Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Special Edition
May 2017
Big Data
2
CV MENA
In-a-Nutshell
Connecting Voices (CV) Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is a
regional initiative and partnership that promotes governance and
improved financial management practices in the public and private
sectors. The ultimate aim is to support the demands of citizens
throughout the Arab World for jobs, better governance, a voice in
public affairs, and social and economic inclusion as reflected in the
World Banks MENA Regional strategy. CV MENA plans to seize on
the windows of opportunity available in the region. It will support
capacity building in the area of governance, facilitate the
development of a professional community, as well as the sharing and
transfer of knowledge both within countries and within the region as
a whole. CV MENA will help foster greater transparency and
accountability, thereby engendering enhanced public trust. In
addition, building public and private sector governance and financial CVMENA won the World Banks 2013 MENA
management capacity will also help attract and provide comfort to Vice President Team Award
much-needed foreign direct investment in the region.
Note: The posts in the Connecting Voices magazine should not be reported as representing the views of The World Bank Group, the Executive Directors of the
World Bank Group or the governments they represent. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the The World
Bank or its policy.
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Content
BIG PICTURE Events
04 Editorial
Renaud Seligmann, 26 2017 World Government Summit
MENA Region, World Bank
16 The Role of Big Data
in Assessing Crises Big Data in Action Workshop
in the Middle East and
North Africa Region
Public Financial 17 GAZA - 18 SYRIA - 19 YEMEN
Management (PFM)
05 Interview
Rachel Tiffen
Chartered Institute of Public
Finance & Accountancy, CIPFA UK
28 World Governmnet Summit
High Level Panel Government of the
Future The Promise of Big Data
20 Big Data Solutions Applications for Governments
Understanding Forced
Migration as a Result of
Fragility, Conflict and Violence
21 Is Inequality
Underestimated in Egypt
Evidence from House Prices
Corporate Governance
& Financial Reporting (CGFR)
34 Comic Relief
4
Editors Note
Renaud Seligmann (CV) MENA will focus on the role and value of technology, data and
information in the form of big data. Big data, or the analysis of large
Governance Practice Manager, data sets to gain a greater understanding of an issue or challenge,
MENA Region, World Bank has only recently been made possible due to the technological
advances in data processing and analysis. Big data offers both the
public and private sectors the potential to review and analyze large
Technology is changing the way the world works, and is shaping the volumes of data and assess risks, provide broad inputs into decision-
way governments and the private sector approach, analyze, and making, and highlight any emerging trends or patterns relevant to
address international economic development challenges. As noted solving the challenges at hand.
by World Bank Group President, Jim Yong Kim, during his opening
press conference to the World Bank Group - International Monetary Among other subjects, this edition of CV MENA Magazine will
Fund 2017 Spring Meetings: explore how big data has been successfully employed to combat
fraud, counter anticompetitive behavior and design solutions to
The internet, smart phones, and social media allow everyone to see common challenges in the developing world. Through the following
exactly how everyone else lives, which is causing aspirations to rise series of articles, we cover issues surrounding big data as it is applied
all over the world. . . [I]n the midst of these crises and with rising to various fields including procurement, auditing, and
aspirations, we must change the way we work in development transportation. We also take an in-depth look at the World
finance. We have to find new and innovative ways to reach the poor Government Summit (WGS) events, which took place in Dubai,
and make the world more secure and stable and to help the world United Arab Emirates this past February. The WGS and its emphasis
grow. on technology and innovation showcased how governments can
utilize emerging opportunities, such as big data, to solve their
Poor service delivery, an inability to meet the needs of citizenry, and national challenges. During the WGS sessions, panelists offered
corrupt activities have weakened the common view of public insights and lessons learned for countries as they seek to integrate
institutions. Technology and its ability to provide information and innovative thinking and smart solutions into tackling existing and
insight has come of age at roughly the same time as public trust in emerging problems.
traditional institutions has diminished. Therefore, technological
development, data analytics and information dissemination offer a We thank you for your readership and invite you to join us in
unique opportunity for governments and society to leverage exploring the subject of big data through this special edition of CV
technology to rewrite the social contract, offer greater transparency MENA Magazine.
