Who sets the standards rules the game: International policy for producing global indicators and reports

Abstract

This article examines a relatively overlooked dimension of power in the international system, namely the political role played by global indicators and reports in shaping public policies and restructuring international positions. It is grounded in the central assumption that measurement and evaluation tools are no longer neutral technical instruments, but have evolved in to mechanisms of indirect governance through standards and numbers rather than direct coercion.

The article adopts a critical analytical approach that combines structural analysis of the relationship between knowledge and power with empirical examination of concrete cases drawn from development, education, and governance. It argues that global indicators do not merely describe reality but actively reconstruct it by defining what is measured, how it is measured, and who holds the authority to determine success and failure. Furthermore, it demonstrates how report outcomes are increasingly used in negotiations, development financing, and reputation-building, turning numerical rankings into influential elements of international decision-making.

The study also analyses different state strategies in responding to global evaluation regimes, distinguishing between strict compliance, selective adaptation, and methodological manoeuvring. It highlights the limited agency of states that remain excluded from the production of global standards, as well as the structural biases embedded in claims of objectivity and neutrality.

The article concludes that the international politics of indicators constitute a subtle yet powerful arena of contestation over defining reality and progress. It calls for a shift from a narrow focus on improving rankings toward a strategy of knowledge reappropriation, based on critical engagement, institutional capacity-building, and active participation in the production of global standards.

Keywords: Global Indicators; International Reports; Knowledge and Power; Indirect Governance; Public Policy; International System.

Received Date: December 20, 2025               

Accepted Date: January 12, 2026                

Published Date: February 01, 2026

Available Online at: https://www.ijsrisjournal.com/index.php/ojsfiles/article/view/560