Reproducibility package for Data for Better Governance: Building Government Analytics Ecosystems in Latin America and the Caribbean

Governments in Latin America and the Caribbean face complex development challenges. The region is at substantial risk from slowing economic growth, inflation, and fiscal pressures, and its public sector is constrained by institutional weaknesses, including inefficient public spending and service delivery. Core functions of government, including human resources management and public financial management, require substantial improvements in their efficiency and effectiveness. Strengthening government functioning requires actionable diagnostics, based on granular, real-time information: for instance, data on recruitment practices to inform human resources management decisions, data on payment delays to improve procurement processes, and data on taxpayer compliance to design tax instruments. Governments can use administrative data that are specific to government functions to inform managerial decisions to improve those functions.
Governments in Latin America and the Caribbean are well positioned to leverage data for better government. The region is a global pioneer in establishing management information systems (MISs): specialized systems that collect administrative data on specific functions of government, including human resources, procurement, service delivery, taxes, and more. These information systems gather granular, real-time data on core government functions, and these data can serve as a rich source of information on challenges and opportunities in these functions. However, the administrative data recorded in these information systems are often underutilized because of inadequate data quality and accessibility, as well as limited analytical capabilities within governments. By addressing these constraints, governments can use administrative data to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of each aspect of government functioning.