The Delhi Cabinet on Tuesday approved the revamp of the monitoring and evaluation unit of the Finance and Planning Department that would help in policy-making by conducting independent surveys, analysing data and preparing a roadmap to open up government data to the public.
Outcome Budget
“The decision acknowledges that advances in analytical tools and techniques related to monitoring and evaluation in the last decade along with an increasing complexity and diversity of schemes warrant a scientific, evidence-based approach in policy-making,” said a government statement.
The Delhi government is currently in the process of conducting the second quarter review of the Outcome Budget, 2017-2018. With detailed goals for departments and schemes, the Outcome Budget process ran into some hiccups as data was not gathered in the way needed for evaluation, according to officials involved.
The strengthened version of the monitoring and evaluation unit would guide the outcome budgeting process as well as conduct independent surveys to assess various government policies.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said the AAP government believed in “the fundamental value of data-driven policy-making and the role scientific surveys and evaluations can play in helping elected governments better deliver public services and with the highest cost-effectiveness”.