3. Tableof
contents
Introduction 2
Urbanization: Challenges to face, opportunities to seize 4
CapeTown case study snapshot 6
IT solutions for development: Cape Town case study 8
Territories of inclusion and opportunity (TIOS): Cali case study 13
Conclusion 16
Abstract
Technology can play an enabling role in tackling the challenges in urban
planning, including land valuation. However, baseline and ex-post assessments
must be integrated into technology-based interventions in order to track,
evaluate, and maximize social impact. This report outlines an evaluation KPMG
in South Africa undertook in Cape Town, and a capacity building program
KPMG member firms supported in Cali, Colombia in order to showcase leading
practice approaches to integrated impact evaluations.
Key Words:
technology, integrated evaluation, monitoring, land valuation
4. Introduction
The world is experiencing an unprecedented shift from predominantly rural to
urban living. According to UN Habitat1
, more than half of the global population
now lives in cities. By 2050, nearly two-thirds will live in urban areas with
most urbanization occurring in developing countries1
. For governments and
development actors, this trend will have significant implications across
a wide range of development issues including land use and management,
the delivery of social services, management of food and energy resources,
and infrastructure development.
Technology will play a significant role tackling the challenges urbanization poses
for national and local Governments. For example, effectively implemented
land valuation software can help maximize tax administration efficiency and
revenue collection at the municipal level. However, development actors and local
governments often struggle to gather sufficient empirical data about a city’s long
term, cross departmental needs before deploying technology-based solutions.
Integrating baseline and ex-post evaluations of the outputs and outcomes of
technology-based interventions can contribute to greater social impact, particularly
for disadvantaged and marginalized populations.
This report outlines an evaluation KPMG in South Africa undertook in Cape
Town, South Africa and a capacity building program KPMG member firms
supported in Cali, Colombia in order to showcase leading practice approaches
to integrated impact evaluations. In Cape Town, KPMG South Africa evaluated
the departmental, municipal, and social impacts of Aumentum, a land valuation
software suite developed by Thomson Reuters, and identified ways that it
could inform broader citywide policy development and effective planning. In
Cali, a global team of KPMG advisors provided capacity building support to the
municipal government as part of the Territories of Inclusion and Opportunity
(TIOS) initiative, and helped identify ways technology can enhance community-
based social interventions that address education, youth empowerment, job
creation, and other urban infrastructure challenges. In both cases, the programs
applied a systems and beneficiary-focused approach designed to reach targeted
populations who were historically vulnerable or marginalized.
1
World Urbanization Prospects 2014, http://esa.un.org/unpd/wup/Highlights/WUP2014-Highlights.pdf
6. Urbanization:Challengesto
face,opportunitiestoseize
Cities are at the forefront of many of today’s development
challenges and opportunities.The ability to effectively
and efficiently respond to rapid urbanization is critical
to the achievement of the Global Goals for Sustainable
Development. In fact, universal global recognition of the
importance of urbanization was formalized in SDG 11 -- “make
cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and
sustainable.” If managed effectively, cities can serve as
engines for economic growth, innovation, and ultimately of
prosperity and stability. Inversely, poor city planning could
exacerbate conflict, harm the environment, and set back the
achievement of inclusive economic growth.
Cities generate significant opportunities for social and
economic development. A recent multilateral development
bank study found a strong and positive correlation between
gross domestic product (GDP) and urbanization2
. Moreover,
in both the developed and developing world, cities have
traditionally allowed for economies of scale and greater
network connectivity to the benefit of global and local
industries. For example, the emergence of technology
clusters such as Silicon Valley, California or Bangalore, India
demonstrate the ability of well-managed cities to attract and
retain talented individuals and companies.The world’s 300
largest metropolitan economies accounted for nearly half
of global output in 2014 with a city’s GDP and employment
growth often exceeding those of their national governments
On the other hand, the challenges to meet the needs of
future city-dwellers are immense. Annual cereal production
will need to rise to about 3 billion tons from 2.1 billion today
and annual meat production to over 200 million tons to
meet the demands of a more urban and richer population.
