Using data to make a bigger impact: How a Change! Fellow is helping NGOs to innovate
Andrea Wong/VolkswagenStiftung
Many non-governmental organisations (NGOs for short), such as associations and foundations, are struggling with limited resources – and with the question of why good ideas often get stuck at the pilot project stage. Change! Fellow Prof. Dr. Orestis Papakyriakopoulos from the Technical University of Munich wants to change that.
Orestis Papakyriakopoulos aims to develop a data-driven toolkit that can be used to specifically promote and scale up innovation within aid organisations, whilst at the same time demonstrating their actual value. The head of the Civic Machines Lab at the Technical University of Munich and Change! Fellow of the Volkswagen Foundation is basing his project on robust, practical insights: together with Anne Merkle from the WWF and the Innovation for Impact Network – in which innovation teams from over 28 international NGOs exchange ideas – he aims to identify patterns of behaviour and break down barriers.
The Change! project is particularly close to my heart because it enables us to sustainably assess and strengthen the innovative capacity and structures of aid organisations.
Data makes innovation measurable
To achieve his project's objective, the computer scientist – who has previously conducted research at Princeton and MIT – is focusing on structures rather than individuals: Through more than 100 interviews and an online survey involving around 1,000 staff members, he aims to map out decision-making processes, collaboration and the culture of error, whilst also analysing the extent to which – and the speed at which – other teams or branches of the NGOs adopt pilot projects and implement them on a regular basis. The aim is to produce clear key performance indicators that highlight where innovation is thriving and where it is faltering.
At the same time, an open data platform is being developed. It aggregates information on NGO projects from internal sources and publicly available data – ranging from websites to social media – and analyses text, images and videos using artificial intelligence. The aim is to identify patterns of success and risk before significant amounts of time and money are committed.
Case studies from Brazil and Cambodia
As practical examples for his research, Papakyriakopoulos, together with his partner from the WWF, is using two projects run by the originally Swiss NGO: since 2018, WWF Cambodia has been establishing and scaling up a wild honey enterprise that strengthens village communities; WWF Brazil is developing ecological tourism models as part of the "Parks Design" project, in collaboration with indigenous communities, local businesses and rangers. From such examples, the team is learning how local ideas take root within large organisations – and how they can be responsibly replicated.
Prof. Dr. Orestis Papakyriakopoulos
Pilot project in Tanzania
The tools, which are intended to serve as a blueprint for introducing innovation and training, are to be tested immediately in a pilot project with WWF Tanzania. As part of this, churches and other faith communities will drive forward restoration work on their land. Papakyriakopoulos sums it up: "Our vision is for NGOs to be able to better demonstrate their impact, learn more quickly from their successes and thus gain greater trust among donors, partners and the general public."
