The Monitoring Support Project (MSP) has provided assistance to the monitoring endeavors of USAID/Afghanistan and USAID-funded projects in the eastern region of Afghanistan since October 2015. In the eastern provinces, operations are conducted as part of the MSP-E project. Meanwhile, two other organizations, MSI Worldwide and IDS International, oversee reporting in the remaining regions of the country.
To ensure the generation of efficient, accurate, and high-quality information, the Mission employs a multi-tiered approach involving data collection from various sources. This strategy, in conjunction with the triangulation principle, enables USAID to obtain a comprehensive overview of the landscape and rectify even the slightest inaccuracies.
While this strategy has effectively navigated challenges arising from security constraints and weak infrastructure in demanding environments like Afghanistan, the absence of a Mission-supported, widely distributed, and shared Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) system has proven to be a significant disadvantage. Given that three implementing partners (IPs) are involved, each contributing three distinct deliverables – raw monitoring data, individual M&V activity reports, and activity report summaries – challenges abound. This is especially true considering that each deliverable must conform to a consistent data presentation format across all contributors.
In addition to the extensive collaboration and coordination efforts required among the implementing partners to align client deliverables, the client also grapples with the daunting task of managing an extensive volume of data, resulting in an overwhelming workload.
To enhance the client’s utility, the idea of a secure, centralized data management dashboard or repository was proposed. This envisioned tool would serve as a resource for data visualization, simplifying analysis and reporting procedures. Transforming this concept into reality, MSP-E developed a prototype portal where field data can be uploaded, stored, visualized, and shared with stakeholders.
The application not only stores and organizes regular raw data reports but also empowers users to manipulate and categorize data effortlessly. For instance, performance metrics can be easily examined based on factors like location, project, date, and gender. The application provides the client with the ability to view project activities on a topographical map and export activity information into a spreadsheet that can be shared with field staff. Additionally, survey tools and reports are readily accessible.
Demonstrating its practicality beyond a mere prototype, MSP-E continues to employ the dashboard internally, hinting at its potential utility in other projects. Entering its second year of use, this “Data Portal” has been acknowledged by the USAID client for offering essential data services, most notably impressive in terms of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and analytical capabilities. These functionalities are deemed essential for all future data-sharing platforms.
The Monitoring Support Project, MSP, has supported the monitoring efforts of USAID/Afghanistan and USAID-funded projects in the eastern part of Afghanistan since October 2015. The QED Group operates in 16 eastern provinces under the MSP-E project, while two other implementers, MSI Worldwide and IDS International, report on the remaining areas of the country.
In order to ensure that efficient, accurate, and quality information is being generated, the Mission utilizes a multi-tiered approach in which data is collected by, and from, multiple sources. By applying this strategy with the principle of triangulation, USAID is capable of gathering a complete lay of the land and revise for even the slightest inaccuracy.
Though this strategy has proven to work well in maneuvering around the security constraints and weak infrastructure presented in challenging environments such as Afghanistan, the absence of a Mission-sponsored, distributed and shared MEL system, proved to be a great disadvantage. With three implementing partners (IPs), each sending three different deliverables – raw monitoring data, individual M&V activity reports, and activity report summaries – challenges are not few, especially considering that each deliverable must share the same format of data presentation across the submitting parties.
In addition to the massive collaboration and coordination efforts required on behalf of QED and the other IPs to harmonize client deliverables, the client also deals with the challenge of having to work through a massive amount of data, creating an insurmountable workload.
With the client’s utility in mind, QED proposed a secure, one-stop data management dashboard or repository that would operate as a tool for data visualization and ease the process of analysis and reporting. Turning the idea into reality, MSP-E developed a prototype portal into which field data is uploaded, archived, visualized, and can be shared with stakeholder users.
The application organizes and stores the raw data that is reported on regularly but then also allows for the user to manipulate and stratify it at the click of a button. For example, performance measures are easily explored by location, project, date, and gender. In tools, the client has the ability to view the activities undertaken on a topographical map and export activity information into a spreadsheet that could be shared throughout the field staff. Survey tools and reports are readily available as well.
Proving itself to be more than a prototype, MSP-E continues to use the dashboard internally while alluding to its possible utility in other QED projects. Now in its 2nd year of use, this “Data Portal” is recognized by the USAID client as offering the kinds of data services, most impressively the GIS and analytical functionalities, that all future data-share utilities should include.