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Scorecard Update Quick Reference

How to Update Stale Entries

Step 1: Identify Entries to Update

Run the diff report to identify stale entries: 

python pipeline_runner.py --mode scorecard --scorecard-action diff

Review the report at: data/exports/scorecard_diff_report.json. A year found in a law or assessment is a review prompt, not evidence that its legal status is obsolete. Record the source-review date separately from enactment and amendment dates.

Step 2: Research Updates

Data Protection Laws

  • Primary Source: UNCTAD Data Protection Tracker
  • Secondary: National DPA websites
  • Check for:
  • New laws enacted
  • Amendments to existing laws
  • Enforcement status changes

AI Policies

SIM Registration

  • Primary Source: Privacy International
  • Secondary: National telecom regulator websites
  • Check for:
  • New mandatory registration requirements
  • Biometric linkage requirements
  • Policy changes

Step 3: Update the Excel File

  1. Open data/scorecard/scorecard_main.xlsx
  2. Navigate to the UN_194 sheet
  3. Find the country row and indicator column
  4. Update the value in format:
[Status] — [Law/Policy Name] ([Year], [additional context])

Examples: 

In force — Data Protection Act 2023
Adopted — National AI Strategy 2024
Criminalised — Penal Code 2021

Step 4: Update the Source Column

Update the adjacent "Source" column with: 

[Source Name], accessed [YYYY-MM-DD]

Example: 

UNCTAD Data Protection Tracker, accessed 2026-01-25

Step 5: Save and Re-export

  1. Save the Excel file
  2. Update the convenience copy: 
    cp data/scorecard/scorecard_main.xlsx scorecard.xlsx
  3. Re-export CSV files: 
    python pipeline_runner.py --mode scorecard --scorecard-action export

Step 6: Re-run Enrichment

Update document metadata with new scorecard data: 

python pipeline_runner.py --mode scorecard --scorecard-action enrich

Step 7: Validate Changes

Run validation to ensure no broken links: 

python pipeline_runner.py --mode scorecard --scorecard-action validate

January 2026 review priorities

The following list records the original maintenance priorities. Phase 1 updates records the subsequent changes.

Phase 1 (Immediate - 20+ years old)

  1. Tunisia - Data Protection Law (2004)
  2. Cabo Verde - LGBTQ Status (2004)
  3. Senegal - Data Protection Law (2008)
  4. Benin - Data Protection Law (2009)
  5. Cameroon - Data Protection Law (2010)
  6. Gabon - Data Protection Law (2011)

Phase 2 (High Priority - 10-15 years old)

  1. Ghana - Data Protection Law (2012)
  2. Sao Tome and Principe - LGBTQ Status (2012)
  3. Mali - Data Protection Law (2013)
  4. Côte d'Ivoire - Data Protection Law (2013)

Common Value Formats

Data Protection Laws

In force — [Law Name] ([Year])
Draft — [Bill Name] (under consideration)
None — No data protection law

Legal — decriminalised [Year], [additional protections]
Criminalised — [Penal Code section], penalty: [punishment]
Decriminalised — [Year], no formal recognition

AI Policies

Adopted — [Strategy Name], [Year]
Draft/Early — [Policy Name] under development ([Year])
None — No formal AI strategy

SIM Registration

Yes — mandatory [type] registration since [Year]
ID mandatory — SIM registration with ID, not biometric
No — voluntary registration

Verification Checklist

Before saving changes: - [ ] Value format matches existing entries - [ ] Policy date and source access date are recorded accurately - [ ] Source is cited with access date - [ ] Cross-referenced with 2+ sources where possible - [ ] Notes capture important context (enforcement, amendments)

After Bulk Updates

  1. Run diff tool to update cache: 

    python pipeline_runner.py --mode scorecard --scorecard-action diff

  2. Commit changes: 

    git add data/scorecard/scorecard_main.xlsx scorecard.xlsx
git add data/cache/scorecard_sources/*.json
git commit -m "Update scorecard: [brief description of updates]"

  3. Re-export for publication: 

    python pipeline_runner.py --mode scorecard --scorecard-action all

Maintenance Schedule

  • Weekly: Check for major legislative changes (news monitoring)
  • Monthly: Review changed sources from diff tool
  • Quarterly: Review assessments with old or missing source-review dates
  • Annually: Comprehensive review of all 194 countries

Resources

  • Maintenance Report: docs/maintenance/SCORECARD_MAINTENANCE_REPORT.md
  • Scorecard Workflow: docs/guides/SCORECARD_WORKFLOW.md
  • Data Standards: docs/standards/METADATA_SCHEMA.md
  • Update tracking: data/exports/scorecard_diff_report.json