By Denice Ross and Allison Plyer

Eighteen months since the Covid pandemic upended the world, and sixteen years since we learned this lesson from Hurricane Katrina, good data is the path toward an equitable recovery.

Here are 5 lessons learned from the pandemic and our careers in data and disasters:

1/ Design data to be granular enough to show which demographics and geographies are disproportionately impacted.

2/ Invest in data capacity now—to help with the current crisis and also with future shocks.

3/ Address data quality, standards, and timeliness to shed a more complete light on rapidly changing conditions and the needs of the most vulnerable.

4/ Crises exist in context. Incorporate a broad range of data into decision-making to ensure critical aspects of our society and democracy don’t get derailed. 

5/ Build partnerships and support community organizing to turn data into action. 

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