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Role of data in policymaking

By ISPP
Published Jan 8, 2026

The Government is increasingly using live dashboards alongside traditional reports as part of policy monitoring and review. This is changing how information is recorded, shared, and followed within policymaking systems.

One such change was visible when the Government launched the KOYLA SHAKTI dashboard. Together, these initiatives bring operational and performance-related data into a single system for near real-time tracking. This replaces information previously scattered across multiple departments and stakeholders.

The National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, launched the “Koyla Shakti”, Smart Coal Analytics Dashboard (SCAD) , marking yet another milestone in India’s digital transformation and smart logistics endeavour.

The platform developed by NICDC under the direction of the Ministry of Coal is powered by the Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP).

Koyla Shakti integrates technology and data-driven intelligence into India’s coal and logistics ecosystem. The platform enables real-time monitoring of coal production, transportation, and consumption. It is expected to improve efficiency, transparency, and sustainability across the coal production-to-distribution value chain.

It also reflects NICDC’s role in developing next-generation digital infrastructure that connects multiple systems through a unified analytics framework. ULIP is a digital gateway launched under the National Logistics Policy in 2022 and facilitates secure and seamless data exchange across logistics nodes such as the railways, ports, customs, coal producers, and power plants.

Key stakeholders in this unifying data process include central ministries, state mining departments, power utilities, ports, and the private sector. The integration of predictive analytics and sustainability monitoring tools facilitates decision-making and accountability.

Data management aids smart governance

As these systems become part of everyday administration, they also reflect how data plays a practical role at every stage of policymaking.

Data enters policymaking at multiple stages, beginning with how issues are defined and information is organised within government. Operational datasets and digital platforms are used to document activities, track inputs, and maintain a common view of ongoing work across departments.

More importantly, data has the potential to support monitoring and evaluation of policies, and therefore it comes in handy while planning next steps in the policy process.

The PM GatiShakti National Master Plan (PMGS NMP), for instance, has an integrated digital platform for both planning and coordination of infrastructure projects that are implemented. It is India’s integrated digital platform for holistic infrastructure planning, aimed at boosting economic growth by synchronizing planning across ministries, including Railways, Roads, and Ports, using a GIS-based portal for seamless, multimodal connectivity, thus minimizing disruptions, and accelerating project execution for a better ease of doing business experience.

The PMGS NMP has mapped and integrated approximately 1,700 data layers, which consist of 969 layers from states and union territories and 731 layers from central ministries and departments.

Another important role that data plays is that during implementation, data corrects routine oversight anomalies by providing a structured record of activities undertaken and tasks completed. It also provides a systemic way to review policy and aids progress meetings and administrative reviews.

Over time, the accumulation of domain-related data generated and compiled by different wings of the Government creates a reference point for policy review. It allows institutions to examine how decisions were carried out and how responsibilities were assigned to different stakeholders within the policymaking process. In the process, accountability across various departments/bodies is established, and their roles get clearly defined.

Monitoring policy implementation through data systems

Monitoring policy implementation requires timely and organised information on how activities are progressing. Data systems are used to capture updates on tasks, outputs, and timelines as policies move from design to execution.

Digital dashboards and reporting platforms allow implementing agencies to submit updates in structured formats. The information is reviewed through administrative processes, helping departments maintain visibility over progress and identify areas that may require coordination or follow-up.

When information is recorded using common formats and shared systems, it also supports coordination during implementation. This reduces reliance on informal updates and helps ensure that monitoring practices remain consistent across departments. In addition, this aids a third party in conducting independent impact assessments of various policies. The Government periodically engages independent agencies to conduct evaluations of policies by different ministries, and such datasets come in handy for baseline evaluations.

To make this monitoring reliable, clear rules and responsibilities are,however, needed within public institutions.

Institutional arrangements for responsible data use

The use of data in policymaking depends not only on digital systems but also on the arrangements that govern how information is handled within public institutions.

The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act), for instance, provides for the processing of digital personal data in a manner that recognises both the rights of the individual to protect their personal data and the need to process such personal data for lawful purposes.

As part of the DPDP Act, the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules provide a framework for how public institutions are expected to manage personal data. Data fiduciaries are required to make contact details available for data-related queries and to identify a responsible officer or a Data Protection Officer. This connects the use of data within administrative systems to clearly define the points of responsibility.

Placed alongside routine data collection, monitoring, and review processes, these requirements help anchor accountability in everyday policymaking work. Data is gathered and examined and linked to identifiable roles, allowing transparency and accountability to function together as part of regular administrative practice.

Integrating transparency and accountability through data

When information is recorded in shared systems, it becomes easier to observe what decisions were made and how and when they were carried out. Over time, this forms clearer documentation of the process of policies transitioning from intent to action.

Transparency mechanisms such as the Right to Information framework rely on the quality of administrative records maintained by public institutions. When data is systematically recorded as part of routine policymaking and implementation, institutions are better able to explain decisions and clarify responsibility when information is sought.

In practice, well-maintained records, like those that prevail in the United States, the United Kingdom, and other developed economies, help the governments, their institutions, public bodies, and citizens in myriad ways. Besides, they make it easier to trace responsibility for different actions and allow transparency and accountability to function as part of everyday policymaking, rather than only when disputes arise.

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FAQs

Why is data important in policymaking?

Data helps keep a record of what decisions were made and what actions followed. When the information is organised and available, it becomes easier to track and understand policymaking. Further, it helps replan, course-correct, and evaluate policies.

How does data support accountability in governance?

Data helps show the responsibility of different actors for different tasks. When the work is recorded properly, it becomes easier to understand where responsibility lies during review.

What role do dashboards play in policy monitoring?

Dashboards consolidate updates from various departments into a single location. This not only allows the decision-makers to monitor the progress made but also diminishes the requirement for informal updates, thus saving time and resources.

In what ways do data governance frameworks foster accountability?

The data governance frameworks come into play by providing unequivocal rules governing data handling and the assignment of responsibility. Consequently, this not only guarantees the presence of transparency and accountability but also the implementation of safeguards.

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