The Benefits of Real-Time Evaluation

Real-time evaluations (RTEs) give development actors immediate insights into how an intervention is progressing, enabling them to make adjustments. The learning and feedback that can be captured can prove enormously helpful in ultimately achieving the impact that organisations set out to achieve.

The benefits of real-time evaluations are intuitive. By using a constant feed of data to inform programs and practices, NGOs are able to learn what is working, what isn’t, and implement changes during the intervention.

Timely, data-driven amendments during the course of a project can help steer it in the right direction when things are not quite working out as planned or where the inputs appear likely to not lead to the desired outcomes.

However, real-time evaluations can be a challenging undertaking.

The Difficulties Of Real-Time Evaluation

Collecting, processing, and analyzing data on an ongoing basis, especially when the focus is on carrying out the intervention itself, can be time-consuming and costly. Many NGOs lack the resources to process ongoing inflows of data. Others may face institutional constraints and be unable to respond nimbly enough to make the data worth collecting.

Budgetary constraints can also exacerbate these difficulties, making the regular collection and analysis of data unfeasible. But if the right tools and methodologies are available, RTEs can become a vital aspect of any program’s implementation, strengthening the effectiveness and efficiency of development actors.

Because it poses a number of difficulties, real-time evaluation can be perceived as an investment in accountability rather than contributing to an intervention. This is especially true in fast-paced or fast-changing interventions. But those are exactly the interventions in which real-time data is most critical.

Technology Is The Answer

Havuta’s data collection solution makes real-time evaluation more feasible by using technology to drive efficiencies in the sector. With its robust, all-in-one platform, Havuta offers a one-stop-shop approach to data collection and management.

Our user-friendly dashboard allows teams to work together to collect data and track and manage their progress. Gathering data in a timely fashion can be critical to the success of a program. Yet it has always been a challenging task, especially for smaller organisations.

We believe having access to valuable data whenever and as often as needed to inform a program and help it deliver on its impact promises is crucial. We also believe that access should be cost-effective. So we developed the technology to make that possible.

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