Global Trends in Data Capture and Management

This insight paper is part of the work programme of the Working Group on Measurement, Data and Accountability within the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GABC). It presents the findings of a stakeholder survey carried out with state and non-state sectoral actors in 2016.

The report analyses how building related data, including physical, performance and financial information, is currently being captured and managed by key sector representatives. It also highlights the repercussions current data capture and management patterns can have for how countries and organisations meet their energy saving and climate targets and commitments.

More specifically, the report investigates what type of data is collected by whom, where and for what reason. It also examines key challenges in relation to better data capture and management which includes issues such as:

• lack of a central storage locations 
  
• non-harmonised data collection formats and data reporting obligations 
  
• overall data availability and accessibility, and 
  
• data reliability.
  

While the report lists an encouraging number of good practice examples and public and private initiatives, the overriding message of the survey findings is that the fragmentation and silo-thinking that the sector is known for also translates into the way it handles its data.

The report concludes that in terms of effective data capture and subsequent management of that data, the sector still has some way to go.