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Public Financial
Management
Interview
Rachael Tiffen,
Head of Counter Fraud Centre, Chartered Institute of Public
Finance & Accountancy (CIPFA), United Kingdom
career toward the central government level, accepted the position of Manager of
which eventually led to my current position Counter Fraud & Loss Prevention Service at
as Head of the CIPFA Counter Fraud Centre. the UK Ministry of Defense.
Corporate Governance
& Financial Reporting
Cover Story
Big Data
The Global Facility for Disaster Reduction the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) aid programs. It involves examining large
and Recovery (GFDRR) is a global region and elsewhere. Three in particular databases from various viewpoints in order
partnership that helps developing countries concern the use of big data and other to gain insight and knowledge into patterns,
better understand and reduce their innovative data methods such as social trends, associations and relationships on a
vulnerability to natural hazards and climate media analytics, satellite imagery, and data given topic.
change. GFDRR is a grant-funding mining to assess the damage due to
mechanism, managed by the World Bank, recent/ongoing conflicts in Gaza, Syria and It can also be used for the purposes of
that supports disaster risk management Yemen. forecasting future developments. Satellite
projects worldwide. Working on the ground imagery can be used to: assess and measure
with over 400 local, national, regional, and Innovative Data Gathering Methods poverty and economic development levels
international partners, GFDRR provides in remote geographic areas; monitor water
knowledge, funding, and technical Social media analytics involves the resources and agricultural output; monitor
assistance. gathering of data and insights from social deforestation; and inform damage
media websites, blogs and the like. It can assessments in conflict-affected countries.
Specifically, GFDRR provides analytical provide textual context, mobile and location Since 2008, the World Bank and the
work, technical assistance, and capacity data, and search engine data. European Space Agency have worked
building to help vulnerable nations improve together to harness the benefits of earth
resilience and reduce risk. GFDRR has Data mining is increasingly being used in observation for development.
produced a number of Crisis Assessments in international economic development and
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Crisis Assessment: GAZA
Context
In the aftermath of the 2014 Gaza War, a
number of rapid assessments were
conducted to assess the situation following
the ceasefire announced on August 26,
2014. These included Palestinian Authority-
led sectoral assessments, the Multi-Cluster
Initial Rapid Assessment (MIRA) and a rapid
physical damage assessment carried out
using before-and-after satellite imagery.
A report by Unfortunately, there is often a severe lack (1) forced migration flows and dynamics,
World Bank and Deloitte of high-quality data in fragile and vulnerable (2) the local and global effects of violent
areas. Promisingly, the rise of big data is conflict situations,
This Knowledge Note uses a case approach providing innovative data flows that can be (3) the environmental stressors behind
to illustrate the potential of big data in used to greatly improve situational forced migration, and
understanding the dynamics of forced awareness and understanding of forced (4) the political, social, and economic
migration as a result of fragility, conflict and displacement. dimensions of forced migration.
violence around the world.
This big data primer
Measuring the magnitude and evaluates six example cases
understanding the drivers of which demonstrate the
forced migration where potential of big data in
fragility, conflict and violence forced migration as a result
compel vulnerable populations of fragility, conflict and
to migrate are key violence. From the
components in formulating harnessing of satellite
effective crisis responses. In imagery and crowdsourced
lower- and middle-income analysis to assessing food
countries, this information insecurity in South Sudan,
informs evidence-based to the mining of social
decision-making that empowers media posts and videos to
policymakers to both plan for gain insight into the militant
forced migration flows by groups of the Syrian Civil
mobilizing resources and War, there is potential for
response efforts efficiently, as big data to improve the
well as identify, investigate, and design and implementation
potentially remedy the root of development operations.
causes of their displacement.
