Integrating big data into program evaluation: An invitation to participate in a short survey

As we all know, big data and data science are becoming increasingly important in all aspects of our lives. There is a similar rapid growth in the applications of big data in the design and implementation of development programs. Examples range from the use of satellite images and remote sensors in emergency relief and the identification of poverty hotspots, through the use of mobile phones to track migration and to estimate changes in income (by tracking airtime purchases), social media analysis to track sentiments and predict increases in ethnic tension, and using smart phones on Internet of Things (IOT) to monitor health through biometric indicators.

Despite the rapidly increasing role of big data in development programs, there is speculation that evaluators have been slower to adopt big data than have colleagues working in other areas of development programs. Some of the evidence for the slow take-up of big data by evaluators is summarized in “The future of development evaluation in the age of big data”.  However, there is currently very limited empirical evidence to test these concerns.

To try to fill this gap, my colleagues Rick Davies and Linda Raftree and I would like to invite those of you who are interested in big data and/or the future of evaluation to complete the attached survey. This survey, which takes about 10 minutes to complete asks evaluators to report on the data collection and data analysis techniques that you use in the evaluations you design, manage or analyze; while at the same time asking data scientists how familiar they are with evaluation tools and techniques.

The survey was originally designed to obtain feedback from participants in the MERL Tech conferences on “Exploring the Role of Technology in Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning in Development” that are held annually in London and Washington, DC, but we would now like to broaden the focus to include a wider range of evaluators and data scientists.

One of the ways in which the findings will be used is to help build bridges between evaluators and data scientists by designing integrated training programs for both professions that introduce the tools and techniques of both conventional evaluation practice and data science, and show how they can be combined to strengthen both evaluations and data science research. “Building bridges between evaluators and big data analysts” summarizes some of the elements of a strategy to bring the two fields closer together.

The findings of the survey will be shared through this and other sites, and we hope this will stimulate a follow-up discussion. Thank you for your cooperation and we hope that the survey and the follow-up discussions will provide you with new ways of thinking about the present and potential role of big data and data science in program evaluation.

Here’s the link to the survey – please take a few minute to fill it out!

You can also join me, Kerry Bruce and Pete York on September 5th for a full day workshop on Big Data and Evaluation in Washington DC.