Illustrating the impact: New graphic novel highlights how NGOs are using data to bring about change

Translating complex data insights into engaging visual stories was the main challenge for the researchers

What better way to tell a story than through pictures? Especially when the story is about data - not the most vibrant topic to talk about.

The first edition of Data, In Deed, a graphic novel, brings to life the stories of five Social Purpose Organisations (SPOs) using data and data science to improve efficiency and scale impact and one can't help but be inspired by the innovative ways these SPOs - Nourishing Schools Foundation, Saturday Art Class, Udayan Care, Adhyayan Foundation, and Amar Seva Sangam - harness data to drive meaningful change. A sixth story, featuring Digital Green, will be added soon.

Created and published by the Centre for Data Science and Social Impact (CDSSI) at the Indian School of Development Management (ISDM), the novel is part of the larger Data Stories initiative that showcases how Social Purpose Organisations (SPOs) are transforming their work through data. The Centre got on board journalist Phorum Pandya to report the first three stories, while Ojoswi Sur is the artist, and Sreejita Biswas is the designer. For the other three stories, CDSSI has partnered with Talered, a customised story service, for both story and design.

The initiative is designed to demonstrate how data can be used to inform decision-making and drive positive change in the social sector, and uses a graphic novel format to present real-life examples of organisations using data for social impact, making the information more digestible and engaging.

Swetha Prakash, Associate Director, CDSSI at ISDM, shares, "Data as a subject is pretty esoteric and can be intimidating. It often conjures up an image of advanced analytics or new-age technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML). It is really just information and evidence. For a long time, for many organisations in the sector, using data has been about monitoring and evaluation, an end in itself - for example, as a report that can be presented to funders. At CDSSI, we are trying to change that mindset. Data can be simple and also be a means to an end. It can help you become resilient, make evidence-based decisions and become more effective as an organisation. Some of the challenges around data collection and management are starting to disappear due to technology. So now the focus should be driving the data, not just reporting it. To make the idea of data-driven decision making accessible, we decided to use a storytelling format - a graphic novel."

Speaking on the challenges in translating complex data insights into engaging visual stories, Sowmya Rajaram, Senior Manager, Communications, ISDM and the editor of Data, In Deed says, "How do you simplify something so complex without doing a disservice to the organisation whose story we tell? With a graphic novel, we've captured the interconnectedness of different things, while excluding the jargon and technical language. At the same time, this is about conveying facts; not telling a rags-to-riches story or a story of overnight transformation. We had to do truth-telling while keeping intact the humanness and personalities of these very real people. So, finding a balance between those two was a challenge."

Sowmya Rajaram, Sr Manager, Communications, ISDM; (right) Swetha Prakash

As the book captures, data has enabled the featured organisations to make a significant shift in decision-making and outcomes. Rajaram shares, "In our opinion, using data pushed Saturday Art Class to become more streamlined and structured. It was transformational for them. It helped make their organisation more capable and efficient, and do better for the community they work with. In terms of outcomes, Nourishing Schools Foundation and Udayan Care were able to use data to make better decisions for their work, leading to a shift on the ground."

Prakash tells us that after this, they might consider other formats like video and audio. "Since the stories are told factually, we are also considering ways to use them in ISDM's academic curriculum. And we are exploring partnerships around the dissemination of the stories," she signs off.

Read the stories at www.isdm.org.in/cdssi/projects/data-stories