Government Analytics in Latin America and the Caribbean: Creating an Ecosystem for Evidence-Based Policy Making

Governments in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region face significant developmental and institutional challenges, such as slowing growth, fiscal constraints and inefficiencies in the public sector. At the same time, governments have invested significantly in government technologies (GovTech), making LAC a global pioneer in management information systems (MIS). This creates an opportunity for governments to leverage MIS data to strengthen the functioning of government and achieve development goals -- that is, government analytics. This report provides a conceptual framework to assess and provide guidance on the regional government analytics agenda and how to harvest the benefits of GovTech investments. First, we examine how government analytics can inform policymaking and improve accountability and efficiency, drawing on survey data and successful applications of government analytics. Next, we consider the enabling conditions for government analytics: data infrastructure and analytical capabilities, and how to strengthen them. Finally, we provide practical guidance on how to holistically develop a government analytics agenda.