Navigating the Market of Measurement: Data, Quality, and Competition

This chapter discusses the rise of a market of measurement over the last decade, as IOs and other data agencies compete for the production of datasets and measures that will become most popular and thus win over other measurement ‘products’. The production of data to support comparative assessment and evaluation is one of IOs’ key organisational remits; therefore, they have vested interests in promoting the implementation of their measures over those of others. Consequently, what we observe is not collaboration towards the construction of the most robust measures but rather a navigation of the market of measurement; this has often led to conflicts and controversies over statistical data collection, as well as market ‘inefficiencies’ and contestations.