Where did you come from, where do you go? A quick guide into M&E

by Archana Shivan and Nayantara Nanda
Outline India is a data and research firm that undertakes primary data collection. We assist organisations, academics and government bodies to assess the impact of various interventions. Our aim is to enable organisations to make data driven decisions. Our new self reporting tech tool ‘Track Your Metrics’, provides surveys, linked to various indicators to allow users to conduct regular assessments and measure the impact of their programs.
As you work on a project to make the world a better place, you may want to stop periodically and ask yourself the following questions:
Field missions and data stories

by Prerna Mukharya
Data lies at the heart of research and policymaking in the social sector. But where does this data really come from? In this note, Prerna Mukharya (Founder, Outline India, Track your metrics), shares experiences from fieldwork in different parts of the country and presents insights into the complicated and challenging process of data collection.
One goes through pages of numbers each day, tucked away in our Whatsapp forwards, the op-eds we read and write, the reports we skim through, and the slides we view at conferences.
Pause and consider the origin of those numbers.
Understanding the COVID-19 Infodemic: How Misinformation Impacts Mindsets

by Prerna Mukharya
The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, very correctly said, “We’re not just fighting an epidemic; we’re fighting an infodemic,” referring to fake news that, “spreads faster and more easily than this virus.” Adding to this, WHO explained that an infodemic makes it difficult to identify a problem because it provides excessive information (misinformation and rumors) about a problem, which can hamper an effective public health response and create confusion and distrust among consumers of this information.
Using drones for social sector research

by Prerna Mukharya
While drones have historically been used in military operations, their application for peaceful purposes has risen steeply in recent years. In this note, representatives from Outline India - a research and development consultancy firm - discuss their efforts to integrate drones in social sector research to make data analysis more evidence-based, visualise policy performance, and produce actionable research materials to aid public policy making and monitoring.
Data collection, research and evaluation services across India during COVID-19

by Prerna Mukharya
Lockdowns and social distancing measures have severe implications for data collection, research and evaluation services that many academics and donors from across the world commission for their research projects in South Asia. Here Prerna Mukharya (Outline India) explains the challenges owing to the national lockdown in India and how it affects her organisation’s ability to provide essential information for impact assessment projects under conditions of social distancing.