Tag: Open Data

New Paper in Sustainability

A new paper by Shyam Ranganathan, Raj GC, and I was recently published in Sustainability. The paper presents a way to advance an interconnected set of SDGs and targets through a multiple-use water services (MUS) approach to rural water delivery.

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Abstract: The 2030 agenda presents an integrated set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and targets that will shape development activities for the coming decade. The challenge now facing development organizations and governments is how to operationalize this interconnected set of goals and targets through effective projects and programs. This paper presents a micro-level modeling approach that can quantitatively assess the impacts associated with rural water interventions that are tailored to specific communities. The analysis focuses on how a multiple-use water services (MUS) approach to SDG 6 could reinforce a wide range of other SDGs and targets. The multilevel modeling framework provides a generalizable template that can be used in multiple sectors. In this paper, we apply the methodology to a dataset on rural water services from Mozambique to show that community-specific equivalents of macro-level variables used in the literature such as Cost of Illness (COI) avoided can provide a better indication of the impacts of a specific intervention. The proposed modeling framework presents a new frontier for designing projects in any sector that address the specific needs of communities, while also leveraging the knowledge gained from previous projects in any country. The approach also presents a way for agencies and organizations to design projects or programs that bridge sectors/disciplines (water, irrigation, health, energy, economic development, etc.) to advance an interconnected set of SDGs and targets.

Citation: Hall, R.P.; Ranganathan, S.; G. C., R.K. A General Micro-Level Modeling Approach to Analyzing Interconnected SDGs: Achieving SDG 6 and More through Multiple-Use Water Services (MUS). Sustainability 2017, 9(2), 314.

Data Anonymization Presentation

Tomorrow, Eric Vance and I will give the presentation below as part of Virginia Tech’s 2016 Open Data Week. During our presentation, we will discuss the data anonymization lessons we learned through a multi-year impact evaluation we undertook in Mozambique for the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). We hope to see you there!

When: Tuesday, March 29, from 2:00-3:15 p.m

Where: Newman Library, Level 2, room 207A

MCC Event – Open Data: Big Impact

On Tuesday, February 2, 2016, Eric Vance and I will take part in the MCC’s Open Data: Big Impact event in Washington, D.C. We will join a panel discussion entitled “(Some of) the Data’s Out There, Now What?” The panel discussion will be hosted by Beth Tritter (Vice President, Policy and Evaluation, MCC). Eric and I will be joined on the panel by Jacqueline Homann (Masters Graduate, Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, University of Texas) and Jennifer Sturdy (Director, Berkeley Initiative for Transparency in the Social Sciences). 2016-02-01_1118

The presentation below contains an outline of our discussion notes. It also includes some information about the sample frame we developed for our impact evaluation of the MCC-funded Rural Water Supply Program in Nampula, Mozambique, and links to presentations (i.e., a seminar and webinar) of the evaluation results and the final report.