Data for the displaced: participation in IDP data justice

Abstract                          

The global rise of internal displacement issues has drawn attention to the need for solutions that are supported by quality data and that engage meaningfully with the internally displaced themselves. Situated within the case study of the Philippines, this research paper explores how norms of participation are conceptualized and operationalized in data processes for internally displaced persons. Anchored in constructivist institutionalism and the data justice pillar of participation, this research applies key informant interviews to engage with government agencies, civil society actors, international organizations and other relevant actors to determine how and to what extent internally displaced persons (IDPs) are empowered in their own data processes. The results of this research reveal both progress and consistent difficulties: (1) there are gaps in how participation is facilitated across different stages of the data life cycle by different institutions; (2) conceptual, operational, and political challenges to IDP data persist; and (3), despite these challenges, policy shifts within the Philippines present opportunities for IDPs to exercise their agency and meaningfully participate in data processes. The findings suggest that meaningful participation in displacement governance is shaped by incremental change that depends on formal normative frameworks, IDP-led initiatives, and broader discourse about whose knowledge and agency count.

Keywords

Internal displacement, participation, data justice, governance, collaboration, Philippines.

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