Using data for policy in Nepal: Progress and challenges
In a country where developmental needs are varied due to diverse geography and scarce resources, data bridges the gap between need and policy. Data holds the power to transform numbers into action. For Nepal to navigate the complexities of federalism, development, equity, and governance, evidence‑based policy anchored in reliable and timely data is needed. Without it, resource allocation becomes guesswork, progress remains invisible, and governance risks being reactive rather than strategic.
The latest official measures of governance data use in Nepal show a marked and slow improvement, but there is a big room for growth. Nepal’s Statistical Performance Indicator (SPI) for Pillar 5: Data Infrastructure has remained low and stagnant, recorded at 20.0 (scale 0–100) in both 2018 and 2019. The score averaged 20.0 from 2016 to 2019, showing no improvement over the years. Notably, it reached a high of 25.0 in 2016 before declining to 20.0, indicating a downward trend in data infrastructure performance. Data is not simply about numbers, but it’s about making those numbers matter to citizens, communities, and decision‑makers alike.
Why data?
Data sits at the nexus of effective policy and accountable governance. When policymakers can look at real‑time indicators of need, they can direct services where they will matter most. They can track trends, measure outcomes, adjust strategies, and justify decisions. Globally, institutions such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank emphasize that data‑driven governance improves targeting, boosts transparency, and helps monitor whether policies are actually working.
In Nepal, the potential is enormous. The national planning body, census agencies, and statistical offices already collect demographic, health, education, and economic data. For example, a report by the national statistical office indicates that the federal, provincial, and local levels are beginning to use census and survey data to allocate budgets, adjust infrastructure plans, and monitor development programs. The promise is clear: if used well, data can shift governance from being reactive to strategic. But a big push is needed to implement it.
The country’s effort
Nepal has begun to recognize the transformative power of data in shaping effective policies and governance decisions. In the health sector, the Health Management Information System (HMIS) has been instrumental in tracking health indicators of people. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it helped to track vaccination rates across provinces. This real-time data enabled the Ministry of Health and Population to identify low-coverage areas and deploy targeted interventions, ensuring equitable vaccine access.
Similarly, in disaster management, the integration of meteorological and seismic data into early warning systems has strengthened disaster preparedness. The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) now use real-time weather and flood forecasting models to issue community-level alerts, saving lives during monsoon floods.
The country has also taken steps toward open data and transparency. The adoption of open government data policies and the use of open-source software are aimed at making public sector information more accessible, while initiatives to develop unified data repositories are underway to reduce fragmentation. Capacity-building programs for government officials, alongside efforts to improve data governance, security, and regulatory frameworks, are part of Nepal’s broader strategy to institutionalize evidence-based policy-making. These combined efforts reflect a growing recognition that reliable, timely, and accessible data are essential for effective governance, development planning, and citizen engagement.
Challenges and recommendations
Nepal faces several structural, institutional, and technical challenges that limit the full realization of data in governance. Data quality and timeliness remain a major hurdle. The study shows that traditional methods of collecting data, such as paper-based surveys and censuses, are conducted intermittently, and administrative data systems at local levels can be fragmented or outdated, which creates a huge data gap. For instance, the Nepal Demographic and Health Survey occurs every five years, the National Population and Housing Census every ten years, and the Nepal Living Standards Survey follows a similar decade-long cycle. The traditional data collection methods often create data errors. In contrast, non-traditional data sources such as satellite imagery, mobile data, and digital reporting can provide real-time or near-real-time insights. Integrating these alternative data streams can help bridge information gaps, strengthen monitoring and reporting, and ultimately support more timely and evidence-based decision-making in governance and policy.
Further, the access and integration of data across levels of government is weak. Often, agencies hold data in silos, with little coordination, and users (policymakers, civil society, and academia) struggle to access machine‑readable formats. The rising use of open-source software is also supporting innovation and efficiency in governance and development efforts. Moreover, by adopting open Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), the government can make public data more accessible through user-friendly digital platforms, empowering citizens to engage with information more effectively and promoting a culture of openness in policymaking.
Capacity and data literacy remain major challenges in Nepal, which often lead to decisions based on intuition rather than evidence. Even when quality data are available, many officials lack the skills to interpret or use them effectively. Limited training, weak institutional support, and a lack of data-driven culture. Building technical skills and promoting data literacy are essential to turn information into actionable insights for better governance.
While the country has introduced a data protection law, its implementation is still evolving, and comprehensive frameworks for managing, sharing, and securing data are limited. In digital governance, issues such as fragmented database management, inconsistent security standards, and unclear institutional responsibilities have been repeatedly highlighted. The 2019 World Bank’s “Envisioning a Future Data Ecosystem in Federal Nepal” stresses the need to update the statistical act, build foundational registers (people, places, and businesses), and promote links between data producers and users. For Nepal to make the leap from data collection to data‑driven governance and policy, a concerted, multi‑pronged effort is needed.
However, turning this vision into reality will require sustained investment, institutional commitment, and cultural change. It means that the next census, survey, or administrative register is not simply an annual ritual but a living resource that informs real decisions, monitors real outcomes, and fosters trust between citizens and their government. The question for Nepal today is not if data matters, but how to make it matter. The time for a data‑driven Nepal is now.
