Stocktaking

Conduct a stocktaking

The first step is understanding where you are now. A stocktaking was conducted in the first two months of this effort. Key informant interviews and a review of existing data assets and business practices helped discover the existing capacity and culture of the Mission. Findings and opportunities were identified related to data infrastructure, access and use. A list of recommendations was produced to guide future work. See the Stocktaking Report here.

Inventory existing and available data

A natural next step is to inventory all existing data and understand which data are potentially available. Data assets available within the Mission were inventoried and a review of government and other relevant data sources was conducted. When evaluating external data sources, it's important to consider the relevance, reliability, timeliness and consistency with the Mission's point of view. The data inventory for the Mission is described as an annex in the Stocktaking Report. Over time, the data inventory became the foundation of the Thematic Database.

Create a roadmap

Once you understand where you are, and which data are available, it's time to set a goal and create a plan to get there. A roadmap describes the key milestones you intend to achieve in the next 3-5 years. For Guatemala, we developed a results framework to inform the roadmap.

Four pillars comprise the results framework:

1. Data Infrastructure, Access & Use: managing data as an asset will ensure that stakeholders have timely access to trustworthy and up-to-date information.
2. Technology & Human Resources: securing the capacity required to deliver data-driven products and services will empower stakeholders to use data across the Program Cycle.
3. Institutional Support: sufficiently resourcing and maintaining the program will ensure it’s long-term sustainability.
4. Demand from Stakeholders: cultivating an inquisitive culture will build demand for data products and services that support data-driven decision making.

The recommendations from the Stocktaking Report served as the first roadmap that led to the develop of Atlas.

To identify intervention points for the roadmap, a theory of change was developed for each pillar.

Data Infrastructure, Access & Use

graph LR
  A(Sufficient data \n available for \n basic analyses) --> B(Data are \n joinable, \n shareable, \n queryable) --> C(Major data \n gaps are \n filled) --> D(Data are \n trustworthy, \n stakeholders \n trust data) --> E(Data are \n updated \n regularly) --> F{Data quality \n and frequency \n meet stakeholder \n needs}

Technology & Human Resources

graph LR
  A(Access to \n expertise & \n techology) --> B(Stakeholder \n needs are \n understood) --> C(Products & \n services \n are defined) --> D(Long-term \n strategy is \n defined)
  D --> E(Continuous \n learning and \n exploring \n new tools)
  D --> F(Manage & \n maintain \n capacity)
  E --> G{Expertise & \n tech meet \n stakeholder \n needs}
  F --> G

Institutional Support

graph LR
  A(Identify internal \n champions & \n data leaders) --> B(Small wins \n are created) --> C(Stakeholder \n requests \n are met in a \n timely way ) --> D(Platforms are \n developed to \n make data \n and analyses \n accessible) --> E(Data and \n analyses are \n integrated \n across the \n Program Cycle) --> F{Timely \n products & \n services meet \n stakeholder \n needs}

Demand from Stakeholders

graph LR
  A(Stakeholders are \n aware of \n products & \n services, know \n when to \n use them) --> B(Stakeholders \n ask insightful \n questions)
  B --> C(Stakeholders \n access \n shared data \n for insights)
  B --> D(Stakeholders \n request ad-hoc \n analyses)
  C --> E(Stakeholders \n develop data \n literacy)
  D --> E
  E --> F(Stakeholders \n are accountable \n for decisions)
  F --> G(Stakeholders \n rigorously test \n assumptions and \n tactics)
  G --> H{Stakeholders \n share culture \n of curiosity \n & continuous \n improvement}