While these cases
For crisis responders to be more demonstrate examples of
effective, high-quality data must its application to forced
be made available to help migration, big datas
policymakers understand the scalability for intervention
drivers and implications of efforts can still be
forced migration. Good data are challenging. Datasets
essential for identifying areas of essential to this type of
need and opportunity for operationalization may
refugees and internally displaced often spark individual
persons (IDPs), relief, privacy concerns or be
infrastructure, resilience- proprietary to governments
building initiatives, and or companies. Furthermore,
movement toward conflict development institutions
resolution. Good data are may often need to establish
indispensable to benchmarking partnerships with private
initial conditions and monitoring sector data science
the effectiveness of humanitarian and Big data from an array of sources such as expertise and technological tools to derive
development interventions. Consequently, a satellite remote sensing, mobile phones, meaningful insights from big data.
data-based intervention agenda that social and online data, ground sensors,
focuses on gathering high-quality data on video cameras, and crowdsourced data Leveraging big data is a promising tool
forced migration flows and connecting it to are at the forefront of innovations to toward building better understanding of the
relevant policy areas (for example, harness insights that were previously core drivers of forced displacement, as well
humanitarian aid, disaster relief, food inaccessible. These approaches are being as in formulating more effective actions.
security) provides a stronger foundation for used by policymakers to formulate more The main challenge now is to make use of
designing relief efforts to help those effective mitigation, adaptation and these new data sources in ways that
affected. response efforts through a better maximize development impact.
understanding of:
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Is Inequality Underestimated in Egypt?
Evidence from House Prices
Roy van der Weide example, the World Top Incomes Database
(Alvaredo and others 2015) includes no
evidence that inequality in Egypt is being
underestimated. The household survey data
Christoph Lakner countries from the Middle East and North are used for the bottom part of the
Africa region. Furthermore, data derived distribution and are combined with another
Elena Ianchovichina from tax records are less useful in places data source that provides a better coverage
World Bank where tax evasion is more pervasive, as is of the top tail. This method permits a much
the case in many developing countries. larger set of data for the top tail; the only
All authors are from the World Bank. Contact
information: rvanderweide@worldbank.org, requirements are that the data:
clakner@worldbank.org and In the absence of data from tax records, this (i) contain a good predictor of household
eianchovichina@worldbank.org. This is a background study explores the feasibility of using data income, and
paper for the report entitled Inequality, Uprisings, and
Conflict in the Arab World led by the World Banks Chief
regarding housing prices to estimate the top (ii) provide a good coverage of the top tail.
Economist Office for the Middle East and North Africa tail of the income distribution. Market
region. house price data can often be obtained Thus, the Gini index for urban Egypt is found
more easily and, most importantly, it tends to increase from 36 to 47 after correcting
World Bank Policy to be available in the public domain. This is for the missing top tail. A natural next step
Research Working Paper #7727 in contrast to tax administration data, which would be to use data on house prices to
are subject to important condentiality estimate the top tail of the wealth
This study examines the importance of concerns and require cooperation from distribution, and extend the analysis to
using multiple sources of big data to governments. other countries.
estimate income inequality. Household
income surveys often fail to capture top An empirical application to Egypt provides a
incomes, which leads to an underestimation good testing ground for the inclusion of References
of income inequality. housing price data. In addition to being a Alvaredo, Facundo, Anthony B. Atkinson, Thomas
major Arab country, inequality in Egypt is of Piketty, and Emmanuel Saez. 2015. The World Top
For the estimation of income inequality, considerable interest not least because it Incomes Database.
having good data regarding top incomes is http://topincomes.gmond.parisschoolofeconomics.eu/.
has been cited as one of the factors behind
crucial. A popular solution is to combine the the Egyptian revolution (Hlasny and Verme Hlasny, Vladimir and Paolo Verme. 2013. Top Incomes
household survey with data from income 2013). Estimates of inequality based on and the Measurement of Inequality in Egypt. Policy
tax records, which has been found to result household surveys suggest that inequality is Research Working Paper Series 6557. World Bank,
Washington, DC.
in significant upward corrections of declining and low in Egypt, as well as by
inequality estimates. international standards. For the full Working Paper, see:
https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/2
Unfortunately, the availability of the income 4645
Using publicly available data from real
tax data is rather limited, particularly in estate listings to estimate the top tail of the
developing and emerging economies. For income distribution, there is strong
22
Utilizing Big Data to Solve
Cairos Traffic Congestion
Most Congested City in Middle East causes, associated economic costs, and are accessible within a given time frame,
and North Africa (MENA) potential solutions. using only the transit network (see Map 1).