This does not include increased food production needed to
meet expected global biofuel demand4
. City governments
and donors must also manage population growth sustainably
while ensuring adequate access to housing, water, and
energy for all citizens.The effects of mismanagement could
be significant: in Latin America, where 80 percent of the
population lives in cities, one in four live in slums. Globally,
nearly one billion people currently live in city slums and this
number may double by 2030 if insufficient action is taken5
.
In addition, 28 percent of urban children under five around
the world are chronically malnourished. Another 60 percent
of urban dwellers are exposed to natural disasters.These
city-level challenges are exacerbated by differences in
gender; compared to men, women in cities face unequal
access to housing, health, education and representation in
urban governance6
. From a security perspective, these types
of environments can incubate threats including disease,
exposure to natural disasters, and radicalization.Thus, for
municipal governments, addressing these urban issues in
a proactive way is more critical than ever in growing cities
capable of competing in the global marketplace.
2
Competitive Cities, Asian Development Bank. http://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/competitive-
cities-brochure.pdf
3
Global Metro Monitor, Brookings Institution. http://www.brookings.edu/research/
reports2/2015/01/22-global-metro-monitor
4
How to Feed the World in 2050, Food and Agriculture Organization. http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/
templates/wsfs/docs/expert_paper/How_to_Feed_the_World_in_2050.pdf
5
A Practical Guide to Designing, Planning and Executing Citywide Slum Upgrading Programs, UN
Habitat. file:///C:/Users/jmagpile/Downloads/A%20Practical%20Guide%20low%20res.pdf
6
Sustainable Service Delivery in an Increasingly Urbanized World, USAID. https://www.usaid.gov/
sites/default/files/documents/1870/USAIDSustainableUrbanServicesPolicy.pdf
7. Integrated Approaches to Evaluation: Relevance to
Urbanization Challenges
A 2013 study by Paul Collier on housing and
urbanization in Africa found that new settlements built
in cheaper areas too far from the city center hindered
citizens’ ability to generate viable income7
. This example
points to the policy and political coordination needed
to create successful interventions in urban contexts.
Technology-based approaches to urban challenges need
to be similarly grounded on a baseline understanding
of a city’s long term needs, assets, and political
landscape. This can be achieved by integrating baseline
and ex post assessments in urban interventions.
The following section outlines lessons from KPMG
engagements in Cali, Colombia and Cape Town,
South Africa. These case studies demonstrate the
unexpected benefits that can be identified by integrating
monitoring and evaluation frameworks in technology-based
interventions. In Cape Town, an assessment of Aumentum,
a land valuation software suite developed by Thomson
Reuters identified the departmental and municipal impacts
of effective land management. More importantly, the
assessment also showed that clear and documented land
valuation and ownership can reveal social benefits such
as financial inclusion, stronger safety nets, and increased
government accountability.
In Cali, KPMG U.S. and Colombia provided capacity building
support to TIOS via a methodology that was defined by
continuous engagement with beneficiaries as a means to
empower, build accountability, and create a sustainable
foundation for economic development. The former Mayor
of Cali launched the initiative to systematically strengthen
the way the municipal government interacts with the
city’s most marginalized and vulnerable communities.The
TIOS technical team continuously sought mechanisms
to leverage social media and SMS technology to achieve
real-time feedback from the communities the program
was designed to serve. This forward-looking approach
complemented a commitment to monitor and evaluate
the delivery of interventions across the targeted urban
neighborhoods and helped shape future policy goals and
intervention design.
As global trends continue to yield increased urbanization,
the pressure on municipal governments to design, monitor
and measure effective development interventions similarly
grows. Technology can play a supporting role in these
efforts, but its deployment must be based on clear policy
goals and an understanding of the target beneficiaries.
Applied more broadly, integrated evaluation has the
potential to lead to improved economic growth, stronger
natural resource management, the protection of vulnerable
groups including women and minority populations, and
clarity over property rights.
