Data Integration and Data-driven Evaluation for the Non-profit Sector. A study case: Response Innovation Lab

Abstract

Data-driven innovation and decision making have proven to be fundamental tools for companies, especially in the last decades. Many progresses have been made in this area, especially in trying to improve accuracy and data quality, from Database Management System, to Data Integration and Business Intelligence. While it is important to gather truthful information, it is also important to analyse and interpret it in the correct way, through Strategic Financial and Non-financial Performance Indicators. As far as the Third Sector is concerned, Data Integration and Data-driven Evaluation are still under-studied fields, but with high potential. The purpose of this thesis is understanding how data-driven decision making for strategic purposes can be implemented, identifying difficulties and limitations, and learning new techniques from the For-profit sector. Performance and Non-financial Indicators for Non-profits will be examined as well, thanks to a study case. Response Innovation Lab is a collaborative initiative of leading humanitarian non-profit organizations operating in several developing countries, providing support for innovations in humanitarian response. Dealing with more than 1,600 organizations in Uganda alone, RIL needs in-depth knowledge of the environment in order to make more targeted data-driven decisions. To improve the effectiveness of strategic decision-making, we will build an Internal Evaluation Index, in order to assess the current situation of a country's ecosystem from a non-financial perspective, as well as identify strengths and weaknesses.