What needs correction?
Confirmed structure, range and logic failures enter a documented issue register.
Synthetic case study · NGO & M&E data quality
122 records in.
A decision-ready issue register out.
This transparent demonstration shows how Research Metrics Africa turns a field-data export into prioritised review signals, an analysis gate and a practical corrective-action plan - without overstating what automated checks can prove.
The management question
Can this dataset safely support the next programme decision?
The audit does not begin by hunting for a significant p-value. It begins by asking whether the records, coding, collection controls and available field signals are trustworthy enough for analysis and reporting.
What needs context?
Timing, repetition and location patterns remain review signals until the field team validates them.
What must wait?
Inferential analysis is withheld when its assumptions fail, protecting the organisation from a misleading conclusion.
Audit result
Signals were prioritised, not sensationalised.
Counts below are screening outputs from synthetic data. Categories may overlap. A flag is a reason to review a record, never an accusation against an enumerator.
records with review signals
Queued for human review - not automatic deletion
range or logic violations
Check source forms, coding rules and skip logic
duration anomalies
Compare with interview context and field logs
possible straight-lined interviews
Pattern signal only - not proof of misconduct
ANALYSIS GATEWITHHELD
Planned chi-square test: withheld
Expected-cell assumptions were not met. The responsible output is a documented hold and remediation path - not a forced p-value.
Corrective action
Every signal is assigned to a decision owner.
A useful audit closes the loop between the record, the rule, the person who can verify it and the action required before the next reporting cycle.
Confirm indicator definitions and decide which issues are material to reporting.
Review the 15 flagged records against the questionnaire, codebook and cleaning log.
Add interview context for timing, repetition or location signals before any conclusion.
Re-run the assumption gate and only release inferential results when the data supports them.
Show, do not just promise
Review the sample report your M&E team can inspect.
The downloadable PDF includes the audit scope, issue register, analysis gate, corrective-action plan, limitations and a sample deliverables checklist. It uses synthetic data and is not presented as a client engagement.