7
Collier, Paul and Anthony Veables. Housing and Urbanization in Africa: Unleashing a Formal Market
Process. http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2014/
01/29/000333037_20140129142521/Rendered/PDF/842530WP0Colli0Box0382136B00PUBLIC0.pdf
5Exploring the Benefits of Technology
8. Key findings Department level impacts City level impacts Societal level impacts
Increased
productivity and
efficiency–
– Reduced turnaround time for mass
valuations (75% – from 20 days to 5 days2
)–
– Reduced resolution time for objections and
appeals (from 3 months to a number of days3
).
As operational production has been initiated as
part of proactive valuations, the Department does
not need to wait for the completion of a General
Valuation (GV) or Supplementary Valuation (SV) to
initiate the resolution of objections. The resolution
process can now be commenced immediately.–
– The external support cost of conducting
general valuations has decreased with each
cycle since 2000 due to the development of
local internal capacity and expertise. The external
support cost for 2006 was R54 million and this
has been reduced to an accepted base of R18.6
million projected for GV2015.–
– Reduced number of full time equivalent
(FTE) staff supporting general valuations from
407 in 2006 to 176 in 2015
–– Reduced valuations lead-time that
leads to:–
– Revenue Department
receives more frequent
valuations, which helps ensure
information used to calculate tax
rates is up-to-date.–
– The City is able to
authenticate ownership more
quickly, in order that transactions
can be approved.–
– Equity gains: Property
valuation is more consistent,
objective, and transparent.–
– Increased customer
satisfaction from timelier
valuation and other property
transactions
Improved
transparency and
accountability–
– Ongoing and continuous valuation of
properties–
– Reduced historical backlog and clearer
ownership/visibility of open cases through use of
the workflow tool–
– Better integration with the new data
management system rolled out in the City
across different departments. This has increased
collaboration and coordination. In addition, the
Department is no longer dependent on receiving
hard copies of building plan submissions to
identify properties that have had improvements
or new buildings. The technology available at
the Department’s disposal has allowed it to
proactively initiate valuations (as they are still
dependent on authentication from the building
plan submissions submitted by the Planning
Department).–
– (Increased confidence of
land rights among citizens–
– Citizens can utilize up-to-
date valuation of properties as
tenure security
Increased
accuracy–
– Enhanced consistency in valuation
methodology–
– Improved data quality. Able to capture
broad range of value attributes across different
neighborhood types.–
– Reduction in data errors (2012 to 2014 – 27%
decrease in total number of errors)–
– Reduced objections (46% from 2006
to 2012) and appeals (33% from 2009 to 2012)–
– Increased accuracy of billing
by Revenue Department–
– Data used by Transport
Department for bus route
planning–
– Property valuation and
ownership attributes data can be
used for city planning–
– The Planning Department
is also utilizing the property
valuation data on a pilot project to
provide an exemption on rebates
to SMME’s in the townships,
allowing them to kick-start their
businesses.–
– Increase in the number
of persons identified as
indigent/low income who
can benefit from rebates and
access to free basic services
(water, electricity, and
sanitation). This serves as an
incentive to citizens to value
their properties.–
– Assists the poor to
administer deceased estates:
proof of property values is
required by the Master of the
High Court before an estate
is finalized.
CapeTowncasestudysnapshot
10. ITsolutionsfordevelopment
Cape Towncasestudy
KPMG in South Africa and in the United States,
commissioned by Thomson Reuters, assessed the benefits
achieved by the City of Cape Town following its installation
in 2009 of Aumentum, a software suite that addresses
land and property valuation challenges. In addition to
evaluating the efficiency gains achieved through the use of
land valuation software on the Valuation Department’s
operations, KPMG’s methodology sought to identify
Aumentum’s impacts at a city, and societal level.
Cape Town is the second largest city in South Africa and
has a large and socio-economically diverse portfolio of
properties, ranging from affluent Clifton and Hout Bay to
poorer areas such as Cape Flats and Khayelitsha. Property
prices have fluctuated significantly in recent years as a
result of the global financial crisis. While sales volumes
are still below peak levels, capital growth has become
increasingly location-driven with Cape Town having some
of the best properties in the country.
