Agriculture data being reported, collected, and visualized is growing exponentially. But are the data we’re spending so much to collect truly relevant for decision makers? We’re proud to announce that, through our Results Data Initiative (RDI), we’re working with Malawi’s Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development (MOAIWD) to design a National Agriculture Management Information System (NAMIS).

Last week, we shared our schedule for this week’s Data for Development Festival, hosted by the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data (GPSDD)  in Bristol, UK.

Last month, the Results Data Initiative (RDI) convened its second cross-ministry co-design workshop -- surfacing new opportunities for the Government of Tanzania to put health data to use at the local level.

This post builds upon a DG contribution to the 2017 OECD Development Cooperation Report, launched on October 17, 2017.

All too often, discussions about managing for results in development fail to specify who is managing, what decisions they are authorized to make, or what results data are being used. Identifying the who and whats is critical, as this decision space informs what types of tools, processes, and information are needed by decision-makers to serve the why: achieving better outcomes.

It didn’t surprise me when I learned that -- when Ministry of Finance officials conduct trainings on the Aid Management Platform for Village Chiefs, CSOs and citizens throughout the districts of Malawi -- officials are almost immediately asked:

“What were the results of these projects? What were the outcomes?”

In the Results Data Initiative (RDI)’s first cross-ministry co-design workshop, we explored opportunities for greater data-driven decision-making in Tanzania’s health sector.

This is a guest post from the co-founders of Cooper/Smith, a DC-based startup that uses data to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of development programs.

Earlier this month, the Results Data Initiative (RDI) program reached an important milestone by convening our first cross-ministry co-design workshop with 24 officials across the Government of Tanzania. Our goal? Put data to use for decision-making in health.

We recently wrote about how the data for development community needs to take a more context aware, demand-driven approach to data. Applying theories of change...

As a development community, we invest a great deal in data-related activities – particularly for monitoring and results reporting. But are the ways in which we gather, share, and use this information as efficient and impactful as they must be, to achieve the 2030 Agenda?...