Social science research often involves collecting data through direct interactions with individuals, households, and communities. This data generally includes detailed personal and sensitive information. Additionally, data may be collected from marginalized and vulnerable communities, including those with a limited understanding of their rights as data subjects. Sensitive personal data intended for statistical analysis can be misused or cause harm to households and communities.

For evaluators, some of the most pressing challenges are also the most difficult to address with traditional data collection methods. How do you gather reliable data in places you can’t easily reach? How do you monitor changes across vast regions, track historical trends for ex-post evaluations, or measure something that can’t be captured through a survey?

It is always a bit magical when a conference turns into a conversation—and then into a movement. That’s what it felt like at this year’s Economic Science Association (ESA) Africa Conference hosted by Busara in Nairobi. The conference set something important in motion—a step toward ensuring that research in the Global South is shaped by the people it serves.