Read the full article on the UNESCO Website.
Global survey report on crisis data policies facilitated by open science
Strong demand for crisis data checklists but few in place, UNESCO and CODATA survey finds
Most organisations working on disasters, crises and emergencies see value in a checklist for crisis data policies, yet few have one. This is the central finding of a global survey report published by UNESCO and the Committee (ISC) on Data of the International Science Council (CODATA) on 6 October 2026. The findings point to a next phase in which the Data Policies for Times of Crisis (DPTC) Checklist would be tested in practice with interested institutions.
Implementation of data policies for times of crisis facilitated by open science toolkit
Supporting the implementation of the 2021 UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science, the DPTC Toolkit (2025) provides an important foundation for organisations to share timely, trustworthy data across institutional and national boundaries while maintaining appropriate ethical safeguards. The DPTC Toolkit comprises a factsheet (concise briefing on the importance and the principles of DPTC), guidance (structured playbook for policy codesign detailing roles and responsibilities) and a checklist (practical tool). The present survey establishes if and how the practices on the checklist are already in place and identifies where guidance is needed for implementation.
About the survey
About the survey
The UNESCO-CODATA report presents the results of the survey on data policies for times of crisis facilitated by Open Science, conducted online between March and June 2026. The survey translated the ten dimensions of the DPTC checklist into a self-assessment instrument, offering a globally sourced baseline as the 146 complete responses received are from 60 countries spanning all five UNESCO regions.
Demand for practical guidance
Demand for practical guidance
Some 78% of respondents considered that a crisis data checklist would be beneficial to their work, while only 22% reported already having one. Respondents without a checklist most often reported the DPTC dimensions as partially addressed. Those with one were more likely to report them as completely addressed. The survey does not show that documentation leads to stronger practice, but pilot implementations can test this association.
Next steps
In the next phase of the initiative, UNESCO and CODATA will involve conducting pilot studies based on the existing DPTC checklist with interested institutions.
- Pilot implementation: Interested institutions should identify a manageable task, and using the current DPTC Toolkit decide which actions are relevant and should be prioritised.
- Feedback: Short feedback discussions will help determine competence, responsibilities and barriers to collaboration.
- Case studies and lessons identified: case studies should document precisely the situation from beginning to end, including negative findings. From there, short implementation guidance, targeted training as well as practical exchange can help support data policy resiliency.
- DPTC Toolkit refinement: evidence from the pilots informs updates to the Toolkit.
Further details on the pilot phase will be announced shortly through UNESCO, CODATA and partner networks. Institutions wishing to express early interest can contact openscience@unesco.org.