Palau needed a unified system for youth and workforce data to inform national planning and decision-making.

The Republic of Palau faced challenges in consolidating youth and workforce development data spread across multiple ministries and agencies. Without a centralized system, policymakers and program leaders lacked timely, reliable information to guide decisions about education, employment, and social supports. This limited the government’s ability to identify gaps, track longterm trends, and coordinate policies that impact young people and the broader workforce.

At the same time, Palau is investing in future development priorities and recognized that evidence-based planning requires stronger data infrastructure. The Ministry of Human Resources, Culture, Tourism, and Development (MHRCTD) sought support to design a national repository that would unify fragmented data systems, establish governance protocols, and build capacity for interagency collaboration. This work reflects a broader global movement toward data-driven governance and aligns with the mission of using research and evidence for the public good—ensuring that scarce resources are directed toward strategies that improve opportunity, accountability, and longterm development.

NORC is helping Palau’s MHRCTD build a national repository for youth and workforce data.

To address the need for stronger data infrastructure, the project team is working closely with Palau’s MHRCTD and partner agencies to design and implement a national youth and workforce data repository. The solution includes technical development, governance design, and capacity building to ensure that agencies can both contribute to and benefit from the system.

A central challenge is balancing data security and privacy with the need for accessibility and collaboration. To overcome this, the team is developing formal data-sharing agreements and governance structures that align agencies around common standards. Technical work includes creating a repository platform capable of securely aggregating data from education, labor, health, justice, and social service systems.

Equally important, the project emphasizes building capacity within Palau’s government. Through technical assistance, agency staff are gaining practical skills in data collection, interpretation, and use. This collaborative approach ensures that the repository is not only a technical product but also a tool for cultural change—promoting shared responsibility for evidence-based decision-making across the national government.