Guidance on Responsible Data Governance: the framework

In 2021, CLEAR-AA and MERL Tech worked with a group of African data privacy and M&E experts to explore African perspectives on responsible data governance in M&E. We developed a two-part report on Responsible Data Governance for Monitoring and Evaluation in the African Context.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve put together a series of blog posts from Part 1 of the Responsible Data Governance for Monitoring and Evaluation in the African Context. The series provided an overview of data laws and responsible data governance across the African continent. In the coming weeks, we will be focusing on Part 2 of the report, which delves into a more practical approach to responsible data management, before, during, and after data collection.

Our guiding framework

Within the M&E Cycle (Figure 1), data collection and analysis take place at different stages: during diagnosis or needs assessment and consultation; when designing and planning a programme; during the baseline or mid-line; during implementation when conducting monitoring and when staff are collecting data during programme operations; during the evaluation stage; and right through to reporting, knowledge management and improvement plans.

On the other hand, the Data Lifecycle (Figure 2) illustrates the journey of data throughout each stage of the M&E activity. From designing the overall exercise, data collection or acquisition, analysis, sharing or using, through to the point that it is retained or destroyed, to further communicating data and using it for decision making. Each data-related process follows its own Data Lifecycle.

There are seven stages in the Data Lifecycle, and responsible data governance is key at every stage. The stages are:

1. Design and planning
2. Collecting or acquiring data
3. Responsible M&E data transmission and storage
4. Responsible M&E data cleaning, analysis, and use
5. Responsible open data and data sharing
6. Responsible M&E data visual and communication
7. Responsible data retention, maintenance, and destruction

Stay tuned as we kick off our series on the practical side of responsible data management for M&E practitioners. Next week’s blog post will walk you through the first stage of the data life cycle: Design and Planning, and how this can be considered alongside the first stage of the monitoring and evaluation cycle.

If you’d like to read more about data governance, see our previous series.