Our ADP model will unlock the power of data to improve lives

Source: LiveMint

Relevance: To understand the Aspirational district programme (ADP)

Synopsis: ADP has been lauded for its result-driven approach. It becomes important to understand its features.

Introduction

• United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) lauded India’s aspirational district program (ADP)
• It is the world’s largest initiative in result based governance, reaching 250 Million people in 112 districts.
• It led to significant improvements in health, nutrition and education.
• Furthermore, it is based on an innovative 3C approach of competition, convergence and collaboration.

Working of ADP

• Every month districts are ranked based on the progress they have made on key indicators like health, education, agriculture etc. This allows accurate assessment of the scheme and policy.
  • Earlier there was a lag of 4-5 years of any data collected, and it becomes available.
• Proliferation and adoption of technology have been game-changer. High-speed internet and mobile have changed the scenario.
• Big data and AI can further transform the analysis and dissemination of data.

Possible areas of improvement

The government needs to focus on the quality of data. For instance, there is a need to overcome errors in data entry, lack of standardization, skewed incentives to inflate data etc.

Approach to data-driven governance:

ADP has provided a scalable template for the affordability of administrative data. But this can be improved by the following ways.

• Since the ADP involves over 80 data points from 112 districts, it can tap the power of automation to check large volumes of data effectively.
• The ADP also should also commission an independent third-party household survey to get household-level data and to cross-check the field level data.

Way forward

Result based governance will improve the government services. Further, they help the government to course-correct appropriate policies and programs.

Terms to Know

• United Nations Development Programme