Is Your Data Actually Useful? A Practical Tune-Up for NGO Data & MEL

Where Does Good Data Really Begin?

• Where does data quality actually get created — and where does it get lost?

• Why do the same data problems keep recurring even when MEL teams improve their tools and checks?

• How do we identify which data is genuinely useful for programme decisions?

• What can we change in the way work is designed and carried out to make better data easier to generate?

Good data doesn’t start with the MEL team — it starts with how programmes are designed and implemented.

In this session, we’ll explore how everyday programme processes and ways of working affect the quality, usefulness, and timeliness of the data NGOs collect. The session will focus on practical ways to identify where data problems begin, improve data quality at the source, and make sure the data collected is useful for both programme decisions and reporting.

Participants will also identify one or two changes they can make within their existing ways of working, without adding another tool or system.

Key Takeaways

• Identify where data problems originate in your existing processes.

• Distinguish between data that is useful for decision-making and data collected mainly for reporting.

• Learn practical ways to improve data quality at the point of data creation.

• Identify one or two changes you can make without adding another tool or system.
  

Who is this for?
MEL and programme professionals in NGOs and development organisations who have a basic understanding of MEL and want to improve the quality and usefulness of the data generated through their programmes.

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Additional Resources

Here are some additional resources you can go through if you would like to learn more about the topic.

1. Strengthening Data in Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Systems: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

2. Data Analytics Lifecycle

3. Program Design Frameworks