Article
Rationality and Reality
Using monitoring data in utility-managed water supply in Ethiopia
We are all dealing with increasing amounts of data, both in our personal and in our professional lives. But are these data actually used? Does better data inform better decision-making and accountability? Do better relations between data producers and data users lead to better data use? Or do we have to look beyond this to understand why data is or is not used? The PhD thesis “Rationality and Reality” explores these questions. It focuses on the use (or lack) of monitoring data in utility-managed town water service provision at different institutional levels in Ethiopia. It explores this through four analytical lenses: a linear/rational perspective, a relationship perspective, a behaviour systems perspective, and a comprehensive systems perspective.
Different factors related to each of these perspectives, including data characteristics, relationships between data producers and users, and capacities, motivations and opportunities for data use, were found to play a role in hampering and enabling data use. These factors were brought together in the comprehensive systems perspective, which also explored how these factors influence each other.
A data-use-enabling political economy and culture were found to be key leverage points for ensuring data use. Another key leverage point was the presence of strong data-use systems, such as planning, regulation, learning and adaptation, and infrastructure development and management systems. This thesis is recommended for anyone with an interest in data use, monitoring, Ethiopia, systems approaches, town water supply, so probably for everyone reading Amplify.
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A multi-perspective analysis of factors enabling and hampering the use of monitoring data in Ethiopia town water supply.