ABSTRACT
In the style of thinking and doing the political management of fragile states, it is acceptable to adapt practices and goals and to search for fitness of purpose rather than perfection. This is how the idea of good enough data, for instance, becomes a standard of good reason, that is, what is practically expected. This chapter analyses practices of imperfect quantification in the fragile states agenda, making use of interviews and documents produced by analysts in the World Bank, OECD and the g7+. The quality of data and method in the context of fragile states is seen as also a matter of capacity of absorbing data, speeding-up decision-making and responding to emergencies when emergencies come. Facing the difficulties, ideas of good enough data, good enough methods and good enough governance came to the fore in the measuring and management of conflict and development issues in fragile states.