The Valuation Department is responsible for assessing all
commercial and residential properties in the City so that
the municipal government can levy rates accordingly. It is
structured in four functional areas: valuations operations,
valuations survey and quality, valuations data and business
systems, and valuations business environment. With
Aumentum, the Department streamlined its property
valuation process while introducing breakthrough
innovations in appraisal and objection processes that have
dramatically improved the office’s efficiency. Specifically,
the Department leveraged the following software tools:
–– Records management – provides a single data entry
source that leads to increased data accuracy. All the data
is in one central location.
–– Workflow tools – provides staff with the means to view
task lists within the system and allows managers to track
the allocation of tasks and productivity.
–– Pictometry integration – allows staff to easily access
oblique and orthogonal images to measure area,
perimeter, and height of any structure.
–– Reporting – standardizes reports and allows the
Valuations Department to generate customized reports
for other departments.
–– Audit trail – allows the Department to review the editing
history of any particular user or a group of users.
Methodology
KPMG sought to measure the effectiveness, relevance,
and efficiency of the Aumentum system; enhance the
Department’s understanding of the system and how it
contributes to improving land tenure security; refine future
interventions that rely on or provide input to the system;
and share knowledge among the City government’s
departments for more efficient citywide planning. Impacts
were categorized as follows:
–– Direct Impact: What impact was achieved as a direct
result of the City’s use of the Aumentum Valuation
module?
–– Contributing Impact: What impact was achieved as
a result of the City’s Valuation services, indirectly the
Aumentum Valuation module, and what impacts can
now be measured and monitored as a result of the
Aumentum system?
–– Potential Impact: What enhancements could be made
to the Aumentum system and/or reporting to improve
the effectiveness of the system and/or help the City
better measure impact?
As part of the assessment, KPMG reviewed the press
coverage of land management issues, the City’s documents
for existing data, including annual reports for the
2004/05–2013/14 financial years, the Municipal Property
Rates Act No. 6 of 2004, the state of CapeTown in 2014,
11. and statistics for the City of Cape Town in 2012. Key
stakeholders were interviewed in the Department and the
City on potential social impacts and outcomes, and available
data to measure these changes8
.The project team
conducted a “walk-through” of the Aumentum module and
its data collection/analysis capabilities.The resulting output
was a report on the impact of land valuation services and
recommendations to improve the effectiveness and impact
of the Aumentum system module.
KPMG relied on information and analysis provided by
City officials and did not audit the Department’s data,
information, or processes. It is possible that documents
and information exist which were not made available, or to
which the team did not have access. The analysis was also
limited by lack of baseline data or consistent tracking of
data for this purpose since the module was implemented.
Finally, the results of the study need to be considered
in light of broader modernization efforts, inclusive of
legislative changes and other factors such as inflation and
rising property values.
Findings
Direct Impacts
At the departmental level, the turnaround time for the
mass appraisal modeling process for property valuations
improved by 75 percent from about 20 days to 5 days.
The Department experienced a 27 percent reduction in
the total number of data errors identified by the Quality
Control Department between 2012 and 2014. The number
of objections and appeals from citizens on the properties
assessed has also decreased. The number of objections to
valuations has been reduced by 46 percent since 2006.
While much of the gain was realized at the time of system
implementation, improvements continue to be made.
The number of objections decreased by 8 percent between
2009 and 2012, and the number of appeals decreased
by 33 percent during the same time period. The external
support cost for 2006 was $3.22 million and this has been
reduced to an accepted base of $1.11 million projected
for 2015.The number of full time staff supporting general
valuations has decreased from 407 in 2006 to 176 in 2015.
At the City level, the Department increased its valuation
roll from 765,580 in 2006 to 786,919 in 2009. While some
of these increases reflect the natural growth of the city,
a portion of the increase in properties valued can be
attributed to the increase in productivity in the Department.
As a result, the City has a better understanding of the
extent of its property base and is able to track the changing
neighborhoods.
Between 2010 and 2014, there was a 31 percent increase
in tax revenues collected. Aside from tax rate increases in
line with inflation, some of this growth is attributable to the
increased number of properties on the valuation roll.
