Nepal in Data has been playing a key role in fostering an information-founded and information-driven society since 2017 by stimulating socio-economic changes through the creation, integration, development, distribution, usage, and analysis of information. Its primary vision is to build a society by expanding access to and availability of knowledge to all sections and communities. Its long-term vision is to explore and suggest a development model suitable to Nepali society grounded on democracy and humanism. Nepal in Data was formed at the behest of "विकास उद्यमी", (Eng. Development Entrepreneur) a non-profit organization endeavoring to provide timely solutions to the government on development initiatives and policies that matter to the well-being of its citizens. In recent years, it has made strides in presenting alternatives by building and advocating for innovative development concepts through discourse, educe, and communication; forming a forum for dialogue, discussion, and critical inquiry on government policies and functions through evidence.

Mr. Krishna Hari Baskota, former Secretary of the Ministry of Finance and former Chief Commissioner of the Information Commission, mentioned the role played by Nepal in Data in improving data accessibility in his article. Nepal in Data was inaugurated on January 27, 2017, by Dr. Swarnim Wagle, a former Member of the National Planning Commission. Students from the Institute of Engineering (IOE), Pulchowk, designed the system architecture of what was then "Nepal in Data". Since then, the technology company Smart Solutions has been contributing to its regular maintenance and upgradation.

The Emergence of Nepal in Data

The devastating earthquake that struck in the second week of Baisakh 2072 B.S. (April 2015) caused significant loss of lives and property. Millions of families faced direct adversities, and major sectors of the economy were adversely affected. The earthquake, followed by the pandemic, brought about significant changes in societal, economic, and cultural structures.

In the aftermath of these events, there was a growing realization that the situation needed to be addressed differently. Development needed to be redefined and reflected introspectively. Nepal in Data is the result of this very thinking of two colleagues turned co-founders from two different nations.

Hans Rosling, the founder of Gapminder a globally acclaimed company in the field of statistics, renowned for his statistical presentations, was one of the attendees. Representatives from the Gapminder Foundation in Sweden, Mr. Olav and Fernanda Drumond, presented on how to construct development perspectives grounded in factual data and dismantle barriers of misconceptions. This event highlighted numerous aspects concerning the significance and application of statistics in Nepal. It brought Nepal in Data into public discourse, significantly boosting the organization's confidence and leadership. Subsequently, the concept of formulating national development policies and strategies through entrepreneurship and evidence-driven approaches gained momentum. The campaign was launched in higher educational institutions to promote this idea, which began to yield positive results. In 2018, the organization made a notable contribution by digitizing agricultural statistics and handing them over to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development.

Nepal in Data firmly believes in working and supporting the government in its innovative approaches and initiatives. To this end, there are ongoing collaborations with the National Planning Commission, Central Bureau of Statistics, provincial governments, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, development partners, media, and others. Its involvement includes creating profiles of various provinces, publishing books on provincial statistics, and training provincial officials on the use of data and knowledge to better understand policy that improves the living conditions of its citizens.

During the first election after the establishment of the federal constitution, Nepal in Data played a critical role in the dissemination and communication of various information.

This role helped further refine data journalism within the media landscape. During that election Editor-in-Chief of My Republica, Subas Ghimire, took the initiative to communicate the election content. Additionally, various political individuals requested data to assist them, leading to increasing political interest in the evidence.

Phase-wise Planning and Current State

Nepal in Data's goal is to contribute to the development, prosperity, and self-reliance of the nation by innovating evidence-based development models. It aims to make citizens feel the impact of better development and expand individual social welfare. Similarly, it strives to the formation of human capital and form champions that truly envision the development and carry them forward. Evidence is essential for policy formulation and accurate projection of development outcomes. Nepal in Data is working tirelessly to collect scattered data and provide statistics from all sectors in one place. The time between the initiation of its work and the achievement of its goals has been divided into three phases.

First Phase

This stage is considered the initial phase of establishment. The important task during this period is to collect data scattered across various public offices throughout the country. Data collection, data entry, and management have been completed in the first phase.

Along with the development of competitive and adequate young human capital, there has been an increase in their professional commitment, competence, capacity, and skills. Various books on the use of quantitative and qualitative data have been written and published. A foundation has been laid for an environment where users can easily obtain all types of data from various sectors in one place through Nepal in Data. Access to information has become increasingly easy for a growing number of citizens. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Nepal in Data has established itself as the first data bank in Nepal operated by a not-for-profit company.

To accelerate development through entrepreneurship, a non-profit private organization called Development Entrepreneur (in Nepali Bikas Udhyami) was established in August 2016. The organization has committed to using the income generated from providing services to grow the research and knowledge in Nepal. Bikas Udhyami`s long-term vision is to create a society that values and believes in knowledge and evidence and strengthen democracy and humanism in Nepal.

Second Phase

The second phase focuses on research in economic and social sectors, suggesting the government on the best available policy solutions through a review of government development policies, management of available facts and evidence, and development discourse.  The objective of the second phase is to conduct thorough reviews of policies, publish various research-based articles using available data, and reach as many individuals as possible. Additionally, Nepal in Data aims to educe areas of intervention, and policy impact through various knowledge, schooling and training, and communication strategies. The first phase has served as the foundation for the second phase. The co-founders believe that the second phase will establish a strong basis for exploring various development models. The success of the third phase will certainly be determined by this foundation.

Final Phase

In the third phase, a roadmap will be defined to determine the level of development the country should achieve within the two decades after the execution of the second phase. For this purpose, the establishment of appropriate economic and social development models will be completed. Through the formation of knowledge groups, human capital formant, and utilization, Nepal in Data will facilitate the government to come closer to its citizens through recommendations and suggestions to determine a path of development that maximizes individual social welfare. To broaden the knowledge base of professionals and academia, a knowledge center will be established offering training, promoting alternative thinking, and innovating public pedagogy to form a rational society. An appropriate environment will be created to transfer the experience and knowledge from one generation to the next.

 

Challenging Period of COVID-19

The lockdown enforced by the government to control the outbreak brought the country to a standstill, halting all activities except essential services, including transportation. Nepal in Data couldn’t remain unscathed from this global challenge. It became difficult to work after the government imposed strict travel restrictions. The office was relocated from Patan Dhoka, Lalitpur, to Baluwatar, Kathmandu. A work-from-home policy was adopted for the convenience of employees. Citing the pandemic as a reason, many organizations downsized their staff, but Nepal in Data was cautious. As economic activities were halted, the country's overall economy further deteriorated, raising concerns about managing resources to keep the organization running. Fortunately, even during the pandemic, Nepal in Data had the opportunity to conduct various awareness programs and played a significant role in keeping citizens well-informed about the pandemic. This helped the organization get through the pandemic and learn important lessons on resilience and being resourceful during difficult situations. Nepal in Data continues on its mission towards the development of Nepal.

Explore DevNotes

View More

Explore Nepal History

View More

Explore Datasets

View More