Enabling Greater Social Impact with Data-Driven Decision Making
Workflow automation ensures timely access to accurate information and automates data-based processes
Data-driven decision-making is essential for driving social impact and achieving sustainable outcomes. By harnessing the power of data and leveraging automation technology, social impact organizations can not only drive impactful results but also streamline processes and alleviate the burden on their often overworked staff. This synergistic approach empowers social impact initiatives to make informed decisions, allocate resources effectively, and maximize their positive impact on communities.
Imagine a world where social impact initiatives are data-driven, resources are efficiently allocated, and project impact metrics are accurately measured. This vision is achievable by using workflow automation to harness the power of data. By doing so, these mission-driven organizations can maximize their impact and create a more equitable and sustainable future.
The Power of Data
In the technology-fueled world we live in today, humans are creating more data than ever, generating an estimated 402.74 million terabytes of data per day. Data-driven decision making (DDDM) is no longer a luxury for social impact organizations; it’s a necessity. When the immense amount of data within these organizations is harnessed correctly, it has the ability to provide valuable insights, identify trends and make informed decisions that drive positive change.
The benefits of DDDM far outweigh the benefits of intuitive decision making, with one of the most significant being improved impact measurement and evaluation. Analyzing data on outcomes, beneficiaries and resource allocation, organizations can gain a deeper understanding of the effectiveness of their initiatives. Decision making is further improved by DDDM by enabling organizations to identify trends, patterns and potential risks, allowing them to take appropriate action in response to the data. This can lead to improved outcomes, increased efficiency and reduced costs.
Finally, DDDM helps to guard against bias, allowing decision makers to rely on data rather than opinions or assumptions. This helps to protect different perspectives, and allows organizations to remain equitable and inclusive.
The Role of Workflow Automation
While data may be abundant in most social impact organizations, having to transform and analyze various data sets from varied sources means that effective decision making is delayed. According to Gartner, only 29% of strategists feel their organizations are agile enough to keep pace with changes and disruption. And while that speaks to the larger context of business, if we simply look at the healthcare industry alone, out of all the data captured and generated, 97% of it goes unused.
A key solution to this challenge is workflow automation. By automating the collection, processing and analysis of data, organizations can streamline their operations, reduce errors and gain real-time insights. This empowers them to take more responsive and effective action through DDDM, which can be critical in many social impact initiatives. Workflow automation also enables organizations to automate action based on its data. For example, using workflow automation, you can send a SMS to every new patient enrolled, send consent form to a guardian if a patient age is detected to be under 18 years, or alert an administrator if registration forms are missing critical data points that might cause data quality issues.
Case Study: Monitoring Child Protection in Cambodia
To effectively address the alarming rates of child abuse in Cambodia, the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation (MoSVY), UNICEF, and partners implemented an automated data sharing and monitoring solution. This solution, powered by OpenFn, integrated the Primero case management system with the Child Protection Information Management System (CPIMS+) dashboard, enabling seamless interoperability, automated data exchange, and regular monitoring of key program indicators. The CPIMS+ Dashboard is a critical tool for monitoring case management of vulnerable children, supporting child protection systems in humanitarian and development contexts. This solution helps the government and its partners track, evaluate, and deliver better quality services to vulnerable children and their families. Read more about the dashboard here.
OpenFn’s Impact
- Improved data accuracy and timeliness: Automated data exchange eliminated the need for manual data entry, reducing errors and ensuring that the dashboard was always up-to-date.
- Enhanced decision-making: Timely access to data empowered policymakers and service providers to make more informed decisions about child protection programs.
- Increased efficiency: Automation streamlined the reporting process, freeing up staff to focus on other important tasks.
- Improved collaboration: The automated system facilitated data sharing and collaboration among government agencies, NGOs, and other stakeholders.
- Enhanced Security & Anonymity: Sensitive data is anonymized and securely shared, enabling in-depth analysis without compromising child safety.
This case study demonstrates the powerful potential of workflow automation in social impact organizations. By automating data collection, processing, and analysis, NGOs, Governments and social enterprises can improve their efficiency, accuracy, and responsiveness. This, in turn, can lead to more effective and impactful social programs.
The Future of Social Impact: Powered by OpenFn
In an era where data is the new currency, social impact organizations have a unique opportunity to leverage its power to create a more equitable and sustainable future. By embracing DDDM and harnessing the transformative potential of automation technology, these organizations can gain deeper insights into program effectiveness, make informed decisions based on evidence, increase efficiency and cost-effectiveness, and guard against bias. This allows them to allocate resources more efficiently, mitigate risks and identify trends, streamline operations and reduce errors, and ensure fair and equitable decision-making.
As the leading Digital Public Good and fully open source workflow automation platform, OpenFn is committed to supporting NGOs, Governments and social enterprises around the world to develop and implement solutions to scale up impact across their programmes. We can help you:
- Streamline operations: Automate repetitive tasks and workflows, freeing up staff to focus on high-impact activities.
- Access real-time insights: Gain valuable insights from data, enabling data-driven decision making.
- Collaborate effectively: Facilitate collaboration and information sharing among stakeholders.
- Scale your impact: Easily expand and adapt your programs to meet growing needs.
Unlock the potential of workflow automation by signing up for free and using our secure, stable, and hosted SaaS, or book a demo with our team to learn more!
Meghan Gilroy