In addition, valuations have been timelier, and more
frequent allowing for more accurate and timely billing
and collection efforts by the City’s Revenue Department.
Valuation data is also being utilized by other departments
in the City. The Transport Department is using the data for
bus route planning, which enables the City to better meet
changing demand, as residential areas grow and decline,
and new places of employment are created.
At the societal level, the level of accuracy and timeliness of
the property valuation data allowed other City departments
to make use of the data for evaluation of eligibility for
property tax rebates and identify potential eligibility for free
basic services, including electricity, water, and sanitation.
For example, the number of indigent households in Cape
Town increased from 250,000 in 2003 to 288,703 in 20139
.
The valuation data produced by the City is starting to have
an impact in this area: when the properties of low-income
persons are included on the valuation roll, these persons
have tenure security and legally recognized land. Low-income
persons also have increased access to finance as they can
use their valuation and documentation as security on loans.
8
Representatives interviewed include: Director: City valuations; Manager: Valuation operations;
Manager: Valuation surveys and quality; Manager: Valuation data and systems; Head: Quality
assurance; Head: CAMA analyst; and Senior CAMA analyst. KPMG formally requested Aumentum
system data and reports from Department officials.
9Exploring the Benefits of Technology
12. Contributing Impacts
At the departmental level, a more accurate valuation roll
increased City capability to track property ownership,
including how much land is available, where it is located, and
its value.This contributed to citywide economic and social
planning and policy development; according to the City’s
spatial development framework, the spatial extent of the
City has increased rapidly by nearly 650 hectares per annum.
The biggest component of current and past growth in
Cape Town has been residential development, especially
on the periphery. A majority of low-income households
have to commute long distances and with a journey time
of 60‑90 minutes. As a result, the City developed the
integrated public transport plan that includes the provision
for rail and bus rapid transit services. Data from the
valuation system has provided valuable evidence to feed
into the planning process.
Communication with citizens concerning objections to
property valuations has dramatically improved.
The Department has integrated SMS technology with
the Aumentum Valuation module to deal with objections
to property valuations. When a citizen objects to their
property valuation, the citizen receives an SMS notification
acknowledging receipt of their objections. Once the
objection has been considered and investigated, the citizen
is then notified of the status of their objection.
The Department has mapped its business processes and
methodologies, and as a result, valuations are undertaken
more efficiently and consistently. This workflow feature
has enabled the Department to track how much it costs
to perform a single valuation over three financial years and
the production volume. These Key Performance Indicators
(KPIs) help the Department to manage and improve its
productivity and efficiency.
Aumentum has also facilitated the formalization of the
informal property market in the City of CapeTown.
Properties in the former “Local Black Authorities” during the
Apartheid era were not always valued and the citizens did
not know the true values of their properties.The Department
is now valuing these properties in areas such as Khayelitsha,
facilitating property transactions in the area and empowering
citizens by providing increased access to credit and allowing
them to sell their properties at market value.
The City of CapeTown had previously experienced large
outstanding debts resulting from persons not paying their
water bills due to disputes on the amounts charged.To assist
the poor, the Revenue Department now utilizes the valuation
roll to identify properties valued at $17,933 (R300,000) or
less and repairs water leaks on those properties free of
charge.Thus, the City has improved its water conservation
efforts as well as resolving disputes.The City then installed
water management devices free of charge on those
properties, which enables citizens to track and manage their
water usage.
Finally, evidence collected supported the view that an
accurate valuation roll and tracking of property ownership
provides increased confidence of citizens in their property
rights. When a property appears on a public record such
as a valuation roll, it helps validate those property rights.
The Revenue Department does not levy rates and taxes on
properties valued at $11,956 (R200,000) or less, provided
that the individual owns only one property. In CapeTown, the
correct and timely valuation of properties has contributed to
a more progressive tax system by enabling targeted rebates
and exemptions for the poor.
9
These are ratepayers who own a single home and qualify for a 100 percent rates rebate when
they register as indigent. To qualify, a household either has to be headed by a minor and be
registered in the name of a deceased parent/parents, or a household must have a monthly
income below a certain threshold.
