Data for Now initiative

THE CHALLENGE

Data for Now is a multi-stakeholder initiative co-led by the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), the United Nations Development Programme, the World Bank, the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data, and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

The initiative had many success stories but lacked a clear format to tell them efficiently. Impact reporting was very technical, so researching and writing new stories took a long time. The approval process was extensive, requiring numerous revisions and causing significant delays in publication.

Without a consistent storytelling approach, Data for Now couldn’t effectively showcase its value to donors, partners, statistical offices, policy leaders, and other key stakeholders. This communication gap meant the initiative’s significant achievements remained hidden in technical documents and reports.

THE SOLUTION

As a communications consultant for UNSD, Nicholas Bruneau developed a storytelling curriculum tailored for data scientists to turn complex data projects into engaging narratives that could work across multiple platforms.

Working closely with the Data for Now team, Nicholas created a clear, concise template for impact stories that followed a consistent narrative structure: introducing the challenge, explaining the collaborative solution, and showcasing meaningful impact. This structure made the stories accessible to non-technical audiences while still conveying the significant work being done.

The interests and priorities of key stakeholders were mapped out, and a storytelling template was designed to streamline content creation by gathering all necessary elements—including narrative, quotes, images, and social media content—in a single document for approval. This approach significantly reduced the review cycle time and ensured consistency across channels.

Nicholas conducted workshops for UNSD staff and local partners to increase internal capacity. These sessions equipped project managers with the skills to gather information and draft early versions of their impact stories using the template structure. The framework made it easier for technical experts to identify the key narrative elements of their work, which Nicholas would then refine in collaboration with UNSD colleagues.

Thanks to a helpful training workbook, case studies, interactive exercises, and step-by-step storytelling instructions, everyone could participate, helping to increase the efficiency and sustainability of Data for Now’s communications. The team wrote inspiring stories like Palestine’s data-driven approach to enhancing the quality of life in cities or Viet Nam’s advanced techniques to address child poverty and food security.

Nicholas also repurposed existing stories from partners, multiplying the visibility of successful Data for Now projects across multiple websites. For example, a detailed report from the UN’s Sustainable Development Solutions Network was transformed into a short, impactful story on the UNSD website, showing how drone imagery, artificial intelligence, and citizen data are helping Ghana to decrease marine litter.

Regular inputs were carefully integrated into developing resources, presentations, and workshops. This collaborative approach ensured that all materials and training programs were technically sound and strategically aligned with Data for Now’s core mission and UNSD’s mandate.