UNITAR as part of the Crowd4SDG project has already tried to find answers to some of the aspects that the Collaborative is aiming to work on. Specifically on the definition, framework, challenges, and opportunities of using CSD among other areas. This was done through studies including two surveys among NSOs/NSS, 11 interviews and case studies, pilot assessment of 11 datasets using the proposed Quality Assurance approach, and other support provided to more than 5 innovative Citizen Data projects and 1 pilot country – the Maldives, - shared Ms Elena Proden, Senior Specialist, Strategic Implementation of the 2030 Agenda Unit, UNITAR, who led the work on citizen science data on the Crowd4SDG project. Among the key impediments of CSD as shown in the 2023 survey is awareness, alongside the non-sustainability of data source access and non-application of statistical standards. She also presented quality criteria considered for the CSD that are grouped into commonly used and additionally proposed. Commonly used criteria include timeliness, frequency, and sustainability as well as relevance, metadata, coherence, comparability, and integrability among others. Among the additional ones are impartiality, confidentiality/privacy, self-identification, and documented data/collection production/ dissemination process.
The rest of the session was organized in an engaging quiz on five Ws on citizen science data run by Ms. Proden, where participants could also share their own thoughts, suggestions, and reservations in some cases on the use of citizen data for sustainable development.