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Enabling Conditions

The level of effort to create the enabling conditions for a data-informed, geographic approach to development will depend on many factors. If the Mission is in compliance with all requirements of ADS 579 and using existing Agency systems like the DIS, many of the enabling conditions are likely already in place.

Update mission orders

Mission orders set the policy for the Mission and provide essential guidance for Mission staff to do their jobs. Mission orders should include language that reflects best practices and requires the engagement of the Data Steward at key points. For example, the Activity Design Mission order was updated to require consultation with the Data Steward early during activity design to ensure existing datasets are utilized and that partners budget sufficient resources to report and use data during activity implementation.

Draft solicitation language

When activity design teams prepare solicitations, the solicitation language must sufficiently describe the requirements for data collection and sharing that respondents can plan and budget for the tasks required. The respondent’s plan and capacity for meeting data-related requirements may also be considered as criteria during technical evaluation of proposals. Standard language was drafted to cover all data sharing requirements, including for Activity Location Data, Performance Monitoring, and Thematic Data. This language is an adaptation of the standard language provided by the GeoCenter. Solicitation language should be reviewed by OAA.

The sections of the solicitation language template that were updated include:

  • Section C - Scope of Work: Clearly describe the requirements for including MECLA and other data collection/submission requirements
  • Section L - Instructions: provide instructions on how respondents should indicate their plan to meet the requirements of Section C.
  • Section M - Evaluation Criteria: describe how the MECLA plan and other data management responses will be evaluated.
  • Section F - Reports: requirements for reporting and submitting data.

The solicitation language must also be carried forward into award language.

Define data standards

Data Standards are used to standardize data collection methods, the formats of submitted data, the data attributes collected, the coding of specific attributes and other aspects. Clarifying data standards up front will reduce the effort of partners during data submission and ensure that data can be aggregated for Mission-wide analysis. ADS 579saa describes the data collection standards for geographic data and the DDL User Guide provides more general guidance.

In a Mission, data standards should be developed with input from all offices because they must work for everyone. To ensure proper governance, an owner is assigned to each data standard. The data standard owner must approve any changes to their data standard.

Data standards often include both schema and vocabulary.

  • Schema: describes the attributes that must be collected for each type of data collection.
  • Vocabulary: describes the standard codes to be used for each attribute.

For example, “Beneficiary Type” is a standard attribute and “Women” is a standard code. The attributes of the schema and each code in the vocabulary should be defined clearly.

These principles can be used to inform development of the data standards:

  1. Link schema and vocabulary to teams so there is accountability and ownership
  2. Vocabulary for any attribute should be mutually exclusive
  3. Link to existing schemas as much as possible (e.g., the Standardized Program Structure and Definitions)
  4. Use nested hierarchies to allow for additional specificity when needed (e.g., exact age, 5-year age bands, and youth/adult would be hierarchical and aggregable)
  5. Don’t have so many categories that it is overwhelming or impossible to find the right one.

Data assets submitted should include data documentation (e.g., metadata) that define the schema and vocabulary of each dataset.

Create partner resources

Partner resources, including guidance and standard templates, can help partners create, use, and contribute data to support evidence-based decision-making. Partner resources for Guatemala are distributed in the Data Hub's Partner Resources page. A few key resources that were developed for Guatemala are described below.

Activity Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Plan (AMELP)

The AMELP describes the expected monitoring, evaluation, collaborating, learning, and adapting (MECLA) efforts of an activity over a specified period of time, and focuses on whether an activity is achieving programmatic results and generating learning to inform its adaptation based on evidence.

Data Management Planning Guide

A Data Management Plan (DMP) is a tool to guide the identification of anticipated data assets and outline tasks to manage these assets across a full data lifecycle. The DMP Planning Guide ensures that all DMPs contain these elements:

  • a data inventory
  • protocols for data collection, management and storage
  • protocols for maintaining adequate safeguards that may include the privacy and security of digital information collected under the award
  • documentation that ensures other users can understand and use the data
  • protocols for preserving digital information and facilitating access by other stakeholders.

Indicator menu

A menu of indicators ensures that new activities utilize standard indicators and existing custom indicators whenever they are sufficient to inform adaptive management of the activity. This helps the Mission better report results from programming and communicate with stakeholders.