This blog has been written by Arun Maruthi Selvan, Global Lead Senior Manager, Monitoring & Evaluation at STiR Education.
Participating in the recent Dalgo Sprint in Bangalore was a truly energising and value-adding experience. Spread over three immersive days, the sprint brought together a diverse set of NGOs—each with inspiring stories, shared challenges, and a collective appetite to strengthen their data systems. I’d sum up my experience across three key themes: Connect, Learn, and Advance.
Connect
The sprint began on a thoughtful note—with time set aside to meet and engage with fellow participants. This personal connect made a big difference. It created space for genuine conversations that extended well beyond formal sessions. I had the chance to finally meet people from organisations I’ve admired from afar, and also discover new ones doing promising and powerful work. As we discussed our respective challenges—many of which were strikingly similar—it felt like being part of a community navigating a shared journey.
Learn
Each day brought opportunities to deepen understanding. From designing meaningful indicators to exploring predictive analytics, the sessions were insightful and practical. The Dalgo team also introduced us to new tools tailored to NGO needs, many of which we could implement directly in our work. What stood out most, however, were the peer sharing. Hearing how different organisations approached monitoring, data use, and decision-making gave me fresh ideas and clarity on what’s possible.
Advance
The hands-on engagement with the Dalgo 2.0 prototype was a highlight. It was exciting to see what’s being built and contribute feedback that could help shape the tool to better meet our realities. The work time carved into the sprint helped me move forward on STiR’s data needs, and I truly appreciated how the Dalgo team supported us not just with solutions—but with the goal of building our independence.
As a bonus, being a Glific user, I could dip into sessions from the Glific sprint happening in parallel. Those impromptu interactions helped me troubleshoot issues with our WhatsApp chatbot and learn directly from peers and the Glific team.
In all, the Dalgo Sprint was a rich blend of ideas, tools, people, and shared purpose. I came away with clearer next steps, deeper connections, and a renewed appreciation for the power of community-driven tech solutions in the development sector. Kudos to the Dalgo and Glific teams for hosting such a warm, thoughtful, and productive space!
