Let’s Talk about Double Counting

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Let’s Talk about the impact of Double Counting on Data Accuracy and Investor Confidence.

For every impact-driven project, enterprise, and business, the accuracy with which data for impact is measured in performance analysis or decision-making is key and can be the difference between operating sustainably or running your business and programs blind and into the ground. And yet, double counting is one commonly overlooked pitfall that continues to undermine the integrity of impact partnerships and their reach.

So what is double counting and what causes it?

Let’s do a deep dive, starting with how double happens – double counting happens when the same impact or outcome is counted multiple times, leading to inflated figures and inaccurate representations of your organization’s true impact on the ground.

Picture this, in a quiet village nestled among green hills are refugee camps, a beehive of activity for livelihood programs providing essential services in agriculture, remote healthcare, education, development aid, start-up support and more – the basics that people need to sustain a living amidst economic, infrastructural, social, or political distress, we are picturing a region comprised of villages home to a group of determined young mothers. They dream of brighter futures but face challenges – limited access to skills and knowledge to break free from the chains of generational poverty, disease, and war. To help them, a special project begins, led by a team of caring people working with the local gov’t in partnership with international humanitarian institutions looking to invest to improve the lives of the young mothers, with substantial funding.

The project begins, aiming to teach these young mothers important skills, like finance management, product making, sewing, and sustainable farming, to help them support their families better. Different implementing groups join in to spread the project’s reach across the villages in the region. Each group has its target and goes to homes, holds community gatherings, gives out supplies, and teaches new skills. Motivation ,and excitement fill the air as the project starts. Implementing groups go from one home to another, teaching and sharing resources. But soon, they notice a problem – they are visiting the same homes over and over again. It was like going in circles, duplicating and concentrating their efforts within a small area, limiting their ability to expand and reach all the young mothers they intended to reach. They spent time and supplies that can’t be recovered. This is one form of how double counting manifests in impact-driven programs.

Even though every implementing partner was doing their best to drive impact and the make most of the investment, double counting, also sometimes known duplication of work made things confusing and slowed progress – revealing traceability loopholes in the project’s implementation plan.

This phenomenon can occur for various reasons, including overlapping data collection methods, misinterpretation of data, a lack of effective coordination and reliable accountability, beneficiary tracking and data sharing tools, and each partner in the above scenario experienced a failure to to be guided by existing records to identify people their implementing partners had already served. One scenario where double counting often arises is when multiple partnering organizations benefit the same set of beneficiaries with the same resources, this can be training on crucial topics, financing, and more. In such cases, each organization may independently count the same set of beneficiaries, inadvertently inflating the overall impact figures and limiting their ability to reach more people and reduce bias.

Meshack is a field manager who works with Biosyntec, an Avocado out grower program in Kasese. He oversees over 5000 avocado farmers in the region. Before Biosyntec’s partnership with ShareCARD, the enterprise had been facing challenges in finding a comprehensive tool that could provide clarity on every aspect of the business and their impact on the farmers plus the community around them. He spends long hours cleaning field data that could have been used to extend and better farmer engagement and avocado quality assurance.

He says, “Double counting can lead to misleading projections thus improper budgeting of activities In the agricultural programs, failure to fulfill orders due to exaggerated figures, improper allocation of staff and resources due to misleading figures.”

The implications of double counting are far-reaching and can significantly skew your organization’s impact data. For instance, it can inflate your reported achievements, making them appear more substantial than they are. This can mislead stakeholders, donors, and beneficiaries, eroding trust and credibility in your organization.

Moreover, double counting can distort your understanding of program effectiveness and efficiency. By inflating impact metrics, it may give a false sense of success, leading to misguided decision-making and resource allocation. This, in turn, can hinder your ability to identify areas for improvement and optimize your programs for maximum impact.

Furthermore, double counting can compromise the accuracy of your coverage data, obscuring the true reach and scope of your initiatives. This hinders your ability to assess the inclusivity and equity of your programs, potentially leaving out marginalized or underserved communities from your impact assessments.

Additionally, double counting waters down the outcomes for impact investors, as exaggerated impact figures may misrepresent the true social and environmental benefits generated by their investments. This can erode investor confidence and undermine the credibility of impact investing as a whole impacting program continuity in the long run.

How is ShareCARD innovating for inclusive accountability to mitigate the risks of double counting.

To guarantee trust and impact continuity with proven success across Uganda, ShareCARD, is leveraging inclusive technology to mitigate the risks associated with double counting, we are working with organizations investing in livelihood programs in agriculture, development aid, financial services, remote healthcare, and Education to co-create, innovate, and implement robust data collection methodologies, management, and analysis processes that leverage accessible and inclusive technology for African changemakers. We have been intent on establishing clear data collection protocols, automating the ability to conduct regular quality checks, and cross-referencing data sources to identify and rectify instances of double counting.

Why Co-Create with us?

As previous project managers who were stressed out with long desk sessions analyzing data, we are innovating for a uniquely blended approach to data collection, analysis, project tracking, monitoring, evaluation, and adaptive learning functions all in one to achieve accurate impact success, and accountability in a record 5 minutes or less.

This co-creation pilot is an opportunity to bring all key industry players, and beneficiaries on the page to innovate for accountability that drives both business and impact success, turning data into tangible, impactful actions and paving the way for a sustainable future where no is left behind!

This is a 6 months pilot, during this period, we will work closely with co-creating partners to identify active projects to apply and utilize the ShareCARD Smart Data Intelligence Software to track, manage, and optimize the execution of these projects. Our focus will be on identifying and addressing critical visibility, traceability, reporting, and accountability gaps that currently hinder seamless collaboration and effective service delivery to beneficiaries at the last mile.

Our highlighted objectives during this partnership include;

Foster Community Ownership and Engagement: We aim to integrate inclusive accountability channels that foster community ownership and engagement, ultimately improving outcomes and ensuring seamless access to resources for participants or beneficiaries of impact-driven programs at the last mile.
Identify and Close Visibility Gaps: This user-centric design collaboration with government and private sector agencies is conducive to identify and addressing existing last-mile visibility gaps that impede effective service delivery to the last mile.
Safeguard Impact Data: ShareCARD is committed to facilitating the adoption of localized digital technology to enhance the protection of valuable impact data for public and private institutions. Our goal is to ensure that crucial information remains accurate, accessible, and secure, thereby preventing data loss and maintaining the integrity of vital records.
Ensure Seamless Data Sharing: ShareCARD is easing collaboration for impact-driven programs ensuring data can be seamlessly shared between collaborating partners promptly reducing double counting, and duplication of efforts at the last mile.

Our Commitment:

At ShareCARD, we envision a world where businesses and public service institutions of all sizes can seamlessly access, analyze, and act on real-time data, empowering them to make informed decisions that drive lasting positive impacts. We are guided by our commitment to inclusive digital empowerment, transparency, and innovation, we strive to create meaningful change through data-driven solutions.

In conclusion, double counting is a prevalent yet often overlooked issue that can have profound implications for the accuracy and credibility of your impact data, it can be solved creatively with cost-effective approaches when technology is leveraged as an enabler of efficiency. By understanding the causes and consequences of double counting and implementing measures to prevent it, we can uphold the integrity of impact assessments and make more informed decisions to drive positive changes that last a lifetime.

Join the Smart Data Co-creation with ShareCARD today.