13. Potential impacts
Analysis showed that by using Aumentum the Department
can potentially generate a wide range of reports that are
both standardized and customized to a specific request.
For example, capturing the socioeconomic attributes of
property owners (e.g., gender, income levels) would allow
the Department and the City to directly link property
owners to demographic characteristics, which could assist
in planning and delivery of public services and policies.
One of Cape Town’s biggest growth challenges is the
increase of informal settlements and the escalating
number of households living in backyard structures.
The emerging human settlement pattern suggests that
Cape Town’s population of poor households is increasing
and that proportionally more households depend on
public housing delivery. The Aumentum Valuation module
allows the City to track their property portfolio including
vacant land. This capability could help improve the City’s
ability to plan for the construction of low-cost housing for
indigent persons. More broadly, the information generated
could also contribute to a number of other urban planning
efforts such as the creation of commercial zones that
generate tax revenue, sustainability or “green” programs,
or the reduction of overcrowding. For example, through
Aumentum the City may use Pictometry to regularly take
aerial photographs of neighborhoods, tracking growth and
anticipating the need for infrastructure.
Valuations performed by the City can unlock a series
of social impacts previously unavailable to low-income
residents. For example, proof of property values is required
by the Master of the High Court before the administration
of an estate can be finalized; formalized land titles obtained
can be used in order to administer these deceased estates.
In addition, tracking the growth of neighborhoods along
demographic lines may also improve service delivery
to older persons. For neighborhoods where retirement
villages are being built, services such as social assistance
pay points and mobile clinics may be established.
Finally, property ownership data can allow the city to
identify if particular individuals/entities have concentrated
pockets of land ownership in particular parts of the city.
This can be overlaid with data from other government
departments to determine if these property owners are
engaging in activities that could have a negative impact on
business competition. It is clear that if adjusted according
to the needs of other municipalities, valuation technology
can have similar impact in other contexts.
Significance
The Cape Town example provides a proof of concept for
integrating assessments of development interventions,
particularly in the urban context. It also demonstrates the
departmental, municipal, and societal impacts technology
can have on city management. However, in Cape Town,
relevant data was not routinely collected or tracked by the
Department, and thus baselines were difficult to establish.
For development actors moving forward, there is a benefit
to tracking city data in order to calculate various impact
metrics that will serve as key inputs to City programs and
services. Clear policy goals based on an urban planning
strategy is an important foundation for technology-
based interventions, and development programming
more broadly. Against this baseline, development actors
based on empirical evidence can determine whether
an intervention results in tangible social improvements.
The following case study demonstrates the impact of
integrating monitoring frameworks at the onset for
marginalized groups in a city.
11Exploring the Benefits of Technology
14.
15. Territoriesofinclusion
andopportunity
(TIOS):Calicasestudy
An ongoing program launched
by the Guerrero administration,
TIOS is designed to reach of the
most marginalized communities of
Cali, Colombia through delivery of
social interventions that address
primary education, hunger, youth
empowerment, and job creation as well
as housing and security.The objective
ofTIOS is to advance accountability
and ownership within neighborhoods
that have historically been excluded
from government, while building
deeper social cohesion through
economic opportunity.
The program was designed to build
stronger regional economic
performance of the city
in the Global South as a result of
equitable and inclusive development
strategies.The long-term success of
TIOS would be evidenced by
increased communication links
between beneficiaries and local
municipal government, improved
access to basic services and tangible
benefits for low-income families in
TIOS communities.
A globally-resourced KPMG team
supported theTIOS initiative in three
phases: an assessment of the current
impacts of theTIOS program; technical
support for the effective programmatic
implementation ofTIOS; and the
development of a guide for evaluating
programmatic execution and the impact
of specific interventions10
. KPMG’s
evaluation was meant to increase impact,
highlight potential adjustments to the
program, and design the appropriate
evaluation framework to help improve
the program. Key activities included:
TIOS resulted in the Municipal
Government prioritizing 600
interventions in coordination with
local leaders; on behalf of vulnerable
communities who previously lacked
access to infrastructure and social
services. Information gained through
consistent in-person visits to TIOS
communities directly impacted
government decision makers and
incentivized the implementation of
interventions in these neighborhoods.
