Building the Blueprint: Process and Data Model Conceptualisation:
Our initial phase involved a deep dive into the complexities of social cohesion within the South African context with Khulisa Social Solutions. We worked collaboratively to model and build the first concepts of crucial processes and underlying data structures relevant to this multifaceted challenge. This foundational work provided a clear framework for collecting data, establishing a baseline, producing reports, and how data could be leveraged to drive positive change.
Aligning with Global Impact: UN Sustainable Development Goals:
A key aspect of our engagement was aligning the organisation’s efforts with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We facilitated a process to identify relevant SDGs and map the organisation’s potential contributions, ensuring their work was strategically positioned within a broader global framework for sustainable development and social progress.
Understanding Regional Assets: Asset Mapping for Targeted Interventions:
To enable more effective and targeted interventions, our team conducted comprehensive asset mapping across various regions within the South Africa. This involved identifying key resources, infrastructure, community networks, and other valuable assets that could be leveraged to promote social cohesion initiatives. This granular understanding of regional assets provided critical intelligence for strategic planning and resource allocation.
Extracting Actionable Insights: Dialogue and Transect Walk Data Analysis:
A significant component of the project involved the analysis of rich qualitative data gathered through dialogue sessions and transect walks. Our data science expertise was crucial in structuring and interpreting this information, identifying key themes, patterns, and insights related to social dynamics and challenges within communities. This rigorous analysis transformed raw data into actionable intelligence.
Guiding Strategic Impact: Structured Insights and Reports for Action:
The culmination of our work involved structuring the derived insights and generating comprehensive reports tailored to assist organisations and governments in the region. These reports provided evidence-based recommendations, highlighting key areas where focused interventions and resource allocation could have the greatest impact on fostering social cohesion. By translating complex data into clear and actionable guidance, we empowered stakeholders to make informed decisions and implement effective strategies for positive social change across the SADC region.
This impactful two-year project demonstrates Tidus’s commitment to leveraging data science, strategic thinking, and collaborative partnerships to address complex social challenges. By building foundational models, aligning with global goals, understanding regional contexts, and extracting actionable insights from diverse data sources, we helped our partner organisation in the SADC region to strategically focus their efforts and maximize their positive impact on social cohesion.
