Making decisions in real-time becomes critical in conflict-affected areas where the conditions change rapidly and at times, unpredictably. With the stakes being so high and only a slim margin of error, SRoL programmes need to respond with agility. In view of this, real-time data capturing tools can be transformative as they enable organisations to monitor, assess and react in real-time to an emerging situation.
This use case demonstrates the importance of data in dynamic programme management by drawing concrete examples from the PLI Observation Report that illustrate actual accruing benefits from this approach.
Responsive programme management
The PLI Observation Report gives many examples of how Propel's data empowered capabilities respond promptly and effectively to ground realities. In one case, a programme in a volatile region – meaning an area where the dynamics of conflicts are typically changing fast – was making situational awareness really challenging. Having traditional means of data collection was too slow to catch up with these changes which had a bearing on in-the-minute decision making.
Making time to act at crucial moments
By integrating digital tools into their operations, real-time data from multiple sources across the region would feed into the programme. This included data regarding local security conditions, population movements and stakeholder activities, all of which fed directly into the programme's decision making processes. This information allowed for the better adoption of strategies, for instance, redistributing resources to where they were most needed and continuing to adapt efforts with the local communities in terms of the current realities on the ground.
Improved stakeholder collaboration
Data collection through Propel significantly improved stakeholder collaboration across multiple regions. In most cases, where multiple actors need to act in coordination for SRoL initiatives to be successful, the different actors must share a common and current understanding of the situation. The PLI Observation Report articulates how tools like Propel allowed for stakeholders to communicate and collaborate better, ensuring more unified and implementing programmes.
What’s the deep insight here?
Such tools provide a platform for sharing data. This in turn enables collective analysis that different stakeholders can use to coordinate efforts in the execution of activities and joint decision making, based on the most current information at any given time.
This approach increases not only the efficiency of the initiative but builds relations between the various actors involved in activities, making the responses to challenges encountered more cooperative, consolidated and allowing for more inclusive stakeholder engagement.
This level of inclusiveness helps ensure that the voices of those most affected are actually heard and heeded in decision making processes, resulting in interventions better attuned to the needs and realities of the communities.
Challenges and adaptations
Of the challenges highlighted through the PLI Observation Report, one of the most pertinent related to the accuracy and reliability of data collected. In fast-moving environments that were often chaotic, data can be incomplete, misleading and realistically, just out of date.
Mitigating risk by managing intelligence offline
In light of such risk, constant training on best practices in data collection is one of a few adaptations that allowed for data integrity to be maintained, so that decisions would be based on information considered valid and reliable.
Programmes have to navigate not only these associated political pitfalls but also technical concerns: rolling out digital solutions across geographies characterised by bare infrastructures and often, the absence of internet access and digital devices. By developing offline capabilities and ensuring that such tools could function well in such environments, programmes can overcome these high-stakes barriers and fully utilise the benefits of real-time data.
Learning and innovations
Some critical lessons and innovations have been learned by Propel in capturing and acting on learnings in SRoL programmes. One clear lesson captured in the PLI Observation Report is that there is value in anchoring data in the form of learnings at the heart of programme management.
Engendering better programme outcomes
In fact, programmes reported responding more quickly and effectively to emerging issues and challenges as a result of having real-time insights at the core of their decision-making processes.
Innovations in data visualisation also drove higher usage of data capturing tools. It is in this regard that Propel's capacity to structure complex data into clear, visually simple formats makes it easier for stakeholders to see situations at a glance. This increases not only decision making efficiency but also collaboration among stakeholders working with the learnings. In turn, data becomes easily sharable and interpretable across teams and regions.
Scalability and follow-up action
The fact that an Intelligence Tool like Propel has been able to contribute to the success of SRoL programmes is an indication of their immense potential for replication and scaling in other regions and sectors.
As the report reveals, use of learnings capturing tools stretch from security and governance challenges to gender equality and community engagement. Lessons learned in their early use will be especially instrumental in fine-tuning them as more programmes adopt these tools.
In this respect, the integration of digital tools such as Propel into these specialist context programmes has been important to their ability to successfully respond to challenges in a variety of contexts. By capturing, analysing, and acting on data, such tools empower organisations to make more informed decisions, at the same time enhancing stakeholder collaboration and driving impact.
According to the PLI Observation Report, lessons learned from these experiences underline the critical role of data in dynamic programme management. Looking ahead, sustained adoption and ongoing innovation will be important in sustaining and scaling the hard-won successes so far and ensuring that SRoL programmes can continue to drive change – the minute it is needed in the most complex contexts.