Supporting decision-making through better rural data: new guidelines
- Rural Pact
- Rural Revitalisation Platform
- Stronger Rural Areas
- Connected rural areas
- Prosperous rural areas
- Resilient rural areas
The EU-funded GRANULAR project has developed a set of guidelines and training materials to enhance data collection in rural areas. The publication is intended to assist practitioners in addressing local challenges.
Image by Wirestock on Canva
The publication offers practical steps for local actors to generate evidence for decision-making processes ranging from the identification of priorities to data analysis and interpretation. The guidelines highlight:
-
The importance of data on rural areas: to capture the dynamism, complexity and variety of their areas, rural actors need more accurate and detailed data to make informed decisions and strengthen the capacity of local governments to set policies, develop strategies to monitor and evaluate actions.
-
The need for a practical approach: to support practitioners tackle local challenges, the publication provides practical tools and methods guiding each step of the local data and policy cycle. This includes remote sensing, web-scraping, and data integration techniques.
-
Draw lessons from seven GRANULAR living labs: these practical examples showcase data, tools, and methods that can be replicated at local level and contribute to creating comprehensive datasets and indicators that support rural policy-making and development.
-
Beyond data collection, collaboration among local stakeholders is key to fostering peer-to-peer learning and exchange of best practices across rural areas.
Author: GRANULAR project