Studies show public and private-sector data have the potential to generate social and economic benefits worth between 1% and 2.5% of GDP, but have not achieved this level due to challenges such as lack of trust, and conflicting interests of different stakeholders.

To guide governments and stakeholders on how to maximise the cross-sectoral benefits of data sharing while protecting their rights, the OECD adopted its Recommendation on Enhancing Access to and Sharing of Data, the first internationally agreed upon set of principles and policy guidance of its kind. It calls on governments to:

• reinforce trust across the data ecosystem;
• stimulate investment in data and incentivise data sharing; 
• foster the effective and responsible use of data across society including across borders.

Health data can improve the quality and safety of healthcare services, support scientific innovation, and the discovery and evaluation of new treatments. But to leverage this potential while managing risks that come from the misuse of data that are personal and sensitive, appropriate governance frameworks are necessary.

To support governments in setting the framework conditions for enabling the availability and use of personal health data, the OECD's Recommendation on Health Data Governance recommends that governments establish and implement national health data governance framework that encourage the availability and use of personal health data to serve health-related public interest purposes while promoting the protection of privacy, personal health data and data security. 

Access to publicly funded research data enables data-driven innovation and science with far-reaching effects on the reproducibility of scientific results, diffusion of knowledge across society, and cross-disciplinary co-operation. It thus helps transform our society, enhance productivity and competitiveness, and address global challenges.  

Governments need to adopt policies to promote access to publicly funded research data, focusing on the seven pillars addressed by the OECD Recommendation concerning Access to Research Data from Public Funding:

• data governance for trust;
• technical standards and practices;
• responsibility, ownership and stewardship;
• incentives and rewards;
• sustainable infrastructures;
• human capital;
• international co-operation.

The potential of public sector data to benefit society is significant, yet its full impact is often unrealised due to challenges such as legacy technology, skill gaps, and legal barriers in the public sector. For a data-driven public sector to be more efficient, transparent, and responsive to citizen needs as envisioned by the OECD Recommendations on Digital Government Strategies and for Enhanced Access and More Effective Use of Public Sector Information, governments must:

• Treat data as a strategic asset by defining its value and measuring its impact;
• Actively work to eliminate obstacles in data management, sharing, and reuse;
• Use data to innovate in public policy and service design, delivery, and evaluation; and
• Prioritise the open data and encourage its use across public sector organisations.

Data's non-rivalrous nature warrants openness for maximum benefit, but its replicability and imperfect excludability raise the risk of loss of control in addition to risks to privacy and intellectual property. 

Policymakers must empower individuals, social groups, and organisations through appropriate mechanisms and institutions to better control and derive value from their data in line with the OECD Recommendation on Enhancing Access to and Sharing of Data and the OECD Privacy Guidelines. Key strategies include data portability for enhanced user control to foster competition and innovation as demonstrated in areas such as open banking. Technological and organisational measures like privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) and trusted data intermediaries (TDIs) can thereby be a key enabler for enhancing agency and control.