Overall, this is a very useful report on the types of data needed, and problems with collection of good quality data in a timely fashion.
I have one general concern and that is not enough attention paid to government vs private sector in data collection.
Writing from the Indian experience, an excellent statistical system has been slowly eroded. More and more of data collection is by private agencies or NGOs and this raises serious questions about (i) privacy and use of data (ii) quality and (iii) cost of availability. Such data may not be open access.
I think there needs to be a strong commitment from governments to collect important items of data, and also to be transparent about the same.
International funding for basic data collection will thus be an important recommendation for many countries to ensure good and regular collection of data.
Secondly, a reference that may be useful in the discussion on digital divide (section 3.1.2). In a special volume of CSI Transactions on ICT on ICT and Agriculture edited by M. S Swaminathan and me, we have brought together experiences of use of different forms of digital access from computers to tablets to phone sms message to reach the poorest and most vulnerable farmers and fishers in India. What the papers showed is that the digital divide can be addressed with special effort but at the same time, digital tools cannot address pre-existing forms of economic and social inequality (such as caste discrimination in India).
http://59.160.153.188/library/sites/default/files/ICT%20and%20agricultu…
Madhura Swaminathan
Prof. MADHURA SWAMINATHAN