Ethical Usage of AI for Efficient Evaluation
Webinar (em inglês) | Online
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Organizado por:
Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO), NITI Aayog
Sobre o evento
The Government of India has increasingly emphasized evidence-based decision-making and outcome-oriented governance to improve the effectiveness of public welfare schemes and development programmes. In this context, AI offers significant future potential to strengthen the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) ecosystem by enabling real-time monitoring, faster data processing, and predictive analytics. As AI and ML tools get integrated more in the evaluation systems and processes, what are the safeguards that would be required so that these tools become efficiency enablers.
AI tools can support ministries, implementing agencies, and M&E institutions in analyzing large datasets generated through schemes implementations and surveys. At the Implementation level, it can automate and examine large volumes of MIS data and identify patterns, identify areas that need strengthening and maintain data privacy and secrecy at the core of such processes. AI tools usage in evaluation processes have become increasingly important as various institutions, including Governments, seek to improve efficiency, transparency, and effectiveness in assessment systems.
AI in government scheme evaluation also has to ascertain that adequate ethical safeguards are in place to ensure that the provisions of various legislations such as DPDP Act, 2023 in India and other rules and regulations are adhered to. Proper ring-fencing of individual information safeguarding privacy, data protection measures for authorized usage and informed use of information are essential.
AI systems need to be periodically reviewed extensively or audited to look into any algorithmic bias. Human-in-the-loop in a machine interacted world needs to be adapted to keep the decision-making processes aligned to context and safeguarded against potential ethical considerations. Capacity building of evaluators, in general, and government officials, in particular, to understand the scope and also the understanding of AI tools would become essential in making ethnically usage of AI tools for efficient evaluations. This theme explores a futuristing potential balanced approach that combines the use of AI tools with proper adequate safeguards to undertake efficient and meaningful evaluations of government schemes.
AI tools can support ministries, implementing agencies, and M&E institutions in analyzing large datasets generated through schemes implementations and surveys. At the Implementation level, it can automate and examine large volumes of MIS data and identify patterns, identify areas that need strengthening and maintain data privacy and secrecy at the core of such processes. AI tools usage in evaluation processes have become increasingly important as various institutions, including Governments, seek to improve efficiency, transparency, and effectiveness in assessment systems.
AI in government scheme evaluation also has to ascertain that adequate ethical safeguards are in place to ensure that the provisions of various legislations such as DPDP Act, 2023 in India and other rules and regulations are adhered to. Proper ring-fencing of individual information safeguarding privacy, data protection measures for authorized usage and informed use of information are essential.
AI systems need to be periodically reviewed extensively or audited to look into any algorithmic bias. Human-in-the-loop in a machine interacted world needs to be adapted to keep the decision-making processes aligned to context and safeguarded against potential ethical considerations. Capacity building of evaluators, in general, and government officials, in particular, to understand the scope and also the understanding of AI tools would become essential in making ethnically usage of AI tools for efficient evaluations. This theme explores a futuristing potential balanced approach that combines the use of AI tools with proper adequate safeguards to undertake efficient and meaningful evaluations of government schemes.
Orador/a
| Nome | Título | Biography |
|---|---|---|
| Aditi Singh | Ms. | Ms. Aditi Singh is an Indian civil servant with extensive experience in government administration, public finance and digital systems implementation. Currently, as Director (Programme Management & HR) at National e-Governance Division (NeGD), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), she oversees the design and governance of India’s Digital Public Infrastructure and AI initiatives for citizen-centric service delivery, along with the Human Resource function for supporting Digital India initiatives. |
| Astha Kapoor | Ms. | Astha Kapoor is the Co-founder of Aapti Institute, a Bangalore-based research firm that works at the intersection of technology and society. She has 15 years of public policy and strategy consulting experience, focusing on using technology for welfare. Astha works on participative governance of data, and digital public infrastructure. Astha was a member of World Economic Forum Global Future Council on data equity (2023-24), visiting fellow at the Ostrom Workshop (Indiana University). She was also a member of the Think20 task force on digital public infrastructure during India's and Brazil's G20 presidency and is currently on the board of the Global Partnership for Sustainable Data. |
| Anusha Sharma | Ms. | Anusha Sharma is the Head of the Programme Management and Support Unit (PMSU) at United Nations Development Programme, with over 14 years of experience in programme management, results-based monitoring and evaluation, for sustainable development initiatives. She has extensive expertise in strengthening programme quality, performance monitoring, reporting systems, risk management, and evidence-based decision-making across large-scale development programmes. At UNDP India, Anusha has played a key role in advancing monitoring, evaluation, and programme oversight processes, while supporting strategic planning and implementation across diverse thematic portfolios. She has worked closely with government institutions, development partners, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders to enhance programme effectiveness, accountability, and delivery of development results. She holds a Bachelors’ degree in Life Sciences from University of Delhi and a Masters’ degree in Natural Resource Management from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University. |
| Anoop Sharma | Mr. | Anoop Sharma is Evaluation and AI Specialist at IFAD’s Independent Office of Evaluation (IOE). He has more than seven years of UN experience in evaluations, operational assessments, and AI and data driven analysis. At IOE, Anoop is leading the integration of the Office’s AI strategy into evaluation processes. |
Moderators
| Nome | Título | Biography |
|---|---|---|
| Abinash Dash | Dr. | Dr. Abinash Dash is Director (Evaluation) at the Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO), NITI Aayog, where he leads the evaluation of Government of India schemes across sectors. An IMF Scholar, he holds a PhD in Development Economics from the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), Tokyo, Japan. His areas of specialization include program and impact evaluation, development economics, health economics, and microeconometrics. With extensive experience in Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning (MERL), Dr. Dash has played a key role in strengthening evaluation systems and capacity-building initiatives at both national and international levels. He has contributed widely to the field through publications in national and international journals, focusing on evaluation design, systems, and processes. |