In Turkey, data on civil society organizations are collected by public institutions with different approaches. The fact that the data published on civil society does not have a holistic perspective, is not collected in many areas, is collected but not published, or the lack of coordination between the institutions in charge of collecting and publishing this data makes it difficult to understand the impact of civil society. However, in order to find solutions to the needs of civil society, it is crucial to produce information that all relevant actors can benefit from.
The Guide to Civil Society Statistics and Effective Data Governance, prepared within the scope of the Freedom of Association Monitoring Project, which we are implementing with the support of the European Union and in cooperation with the Third Sector Foundation of Turkey (TUSEV), aims to contribute to the development of a rights-based approach to civil society data in Turkey.
The guide, written by Prof. Dr. İnan Tutku Türkmen and Mehmet Can İrhan, discusses a data governance strategy to be developed based on three main categories of data and statistics on CSOs: profile, employee, member, volunteer and financial information.
The guide also examines the institutions that collect civil society data in Turkey, including STİGM, General Directorate of Foundations, Revenue Administration, Social Security Institution, Turkish Statistical Institute, Development Agencies and the Ministry of Trade. The guide also discusses international approaches to civil society statistics and provides examples from the international arena.
