate simulation models that generate artificial time series data comparable with real-world data. The approach is based on comparing structures of vector autoregression models that are estimated from both artificial and real-world data by means of causal search algorithms. This relatively simple procedure is able to tackle both the problem of confronting theoretical simulation models with the data and the problem of comparing different models in terms of their empirical reliability. The paper also provides an application of the validation procedure to the Dosi et al. (2015) macro-model.
Topic:
Economics, Economic Theory, Data, and Models
Political Geography:
Global Focus