Research that matters. Analysis that empowers people, institutions, and public policy

Research & Analysis Wing

Strengthens local governance systems by enabling citizens, Panchayats, and state institutions to make decisions rooted in data.

India’s democracy, though vibrant in spirit, faces deep systemic challenges that prevent citizens from truly exercising power and agency in governance. In any thriving democracy, evidence forms the bedrock of accountability and inclusion. The Research & Data Analytics Wing of RACLD strengthens local governance systems by enabling citizens, Panchayats, and state institutions to make decisions rooted in data.

Across India, data on development indicators often remains fragmented, outdated, or inaccessible to those who need it most — the government and local institutions responsible for implementation. RACLD bridges this gap by commissioning high-quality research, facilitating community-owned data systems, and building analytic capacity at the grassroots. Our approach goes beyond research for its own sake: we translate data into tools for planning, monitoring, and reform. Through participatory analytics, digital platforms, and evidence-based planning, we ensure that data is not just collected but owned, understood, and acted upon by communities themselves.

The Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP): Our Flagship Model

What It Is

The Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) is a national mandate under Article 243G of the Constitution of India and the 73rd Constitutional Amendment. It empowers every Gram Panchayat to prepare an annual and prospective plan for economic development and social justice, aligning local priorities with state and national goals.

The GPDP integrates 29 sectors listed in the Eleventh Schedule – from health, sanitation, and education to livelihoods, environment, and social welfare ensuring that village development is comprehensive, data-driven, and inclusive.

The Missing Foundation of Local Development

Without a proper and participatory plan for the Panchayats, it is impossible for the Government to achieve meaningful rural development.

Development cannot be imposed from the top, it must emerge from the ground, reflecting the needs, priorities, and aspirations of local communities.

When Panchayats are left without clear plans, data, or resources, the result is fragmented interventions, underutilized funds, and disconnected programs that fail to strengthen local democracy.

Why it matters

For decades, local governance has suffered from two structural weaknesses: lack of granular, reliable data, and limited citizen participation in planning.

The GPDP process, when executed meaningfully, resolves both by creating a shared vision for the Panchayat, matching needs to resources, and prioritizing interventions through participatory processes.

RACLD has reimagined the GPDP as both a technical planning instrument and a citizenship exercise, a way for every villager to co-create their Panchayat’s future.

RACLD’s Approach to GPDP Preparation

RACLD supports Panchayats through an end-to-end, structured methodology aligned with the Ministry of Panchayati Raj guidelines. Our facilitation ensures that each Panchayat develops a self-sustaining, evidence-based plan that can guide development for up to five years.

Our Interventions

Environment Creation & Social Mobilization

We begin with Gram Sabha awareness sessions, building understanding of GPDP’s purpose and encouraging every household’s participation.

Participatory Data Collection

Using both primary and secondary data, our field teams facilitate village, household, and individual surveys supported by digital platforms. Data sources include Mission Antyodaya, Census, SECC, and departmental datasets.

Need Prioritization & Resource Planning

Through structured Gram Sabhas, the community collectively identifies priority needs and available resources – social, natural, human, and financial.

Plan Implementation & Monitoring

RACLD provides ongoing support to ensure implementation fidelity, transparency, and continuous data-driven evaluation of progress.

Formation of Planning Teams

RACLD helps create and train Gram Panchayat Planning Facilitation Teams (GPPFTs) and Ward Planning Facilitation Teams (WPFTs) ensuring representation across gender, caste, and livelihood groups.

Situation Analysis & Development Status Report

We support Panchayats in analysing collected data to prepare a Development Status Report (DSR) mapping gaps in sectors such as health, education, livelihoods, infrastructure, and social justice.

Drafting the GPDP

The GPDP is then drafted, integrating all line department schemes and ensuring convergence under the Panchayat’s leadership. The draft plan is presented in a Development Seminar and finalized by the Gram Sabha.

This comprehensive process ensures that every plan is evidence-based, inclusive, and implementable, positioning Panchayats as data-empowered local governments.

Our Work

RACLD has successfully facilitated GPDP formulation and implementation across several districts in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Each project demonstrates how participatory data can transform local governance into a system that listens, learns, and leads.