The Greater Cairo Metropolitan Area Utilizing Big Data to Analyze and In order to calculate the accessibility effects
Improve the GCMAs Bus System of the corridors, the team used the digital
(GCMA), with more than 19 million
map of all transit routes to find the bus and
inhabitants, is host to more than one-fifth
microbus routes that currently use the
of Egypts population. It is the largest urban The World Bank-supported study in part, to
corridors (306 routes). They then estimated
area in Egypt, Africa and the Middle East address traffic congestion, including
the changes that would arise from an
and among the most populous metropolises improvements to the citys bus system,
increase in speeds (and operations) in these
of the world. The GCMA is also an important making it easier for residents especially
routes. The analysis demonstrates that with
contributor to the Egyptian economy in the poor to better access jobs, health,
improved bus operations, the corridors
terms of gross domestic product (GDP) and education and other services.
could increase the number of jobs available
jobs. The population of the GCMA is
within 60 minutes of total commuting time
expected to further increase to 24 million
by as much as 20 percent. Once the corridor
by 2027, and correspondingly its
improvements are finalized and operations
importance to the economy will also
between routes have been coordinated,
increase.
1.24 million jobs may be accessible in the
same amount of time in the best-case
scenario; further evidencing a potential
projects to help disadvantaged groups
access more formal income-generating
opportunities within the same travel time.
Current Network
With Corridor Improvements
(in % terms)
(in % terms)
People Poor People People Poor People
Current Operations 7.99% 7.77% 16.40% 15.23%
With Operational Improvements 12.10% 11.56% 30.26% 27.73%
Map 1: Number of Jobs that can be accessed within 60 minutes of Travel Time (from candidate corridors)
Map 3: Increase in Number of People that can reach Health and Education Facilities within 60-Minutes Travel Time (after the
implementation of project with operational improvements)
Source: Author calculations; Population: WorldPop; Points of Interest (POI): OpenStreetMap (OSM).
25
Big Data
Putting Big Data Innovation
into Action at the World Bank
i
A United Nations publication figure). For example, a pilot to
speaks of a data revolution that use satellite remote sensing to
is underway in the field of predict crop yield was
economic development one discovered through a practice-
that is driving waves of data- level challenge. The program
driven innovation and awarded funding and technical
experimentation. At the World assistance to support field
Bank, too, there has been a studies to validate and
marked increase in the use of calibrate the approach in
data from satellites, ground Uganda.
sensors, social media and mobile
phones to capture development The program also helped to
trends and provide insights. feature the approach in
knowledge exchange events by
The pace of the data revolution sharing the early results and
creates challenges for any large building coalitions around the
organization. These new solutions. Once the solution is
applications require testing and validated, the program works
validation to ensure the to productize the knowledge
solutions are robust. For that is capturing the data
instance, socio-economic arrangements, algorithms,
insights derived from mobile good practice, and learning
resources to help World Bank practices and
phone data may be prone to biases that materials into knowledge and code
teams incubate and scale big data solutions
must be rigorously understood and 1 repositories so others can easily
for development effectiveness . To date,
corrected. Big data also presents significant understand, reuse and adapt the solution.
the programs data scientists have
practical challenges and requires the
supported over thirty operational pilots,
upgrading of skills and technologies to The big data revolution is a stimulus for
including those profiled in Big Data
access, manage and analyze the data. In organizations such as the World Bank to
Innovation Pioneering Approaches to Data-
short, operationalizing a capability in big 2 upgrade development solutions into our
Driven Development . The program also
data is a process of learning by doing one increasingly connected and data-filled
works through broad engagements with the
that involves data scientists, economists, world. The big data program has learned
World Bank Global Practices. It combines
and sector specialists working together to that big data is a team sport. Putting big
several activities, including pilots,
approach solutions and challenges in an data solutions into practice requires
workshops, events and other knowledge
interactive manner. collaboration and persistence between data
initiatives to accelerate broad-based action
scientists, technologists and sector
to operationalize big data capabilities in the
In response to the challenges of the big data specialists in a process of learning by doing.
