1. Khulisa Management Services (Pty) Ltd
Funders (of all shapes and sizes)
should have rules and tools to
ensure data quality
Jennifer Bisgard
March 14, 2013
Accurately Measuring Progress

2. Panel Questions…
• Where do funders tend to lapse in terms
of data quality and consistency?
• What are some of the tools that funders
can employ to ensure quality and
consistency of reported data?
• How can small funders promote data
quality on a limited budget?
Accurately Measuring Progress

3. Is this acceptable?
• NGO X delivered services to 236 people
in the village…
• 6 buildings were built…
• 82 people were fed...
• School X improved its matric pass rate
from 50% to 80%
• 32 teachers attended a workshop…
Accurately Measuring Progress

4. What do the numbers mean?
• delivered services to 256 … but 25 people received
services 10 times, and 6 more came once
• 6 buildings built… but 4 are unused and 2 are
vandalised
• 82 people fed... On over-boiled cabbage and
Koeksusters
• matric pass rate improved from 50% to 80%… but only 16
passed in both years (difference 32 took exam in
2011 and only 20 in 2012)
• Attended a workshop… but played games on their cell
Accurately Measuring Progress

5. What data do we get?
Name Pre-test Post-test
Jabu 34 36
Siza 23 28
Thumi 27 25
Lebo 16 21
John 25 29
Elly 28 22
Zandi 38 33
Accurately Measuring Progress

6. Why invest in data quality?
No Investment
in Quality Poor Quality
Accurately Measuring Progress
The Data are
No Good
The Data are
Not Valued
Data Sent

7. Invest in data quality!
Investment
in Quality Quality
Accurately Measuring Progress
The Data are
Good
The Data are
Valued
Data Sent

8. Data Quality Audit Framework
Risk
Reduction
DATA MANAGEMENT
SYSTEM
Consists of Data
Management Processes /
Procedures
Accurately Measuring Progress
DATA QUALITY SYSTEM
Data Quality Processes /
Procedures to achieve Data
Quality Criteria
AUDITABLE SYSTEM
Verification of the entire Data
Management System
Risk
Verification
Source
Validity
Reliability
Integrity
Precision
Timeliness
Completeness
Audit
Trails
Collection
Collation
Analysis
Reporting
Usage

9. What can smaller funders do?
• Decide on the desired outcome
• Use data to select sites/participants
• Invest in monitoring requirements
• Require capacity building
• Demand Mastery rather than attendance
• Assess performance against standards
• Audit data quality
• Conduct evaluations
Accurately Measuring Progress

10. Accurately Measuring Progress
Resources
• South African Monitoring and Evaluation
Association (SAMEA) www.samea.org.za
• African Evaluation Association www.afrea.org
• Better Evaluation
http://betterevaluation.org/
• My M&E http://www.mymande.org/
• Impact Reporting & Investment Standards GIIN
IRIS http://iris.thegiin.org/
• “Indicators as Interventions”
www.rockefellerfoundation.org/

11. Accurately Measuring Progress
Thank you