Importance of Data Analysis in a Democracy

Data analysis is no longer an optional tool in democratic governance—it is a foundational pillar that ensures transparency, accountability, equity, efficiency, and citizen trust. In a complex democracy like India, where decisions affect millions across diverse geographies and socio-economic conditions, data-driven governance becomes the engine that keeps the democratic system fair, responsive, and future-ready.

Evidence-Based Decision Making

Democratic institutions must make decisions that serve all citizens. Data analysis replaces assumptions with quantifiable evidence, enabling:

  • Accurate assessment of public needs
  • Prioritisation of policies based on real impact
  • Allocation of resources to where they are truly required
  • Reduction of bias and arbitrary decision-making

This helps transform democracy from opinion-based governance to science-driven governance

Transparency & Public Accountability

Good data makes government actions visible and understandable.

  • Public dashboards, open-data portals, RTI databases, and audit reports Clear tracking of how funds are used
  • Monitoring service delivery performance (schools, hospitals, welfare, etc.)

When citizens can “see the system through data,” democracy becomes trustworthy, participatory, and corruption-resistant. underutilized funds, and disconnected programs that fail to strengthen local democracy.

Strengthening Citizen Participation

Data helps citizens understand:

  • What their rights and entitlements are
  • How their local systems are functioning
  • Where gaps are occurring and why
  • Informed citizens are empowered citizens.

Data converts passive populations into active participants, strengthening democratic culture and community oversight.

Social Equity & Inclusion

Data is the most powerful tool to identify who is left behind.

  • Mapping marginalised groups
  • Identifying service-delivery gaps
  • Analysing welfare leakage
  • Examining patterns of discrimination in access to education, health, jobs, land, credit, and justice
  • Without data, inequity remains invisible.

With data, governments can create targeted interventions to ensure democratic benefits reach the last mile.

Monitoring & Evaluating Policy Impact

Democracy demands not only making policies, but also measuring whether they work. Data analysis helps evaluate:

  • What improved
  • What failed
  • What needs course correction
  • What innovations can scale

This continuous feedback loop strengthens democratic governance by ensuring agility, responsiveness, and learning.

Predictive Governance & Early Warning Systems

With advanced analytics, governments can:

  • Predict rural distress
  • Forecast disease outbreaks
  • Anticipate climate shocks
  • Identify areas at risk of conflicts or exclusion
  • Detect fraud and welfare misuse

Data moves democracy from reactive to proactive, reducing suffering and enabling preventive action.

Institutional Efficiency & Public Service Delivery

Data streamlines the functioning of democratic institutions:

  • Digitised public records
  • Real-time dashboards for Panchayats, Municipalities, and State Departments
  • Performance analytics for frontline workers
  • Time-bound redressal systems
  • Automated grievance classification

The result is a faster, more accountable, more citizen-centric system.

Enhancing Rule of Law

In a democracy, justice must be fair, evidence-driven, and timely. Data analysis supports:

  • Intelligent policing
  • Tracking case pendency
  • Identifying systemic delays
  • Strengthening legal aid networks
  • Improving forensic accuracy

Data-based justice improves trust in democratic institutions.

Enabling Fiscal Discipline & Better Budgeting

Data-driven budgeting ensures:

  • Funds follow priority needs
  • Leakages are detected early
  • Public expenditure becomes transparent
  • Outcomes are measured per rupee spent

It turns public finance into a strategic, accountable system, not an opaque administrative process.

Building Democratic Resilience

In an era of misinformation, polarisation, and rapid change, data is key to:

  • Countering fake news
  • Understanding social behaviour
  • Tracking digital threats
  • Safeguarding electoral integrity
  • Analysing trends that influence public opinion

Reliable data is the backbone of democratic stability and informed public discourse.

In Summary

Data analysis is the heartbeat of a mature democracy. It ensures:

  • Truth over speculation
  • Equity over exclusion
  • Transparency over opacity
  • Participation over passivity
  • Justice over arbitrariness

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Help us strengthen evidence-based governance across India.

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