Defending Dignity A Manual for National Human Rights Institutions on Monitoring Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 6.3. WHAT TYPES OF SECONDARY DATA CAN WE USE WITH OPERA? Secondary data can be used to answer questions that fall under the four steps of the OPERA framework. Outcomes Policy efforts Resources Assessment Socio-economic and administrative statistics Socio-economic and administrative statistics Administrative statistics Perception and opinion surveys Perception and opinion surveys Perception and opinion surveys Events-based data Expert judgments Budgetary information Expert judgments Events-based data 6.3.1. Data on outcome indicators This is data that can be used to assess the outcome of efforts on a certain right. It can be demographic in nature, measuring population characteristics, such as the rural/urban divide, gender ratios, ethnic groups and migration trends, for example. To this end, data on outcome indicators seeks to measure: • The aggregate levels of rights enjoyment: Socio-economic data can be assessed against relevant benchmarks and/or compared to similar countries. Deviations can point to whether or not a country’s performance is reasonable. • Disparities in rights enjoyment: Disaggregated socio-economic data is particularly useful for uncovering disparities; for example, between women and men, between ethnic groups or between income levels. • Progress over time: Socio-economic data can be compared over time to indicate progress or deterioration and whether disparities are growing or reducing. 6.3.2. Data on policy effort indicators This is data that can be used to assess the policy efforts a State has taken to fulfil a certain right. Data on policy efforts seeks to: • Identify legal and policy commitments: Categorical data can be helpful in comparing commitments made, relevant laws enacted and policies developed in relation to other countries or against international standards and guidelines. For example, inventories of laws, policies and regulations in the area of land tenure can paint a picture of government efforts to address land rights. • Examine implementation (i.e. how laws and policies translate into goods and services on the ground): Socio-economic and administrative statistics (e.g. teacher-to-student ratios, distance to nearest health clinic, number of beneficiaries of social welfare programs, quality of roads) can be compared, disaggregated and viewed over time. • Analyse whether legal and policy processes are participatory, transparent and accountable: Perception surveys and governance data can be useful in this respect. 64