various Global Practice areas.
revolution, the World Bank launched
Innovations in Big Data Analytics in 2014. Footnotes
Taking a big data solution from idea to scale 1
http://www.undatarevolution.org/report/
The program delivers data science 2
https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/21325
can be understood as a process of 3
expertise, knowledge services, and technical https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/25102
Discovery, Incubation, and Scale (see
Discover research opportunities to Pilots are done in operational settings to Integration into institutional processes,
accelerate solutions test and validate methods. country systems and public goods.
through competitions, Productize and curate data, algorithms,
workshops, and events. knowledge, learning,
and cases for ease of reuse.
Knowledge Exchange includes workshops,
conferences and knowledge activities
to position for scale.
26
Events
The 2017 World Government Summit had as The World Banks Governance Practice
Technology and globalization are sources its theme: Shaping Future Governments. partnered with the Big Data Program in
of disruption and creation... The World Government Summit is the Global Operations Knowledge Management
But the transition from technological largest global platform dedicated to and SecondMuse to deliver a Big Data in
promise to the solution of public sector exploring the future of governments driven Action workshop and high-level panel. Both
problems is not going to happen by technological advances and evolving activities explored the opportunity to use
automatically. citizen expectations. As such, it showcases big data applications in government service
It will require effort on the part of future trends in government services, delivery, policymaking, and citizen
governments to better articulate what leadership, and innovation. The summit engagement.
problems technology could help them solve, brings together over 3,000 world leaders,
an enabling policy environment for policymakers, academics, and key The workshop gathered 25 big data experts
technological solutions, better public-private representatives from international from the public and private sectors to
partnerships and, lastly, a mindset and organizations from over 130 countries. It advance thinking on these areas. The
cultural shifts to form the right attitudes for creates an exciting opportunity to exchange workshop included:
change. information about innovations and
experiences, and builds strong networks of Seven lighting talks featuring case stories
Renaud Seligmann collaboration. The World Government of big data in government.
Governance Practice Manager, Middle East Summit is organized in partnership with key
and North Africa, World Bank Group international organizations including the An exercise to identify high priority areas
United Nations, the World Bank, the for applications of big data within service
International Monetary Fund (IMF), the delivery, policy-making, and citizen
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and engagement.
Development (OECD), the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Team-based exercises to design practical
Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations big data prototypes in areas such as public
Foundation, and the World Economic health, transport, government integrity/
Forum. accountability and jobs.
Cross-Cutting
Public Procurement kinds of firm information, such as financial strategies that brought about significant
disclosures and political affiliations, to savings in the public procurement process.
determine patterns or correlations. These in
Public procurement is the process through
turn could lead to an awareness of how Big Data in MENA
which the public sector purchases goods,
public funds are spent and potentially
services, or works from the private sector. It
drive policy reforms.
is a key economic activity of governments, The Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
totaling approximately US$9.5 trillion region has not yet fully embraced the use of
The State of Amazonas in Brazil is one
annually. As such, it is vulnerable to big data in either the public or private
example of how the public sector is using
corruption. In this regard, it is estimated sector. However, given the positive
big data to improve performance in
that 20-25 percent of procurement funding outcomes from the State of Amazonas in
procurement. Data from more than 150,000
is lost to corruption in developing countries. Brazil, governments in MENA and elsewhere
contracts and 450,000 payment processes
Big data has the potential to be should be encouraged to use big data to
were analyzed and showed that the
transformational in public procurement improve their public procurement systems.
