Interoperability is the ability to access and process data from multiple sources without losing meaning and then integrate that data for mapping, visualization, and other forms of representation and analysis. Interoperability enables people to find, explore, and understand the structure and content of data sets. In essence, it is the ability to ‘join-up’ data from different sources to help create more holistic and contextual information for simpler, and sometimes automated analysis, better decision-making, and accountability purposes. 

An outcome of the UN World Data Forum in January 2017, the collaborative on interoperability is co-convened by the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data and the UN Statistics Division. The collaborative launched Interoperability: A practitioner’s guide to joining-up data in the development sector, which brings together good practice examples from across the development sector highlighting the value that interoperable data brings to decision-making. The production of the guide was supported by an Advisory Group drawn from the collaborative’s membership and includes:

1. Enrique Ordaz, Director General of Integration, Analysis and Research at INEGI, Mexico & Co-Chair of the IAEG-SDGs
2. Radhika Lal, Economic Advisor, UNDP, Ghana
3. Joshua Powell, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Development Gateway
4. Bill Anderson, Data Architect & Beata Lisowska, Data Scientist, Development Initiatives
5. Shaida Badiee, Managing Director and Co-Founder & Eric Swanson, Director of Research, Open Data Watch
6. Rose Aiko, (former) Data Ecosystems Consultant, Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data

The first version of the Guide launched at the UN World Data Forum in Dubai in October 2018.