On Why I Ask Government Officials ‘What’s in Your Bag?’ and What It Teaches About Data Communication

When is data truly useful? When it sits on servers and dashboards no one visits? Or when it is buried in lengthy reports that few have time to read? Within the data value chain, data only gains value when it is used.

In this talk, I share practical insights from my work with National Statistical Offices (NSOs) across Asia and the Pacific. Traditionally, NSOs have focused on producing and disseminating data. Uptake and impact are assumed to follow. In practice, they rarely do.

To bridge this gap, I ask government officials a simple question: “What’s in your bag?” Participants then pull everyday objects from their bags (e.g., currency notes, house keys, even an umbrella!) to construct data stories. This physicalization exercise reveals something fundamental: data does not travel on its own. Meaning is constructed, interpreted, and communicated. Everyone in the system plays a role in shaping whether evidence reaches decision-making spaces.

Through this unconventional but deliberate method, I explore how data communication can shift mindsets, build institutional appetite for evidence, and strengthen the link between data production and policy action.

This talk will resonate with data communication practitioners, researchers, policymakers, civil society actors, and community advocates interested in moving from data availability to data use. Participants will leave with practical insights into how national statistical systems operate, the barriers that limit uptake, and opportunities to promote better data uses within government institutions.