DRA Alliance Dashboard Development: How we work agile

Over the last few months Data4Development has worked extensively to improve selected functionality of the current Dutch Relief Alliance (DRA) dashboard. D4D continues to host the dashboard on its own Data Workbench platform with periodical updates. We worked in an agile way tackling one issue after another to improve the dashboard.

In the first sprint, we took on the financial model of DRA dashboard. We worked here intensively with Peter Das from ZOA and Leo Stolk from Oxfam Novib with stand up calls each week. This led to a thorough review of financial fields like Budget and Transactions and ensuring that the dashboard displays the right amounts when the input data is correct.
We also reviewed calculated fields like spent and burn rate.This led to improvements both in the dashboard and on the data quality as a result of feedback the DRA members received from us.

In the second sprint, we worked on the results model that provides the DRA with visualisation of the progress of the joined responses. We learnt that DRA has an updated logframe with indicator and results code and would prefer results broken down by sector. In addition, we added disaggregated dimensions of male/ female in the results. We updated the data model in the back end to include both sectors and disaggregated data. Again here, the DRA members were given input on how to improve the data quality in relation to the results.

Once the financial and results model are on track to gain insights into the progress of the Joint Responses, D4D along with the DRA M&E workgroup planned to organize webinars to walk DRA members through the dashboard. The first webinar was in July and the second is in August. The goal of the webinar is to generate renewed enthusiasm for using and for improving the dashboard. This also helped us in collecting input from potential users of the Dashboard inside DRA. If you would like to know to have a peek into the dashboard click here. If your organization/ Joint response is interested in knowing more about it send us an email.