A Partnership Between

Development GatewayBrigham Young University

The College of William & Mary

“Drinking from the Firehose”

1. Visualization helps make sense of information

2. But neither information nor visualization ….. imply that we will learn

Avoid the illusion of learning

Two Key Points

1. Targeting of Need

2. Donor Coordination

3. Recipient Feedback

Where do information and visualization get us?The role of geocoding…

Three Key Questions

Geocoding allows fund tracking at the sub-national level

Does aid reach and help the neediest?

Targeting of Need

Full .pdf here

How do we really know whether aid helps?

Will visualizations mislead users?

Targeting of Need

Do donors coordinate to target areas of need?

Geographic clustering in areas of concentrated need

…Spread out in areas of diffuse need

Donor Coordination

Is clustering inherently problematic?

What is missing?

...cofinancing. else?

The Swarm Principle

Geocoding makes possible leveraging the wisdom of crowds through decentralized

citizen and NGO feedback

Recipient Feedback

If you build it… will they really come?

Locations, Incentives….not technology

Recipient Feedback

Good, Better, Best

Complexity of development:Need for other types of informationBetter information on aid and need over time Methods for multiple variables and

identification of causal pathways

Randomized Controlled Trials

The Illusion of Learning?

We’re betting on transparency and visualizationI’m on board

But more information does not imply learningVisualization does not imply learning

In the race for information, let’s take the time to learn