Data Science for Lebanon Public Policy

Abstract

This policy brief examines the impact of data science on the public sector in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in general, with a particular focus on Lebanon, based on insights from discussions and technical talks of invited data science experts at the 2023 Women in Data Science (WiDS) conference at the American University of Beirut (AUB), held on April 27-28, 2023, at the Suliman S. Olayan School of Business at AUB. The report also utilizes existing secondary data on the current situation of data science in Lebanon specifically and the MENA region more broadly. The brief starts with an overview of the importance of data science in decision-making. Then, it presents a review of data science in public sectors across the MENA region, with emphasis on key success stories of how data science has improved the public sector in several MENA countries. The brief then focuses on the case of Lebanon, highlighting how data science can be used to improve the public sector in Lebanon, provide better disaster preparedness, and help mitigate the financial and economic crises in the country. The brief concludes with policy recommendations and interventions on how Lebanon can harness the potential of data science to drive improvements in governance, policy formulation, disaster management, and public service delivery, ultimately enhancing the overall performance of the public sector.