DATA NEEDS FOR MONITORING SOCIAL INCLUSION IN THE STI SECTOR 5 Science, technology and innovation is a driver for social inclusion. The SDG framework, which has a

12.3 DATA NEEDS FOR MONITORING SOCIAL INCLUSION IN THE STI SECTOR 5 Science, technology and innovation is a driver for social inclusion. The SDG framework, which has a

significant proportion of targets focused on social inclusion as well as targets that rely on research, development and innovation for achieving sustainable development, illustrates their interconnectedness. Fundamental to social inclusion is providing food security, education, health and other social services that reach all individuals, and providing targeted opportunities to boost the inclusion of those most in need. Science and technology are a key source of innovation and play a vital role in extending the outreach and impact of social services. For example, communication technologies, such as mobile telephones, are pervasive in even the poorest of societies and have been proven

effective in improving service delivery, such as emergency health care and disaster risk management. 6 Knowledge sharing is essential to achieving inclusive and sustainable development. Central to this is

access to information and communication technologies (ICTs). 7 The 11 th Malaysia Plan prioritises accessibility to ICT infrastructure and cites how under earlier plans, new telecommunication towers and mobile community transformation centres have enhanced digital inclusion. Wide reaching internet

access is enabling people to acquire new knowledge and sources of income. 8 Key to the focus of this chapter is the fundamental enabling role that technology plays in data collection and the production and use of official statistics. Discussions on development of the SDG framework highlight the need for

data collection to be “harmonized, managed and integrated in a more coherent way”. However, attitudes and cultures within agencies responsible for data collection need to shift to supporting open

exchange and sharing of information. Technology can provide the tools to manage information in new and more efficient ways, but people and processes are the essential ingredients to producing high

quality data. 9 So, what metrics are most relevant in the context of social inclusion of the NPSTI? Socially inclusive STI

policies should encourage participation of all groups in the STI sector. They should enable STI to provide outputs that have wide reaching benefits and enhance the inclusion of vulnerable groups. Monitoring these phenomena call for data on the characteristics of actors participating in the STI sector, such as members of research institutions, decision-making bodies, and public and private sector organisations contributing to the national STI capacity. Data on who participates in the mechanisms that seek to engage citizens in STI endeavours can also be tracked as a measure of social inclusiveness. For example, indicators that can provide insight into participation in STI sector include:

a) Researchers to labour force/population ratios and headcounts by sex, ethnicity, age-group, geographical location, and field of research [individuals]

b) Patents applied for and granted, by geographical location, and field of research [institutions]

c) R&D expenditure by geographical location and socioeconomic objective [resources] There are a number of indicators proposed for monitoring the SDG framework that have direct

relevance to the Malaysian NPSTI. Annex 1 provides a summary table of the goals, targets, indicators and disaggregations considered to be most relevant. The SDG framework is meant to be adapted to the national context and therefore there will be other targets and indicators needed to provide a complete picture of the role of STI in achieving sustainable development in Malaysia.

5 For SDG indicators related to monitoring social inclusiveness of STI, see Appendix 2. 6 International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and UNESCO. 2013. The State of Broadband 2013: Universalizing

Broadband. Geneva (http://www.broadbandcommission.org/Documents/bb-annualreport2013.pdf). 7 UN System Task Team on the Post-2015 Development Agenda. 2012. Realizing the future we want for all:

Reporting to the Secretary-General. http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/pdf/Post_2015_UNTTreport.pdf 8 Eleventh Malaysia Plan.

9 UN System Task Team on the Post-2015 UN Development Agenda (n.d.). Science, technology and innovation for sustainable development in the global partnership for development beyond 2015: Thematic Think Piece.

Standards for producing official statistics relating to science, technology and innovation have been developed through the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and European Communities. The Oslo Manual on measuring innovation explains that science and technology indicators fall into two major categories: resources involved in research and development (R&D) and patent statistics. These are complemented by statistics on scientific publications, and skilled

human capital, among others. 10 For innovation statistics, the primary statistical unit of measure is the enterprise involved in innovation rather than the individuals contributing to, or benefiting from, the innovation. R&D statistics include measures relevant to social inclusion, such as the measurement of

R&D personnel and classification of activities by socioeconomic objective. 11