Jeeveeta Soobarah Agnihotri, Chief Programme OfficerThe Illusion of Progress: When Dashboards Replace DecisionsWe’ve never had more data.

The development sector is producing it.

Surveys are everywhere.

Dashboards are getting glossier by the day.And yet — when it comes to tracking national plans or SDG progress, the development sector is still flying blind.

After 16 years in tech for development and hundreds of conversations with governments across Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean, I’ve realized something: the line between a data portal and a decision support system is razor-thin, and yet, most countries haven’t crossed it.Big beautiful dashboardsWhat I observe across many national systems is an overwhelming focus on data dissemination — publishing, visualizing, and showcasing indicators — often with less emphasis on linking that data back to national priorities.When I was part of the DevInfo initiative — which reached over 130 countries — I was proud to train more than 50 national teams.

We built tables, maps, and charts.

And for a while, that felt like success.

But here’s what I’ve come to realize: we were celebrating outputs, not outcomes.

We didn’t spend enough time asking:How is this data informing decisions?

Is it helping shape policy or track progress on national priorities?DevInfo was a powerful starting point — and it taught us a lot.

But it was mostly about dissemination.

The real opportunity was in connecting data to strategy, planning, and action.

That connection often went missing.

Today, our approach is different.

It is more connected to national goals, and far more focused on making data work for development.In many cases, reporting on SDG indicators becomes a compliance exercise, rather than a genuine strategic reflection on the country’s pathway to development targets.

We are blinded by beautiful dashboards and hence oversee their deeper need: Is the data informing our budgets?

Are we using it to course-correct national plans?

Is it helping us govern better?When plans don’t meet dataTime and again, when conversations shift to National Development Plans (NDPs), I see the same struggles:Timely, relevant data is often missing at critical points of framing the planIndicators lack baselines or targets to effectively monitor the planDisaggregated data is largely absent, despite an emphasis on leaving no one behind (let’s not even go there)Sector data systems are fragmented and disconnected from national monitoringThis reflects a deep, structural gap between data production and planning accountability.

Sectors are massive data producers, yes.

But NDPs still remain poorly tracked.

And that’s a systemic problem.It’s time to build Decision Support SystemsWhat’s urgently needed is a national shift — from reporting to reasoning.

From publishing statistics to powering decisions.A real Decision Support System helps governments see where they are, understand what’s working, and adjust quickly to changing contexts — whether it’s a climate shock, a migration crisis, or a health emergency.

Without strong DSS infrastructure, we’re flying blind — with beautiful dashboards and no navigation.From visibility to usabilityMany countries have made incredible progress in becoming visible on the data landscape — launching open data portals, adopting SDG dashboards, and digitizing statistics.But now, the question is— are these data portals being used to shape policy, allocate resources, and track results?In the end, it’s not about having more data.

It’s about making better decisions