government was able to save a statistically
because it could bring to light fraud or Indeed, public procurement is a key
significant amount of money in bidding
corruption in the procurement process. economic activity for the MENA region
processes with six or more bidders, as
Alternatively, it could be used to improve estimated at 15-20 percent of gross
compared to processes with fewer than six
performance and service delivery and domestic product (GDP). This makes it
bidders. The analysis of the data also
drive down the costs of goods that vulnerable to corruption. Governments in
indicated that in certain sectors
governments purchase. For example, an the MENA region, including Egypt, Jordan,
procurement took longer, and that certain
analysis could be conducted on data used in Morocco and Tunisia, are making efforts to
factors were leading to many small
government bidding processes, such as improve their public procurement systems.
purchases. This resulted in the adoption of
which firms bid and which firms win In this regard, the World Banks MENA
contracts. Big data can also include other procurement team is also working to
31
improve transparency and accountability in well-governed public procurement systems. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
(OECD). 2016a. Strengthening Governance and
public procurement, including support for It needs to be part of a holistic, Competitiveness in the MENA Region for Stronger and
public procurement reforms, modernization comprehensive approach to improving More Inclusive Growth. See:
http://www.oecd.org/publications/strengthening-
of public procurement frameworks, and public administration. This includes: governance-and-competitiveness-in-the-mena-region-for-
building capacity of procurement among modernizing legal frameworks; stronger-and-more-inclusive-growth-9789264265677-
en.htm
civil servants. implementing e-procurement; adopting ______. 2016b. Stocktaking Report on MENA Public
open data standards; and involving citizens Procurement Systems. See:
https://www.oecd.org/governance/ethics/Stocktaking_ME
Major milestones have been achieved. For in the public procurement process. Thus, big NA_Public_Procurement_Systems.pdf
example, in Morocco, public procurement data in public procurement remains a ______. 2010. Private Sector Development in the Middle
East and North Africa. United Nations Development
decrees that incorporate international best relatively new phenomenon, and has the Programme (UNDP). 2016. Data-Driven Innovation:
practices have been enacted. Despite a potential to have a transformational role in Middle East and North Africa. See:
http://www.eg.undp.org/content/egypt/en/home/pressce
general improvement in public procurement improving procurement performance and nter/events/2016/february/big-data.html
systems across the MENA region, though, service delivery. United Nations Global Pulse. 2014. Mining Indonesian
Tweets to Understand Food Price Crises. See:
there remain a series of challenges many http://www.unglobalpulse.org/sites/default/files/Global-
References
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Pulse-Mining-Indonesian-Tweets-Food-Price-
Crises%20copy.pdf
According to a 2013 Organisation for Procurement. See: ______.2012. Big Data for Development: Challenges and
http://www.publicprocurementpodcast.eu/new-blog-
Economic Co-operation and Development avenue/2015/9/16/7-mihaly-fazekas
Opportunities. See:
http://www.unglobalpulse.org/sites/default/files/BigDataf
(OECD) survey of MENA governments, areas IBM. Bringing big data to the Enterprise. See: orDevelopment-UNGlobalPulseJune2012.pdf
https://www-01.ibm.com/software/au/data/bigdata/
that continue to require improvement International Anti-Corruption Conference. 2016. Using
World Bank. 2016. Making Procurement Smarter: Lessons
from the Amazon. See:
include: transparency in procurement; Data and Transparency to Change the Game in Public http://blogs.worldbank.org/governance/making-
Procurement: New Initiatives from Local and Global
preventing and detecting irregularities and Players. See: https://17iacc.sched.com/event/8SC5/using-
procurement-smarter-lessons-amazon
_______.2013. Financing for Development Post-2015.
corruption in procurement; strengthening data-and-transparency-to-change-the-game-in-public- See:
procurement-new-iniatives-from-local-and-global-players
accountability; and improving the McKinsey Global Institute. 2011. Big Data: The Next
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documen
ts/2059fincaning.pdf
professionalization of the public Frontier for Innovation, Competition and Productivity. World Bank Group. 2014. Big Data in Action for
procurement function. See: http://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/digital- Development. See:
mckinsey/our-insights/big-data-the-next-frontier-for- http://live.worldbank.org/sites/default/files/Big%20Data%
innovation 20for%20Development%20Report_final%20version.pdf
Big data alone will not necessarily bring The National. 2015. Big data can play an immeasurable
World Economic Forum. 2012. Big Data, Big Impact: New
role in helping Middle East firms to compete globally.
