Page 68 - PDI_Report

from all the relevant establishments and line agencies, can leveraging on existing systems and following the same for
be provided with a data entry interface, wherein, data additional related data points in the realm of the various
collected from various sources can be recorded. To ensure respective line agencies. Such data from Gram Panchayat is
that human error is minimized during data entry, basic and may hence be verified by block, district and ultimately
system level checks can be hard wired into the system, the State level officials of the concerned line agency to
right from the start, to ensure that the desired nature of ensure that the information is correct. In case any
values match with the values fed to the system by the discrepancies are observed at any level, the user can send
operator. For example, for data points requiring a response the data back to the preceding level, with specific
as Yes or No, the user can be allowed to select either of the comments, to ensure correction in data is made. The system
two options only, and not enter any numeric value. Such may be designed in such a manner that it will notify users
measures will ensure that the data obtained is clean and can at all levels about new comments and pending approvals.
be processed without any major manual intervention.
 External and Peer validation: Especially when assessment
Further, the system can also be enabled to automatically
is made for incremental progress, awards, special
identify the degree of completion of data entry at source
initiatives, high performing GPs, additionally, there can be
level to ensure that the data entry is complete. Upon
a presentation of progress by the GP in public forum at
completion, this data can be pushed to the next approval
block level as well as, field level checks to ensure data
level.
reported is correct. This ideally should include officials and
 Domain Level Validations: While Data entry level peers from GPs and may move on to include Institutions.
validations minimize human error, domain level validations
ensure that the data entered is correct as per sectoral Survey design parameters such as reference period
parameters as well. For example, Total Cultivable Area, and sample size needs to be factored in in the
one of the indicators considered as part of PDI, cannot be design and data collection process
more that the total area of the Gram Panchayat. Further,
While such system driven checks and balances can be put in
line agencies can share their inputs, based on their
place to ensure that the data collected is properly validated and
historical data and experience, about maximum and
free of any error at the source itself, all necessary statistical
minimum range of indicators and constituting data points,
adjustments should be made for different data collection
to ensure that the user is highlighted regarding any outlying
methodologies followed by line agencies. Survey design
value right at the data entry stage.
parameters such as reference period and sample size are few of
 Gram Panchayat Level Validation: Data for PDI will need such factors which may be different from agency to agency and
to be collected from many institutions such as Hospitals, may not make the data comparable as it is. This needs to be
Schools and Police Stations, to name a few, located in a factored in in the design and data collection process and
village, block, etc. The data would need to be aggregated, instructions must be clear and understood.
sorted, via ICT system, and presented to the laid down The data system in eGramSwaraj can be used to detect whether
validating agency for validation all the validations are provided and once validated, the data can

 Official Level Validation: In case of certain data points be processed at the back end for transfer for use for relevant
collected, the layer of verification may be done at the calculations and scoring of Gram Panchayats and PDI. Only
official level. Where data collected is being considered in a when the system registers all the necessary data collection and
hierarchical manner at various layers of administration validation approvals, the analytical engine will ingest the data
within the department, as per current operating procedures, for indicator and index value calculation.

42
PDI Committee Report - 2023: Data 42