145 community leaders were
engaged as part of the outreach
and related technical visits to
communities by professionals from
various government departments.
Keyactivities
Key activities included:
–– assessing the TIOS vision
within the context of
sustainable urban planning in
Cali, including both TIOS target
communities
–– evaluating and incorporating
relevant data gathering tools to
inform the Mayor’s TIOS team;
–– assessing the mechanisms
for community engagement,
through web portal, text
messaging, public meetings or
other methods, which fit the
culture of the TIOS community
and urban centers of Cali;
–– assessing how the Mayor’s
office conveys key messages
and achievements of TIOS
projects and programs; and,
–– assessing how donor funds
are being directed into the
community.
10
The KPMG team on this engagement consisted of KPMG in the United Statesand KPMG in Colombia.
13Exploring the Benefits of Technology
16. A targeted financial commitment by the Ford Foundation
catalyzed multimillion dollar investments which generated
increased livelihoods for men in the community, decrease
in overall violence, and encourage mobility of citizens due to
less fear of reprisal from local gangs.The capacity building
support provided by KPMG assisted theTIOS project team
establish a baseline understanding of the potential assets of
previously marginalized communities, thereby strengthening
future urban policy development and planning.
At a city level, TIOS helped document streamlined
procedures to expedite inter-governmental action, build
stronger alliances with diverse donors by broadcasting
TIOS success stories and more importantly enhance
communication with stakeholders. Moreover, the political
commitment from the Mayor and the willingness of
municipal government officials and other stakeholders to
work collaboratively to secure approvals and appropriate
funding allowed for the achievement of the TIOS vision.
Community engagement was a distinguishing feature of
TIOS as it allowed the project team to not only obtain
feedback from beneficiaries in a timely manner, but also
to track and evaluate progress. KPMG supported the
TIOS project team outline potential social media vehicles
and in-person messaging that allowed for a culturally-
sensitive engagement. Most importantly, the political
commitment of the Municipal Government to implement
measurement and data gathering before the end of the
Mayor’s administration allowed the TIOS team to create a
centralized process for prioritizing and contracting targeted
interventions in the future.
Significance
The increased focus on planning in TIOS communities
highlighted the need for a social mapping project which
sought to capture the full picture of investment in the
TIOS neighborhoods from government, private, and
social sectors. This mapping exercise was intended to
diminish overlap of programmatic interventions and
leverage catalytic funding to maximize impact. If managed
effectively, larger scale interventions can be used to
galvanize future funding and diversity the donor base. TIOS
has not only driven a prioritization process that required
engagement across government ministries, but also
the development of solutions to procedural bottlenecks
and the development of formalized procedures. It also
created a legacy that the newly elected Mayoral candidate
has committed to make a central pillar of the Cali social
program for the period 2016-2019.
18. Conclusion
Municipal governments at the forefront of today’s
urbanization challenges must be prepared to use all tools at
their disposal to ensure that social services reach the most
marginalized groups in a society. Integrating monitoring
and evaluation into government interventions significantly
contribute to how effectively a government responds to their
citizens’ needs.Technology is a powerful enabler, but as the
case studies within this paper demonstrate, it is critical that
technological interventions be deployed as part of a larger
urban plan with clearly identified target beneficiaries and
baseline data that are gained from ex post assessments
that allow governments to monitor progress and evaluate
program results.
In addition to governments, technology providers and other
private sector actors could greatly improve the impact of
their solutions if governments were to seek the integration
of monitoring and evaluation processes into software
installations and establish procedures to use that information
effectively.The development of empowering technology
products not only achieves administrative efficiencies,
but also helps to build social capital over the long term in
the communities where it is deployed. If the Global Goals
for Sustainable Development are ever to be successful,
all development actors must ensure that no one gets left
behind. Integrating monitoring and evaluation practices
and applying the results in a consistent, meaningful and
thoughtful manner is a critical step towards this promise.
