Systems Change Lab uses data to monitor, learn from and mobilize action toward the transformational shifts needed to protect both people and the planet. Data can reveal progress toward global targets, but in some cases, data is missing, incomplete or unknown. We identify data gaps throughout our platform to highlight where more research, funding and publicly available resources are needed to close these gaps.
How does Systems Change Lab approach data gaps?
We try to be as transparent as possible about what data is — or isn’t — available on Systems Change Lab. If data is incomplete, we add what is available to the platform. If data is incomplete for an outcome indicator with a target, we can’t evaluate whether the indicator is or isn’t on track. If no data exists, we evaluate whether to remove the indicator or replace it with a relevant proxy indicator. If no proxy can be identified but the indicator is critical to the shift in question, we keep it on the platform to show that there is a gap.
What are the types of data gaps and what can be done about them?
There are four common types of data gaps on the Systems Change Lab platform. For about half of the data gaps on the platform, data does not exist at all. For about 40% of the gaps, data exists but is not globally comprehensive. For less than 10% of the gaps, data exists but over a limited timeframe. And for less than 5% of the gaps, data is available but not public. These numbers are current as of January 2025, with 8 of 15 systems published.
- No data exists
For some indicators, we couldn’t find a source that publishes relevant, public data. Some reasons data could be unavailable include:
- The indicator evaluates a new phenomenon or technology and therefore isn’t commonly measured yet.
- There is limited research on the topic.
- The indicator is challenging to measure directly.
- Data is currently being developed but is not published yet.
- A data source exists, but we did not find it in our research.
How is this shown on the platform?
For all indicators where we could not find data, we display “No Publicly Available Data Source Was Identified” on the charts. Additionally, for outcome indicators, we list the status of progress as “Insufficient Data” with a purple question mark icon.
- Data exists but is not global or comprehensive
Systems Change Lab provides global data wherever possible; however, in some instances, available data sources are limited to specific countries or regions and offer no global aggregate. This can be due to factors such as:
- The existing research is only focused on a subset of countries or regions.
- There are disparities in data availability across countries and regions.
- There are challenges in aggregating data from multiple sources into a comprehensive global dataset.
How is this shown on the platform?
We display no data on the “World” chart but note that “Country-level Data is Available.” Users can select the “Filter by Country or Region” dropdown menu to find all available data and can click between the tabs at the top of the chart to see other views, such as the map or table. In some cases, a country or region that we do have data for will be displayed as the default chart. For example, in the indicator shown below, data from the European Union is displayed as the default chart, and users can select other countries or regions.
For outcome indicators, we assess progress on the global level, so because these indicators don’t have a global total, we list the status of progress as “Insufficient Data” with a purple question mark icon.
- Data exists but only over a limited timeframe
For outcome indicators, our methodology requires a minimum of five years of historical data to draw a trendline and assess whether the indicator is or isn’t on track. Exceptions are noted on a case-by-case basis in the indicator’s metadata. Reasons for a lack of historical data may include:
- The data provider has only recently begun to track this data, so not enough time has passed to accumulate five years of historical data.
- The data is from a one-off study rather than an annually updated dataset.
- The data measures a phenomenon that has only recently begun.
How is this shown on the platform?
We display the data that is available on our charts. For outcome indicators, we cannot assess global progress without five years of historical data, so we list the status of progress as “Insufficient Data” with a purple question mark icon.
- Data is available but is not public or open-source
Systems Change Lab prioritizes the use of public, open-source data. In some cases, we identify a data source, but the data provider has not made the data publicly available or the license does not allow for republication.
Some reasons data may not be publicly available include:
- Some organizations may want to protect their data from reuse and choose to license their data under restrictive terms (e.g., copyright with all rights reserved), limiting how the data can be accessed and used. These licenses often include conditions such as limiting redistribution, prohibiting commercial use or requiring permission for modifications.
- Private sector companies or public institutions sometimes rely on revenue from data sales for their operations so making their data available to Systems Change Lab can have commercial, legal or organizational culture barriers.
How is this shown on the platform?
We display no data and note that “No Publicly Available Data Source Was Identified.” For outcome indicators, we list the status of progress as “Insufficient Data” with a purple question mark icon.
How can you help fill these data gaps?
If you know of a source that can fill a data gap on the platform, please contact us at data@systemschangelab.org. We are eager to learn about new datasets or organizations that are actively working to fill these gaps. We intend to publish a list of priority data gaps to fill after all of our systems are launched. For specific types of users, the following actions may also be taken:
- Philanthropic and government funders: You can fund academics or NGOs to collect or create data to fill these gaps. You can also require institutions or projects you fund to be open-source.
- Data publishers, like academics or NGOs: You can look at data gaps in the systems you work in to determine if you can create any of the data. You can reach out to us at data@systemschangelab.org to coordinate with us.
- Public institutions, like governments or international organizations: You can make as much data as possible publicly available, including covering a comprehensive list of countries or regions. If your data is not open source you can make data publicly available or provide licensing to Systems Change Lab. For example, the International Energy Agency has already made a subset of their data available to Systems Change Lab.
- Private sector institutions, like companies: You can make a subset of your data available to Systems Change Lab where it doesn’t conflict with your revenue streams.
- Organizations already publishing data we use: You can continue to update your data annually, add additional years of historical data and expand coverage to more countries and regions.