about the transparency and accountability http://www.thenational.ae/business/economy/big-data- Possibilities for International Development. See:
http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_TC_MFS_BigDataBi
that is needed to create well-functioning, can-play-an-immeasurable-role-in-helping-middle-east-
gImpact_Briefing_2012.pdf
firms-to-compete-globally
Georgiana Pop
Senior Economist, World Bank
Andrew Michael Whitby
Data Scientist, World Bank
Introduction
Big data can sound remote and lacking in human dimension. There may be few obvious links to development and
impact on the lives of the poor. Concepts such as anti-poverty targeting, market access or rural electrification seem
far more relevant and easier to grasp. Yet, some of todays most groundbreaking initiatives in these areas rely on
big data. This publication profiles these and more, showing how data on an unprecedented scale has the potential to
improve lives in unprecedented ways. The featured case stories illustrate the diverse range of big data applications in
development. For the World Bank, with its twin goals of ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity, big
data is big news and this is just the beginning. The Big Data program brings together data scientists, social scientists
and sector specialists in a work program with two main objectives: (i) to accelerate organizational capabilities in big
data analytics for use in research and operations and to help the World Bank Group better work toward ending
extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity; and (2) to position the World Bank Group as a leader in the use of
big data solutions in development. The program aims to scale early pilots into projects that solve significant
development challenges, and to establish best practices for using big data analytics to steer evidence-driven
development. Launched in September 2014, the Big Data Innovation Challenge has been key in encouraging big data
approaches. Exceeding all expectations, it attracted 131 innovative proposals and awarded 14 with funding and
expertise to enable big data analytics in their projects. The winning initiatives cover an exciting range, from using
satellite imagery to improve poverty mapping, to mining social media data to understand political sentiment, or
cellphone data to increase the use of banking services. Others promote traffic flows or accountable road building,
anticipate crop yields, predict violent crime and promote registration of land rights. This publication profiles 16
extraordinary initiatives from the Innovation Challenge winning teams and finalists. The case stories examine the
application of big data analytics and how it can help achieve project goals.
Big Data in Practice: How 45 Successful Companies Used Big Data Analytics to Deliver
Extraordinary Results
by Bernard Marr
Big data is everywhere. Everyone understands its power and importance, but many fail to grasp the actionable steps
and resources required to utilize it effectively. This book fills the knowledge gap by showing how major companies
are using big data every day from an up-close, on-the-ground perspective. From technology, media and retail, to
sport teams, government agencies and financial institutions, the book highlights the actual strategies and processes
being used to learn about customers, improve manufacturing, spur innovation, improve safety and so much more.
For each company profiled, the book explains what data was used, what problem it solved and the processes it put
into place to make it practical. It also includes technical details, challenges and lessons learned from each unique
scenario. Predictive analytics helps companies such as Amazon, Target, John Deere and Apple understand their
customers. Big data has also been behind the success of other companies such as Walmart, LinkedIn, Microsoft and
others. Further, big data is changing medicine, law enforcement, hospitality, fashion, science and banking.
The world of business is changing at an ever-accelerating rate. Businesses that choose not to adopt the latest
technologies are destined to suffer the consequences of obsolescence. The best way for small- to medium-sized
businesses to improve profits and secure their future is through adopting data analytics and using big data to improve
automation and solve optimization problems. Hidden within the data that are already collected for businesses lies
solutions to all types of questions. From understanding the best hours for businesses to keep, to managing payroll,
big data and data analytics can vastly improve the efficiency of any business. This concept has been well known to the
worlds largest businesses, but for years has been gated behind the cost of expensive software solutions. Today there
are more software solutions for small- and medium-sized businesses than ever before.
34
Comic Relief
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