Open Data in action: Initiatives during the initial stage of the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the demand for access to timely, relevant, and quality data. This demand has been driven by several needs: taking informed policy actions quickly, improving communication on the current state of play, carrying out scientific analysis of a dynamic threat, understanding its social and economic impact, and enabling civil society oversight and reporting. Based on an open call for evidence, this report assesses how open government data (OGD) was used to react and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic during initial stage of the crisis (March-July 2020). It also seeks to transform lessons learned into considerations for policy makers on how to improve OGD policies to better prepare for future shocks