DATE
12/03/2025
Data Analysis
Ihsan Labs partnered with ARC Programs to assess and streamline their data collection and reporting systems in alignment with Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) requirements. Through a combination of system audits, stakeholder engagement, and technical recommendations, we redesigned workflows and reporting structures to reduce duplication, improve data quality, and ensure compliance—while keeping frontline usability at the core.
KPI
Data Review
Services
Data Infrastructure & Reporting Optimization
Category
Non-Profit & Government
Client
Arc Programs
Analysis
At Ihsan Labs, we partnered with ARC Programs to analyze and enhance their data infrastructure in alignment with the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) reporting and accountability needs. Our approach combined technical auditing, stakeholder interviews, and platform refinement to ensure data collected across programs tells a coherent, funder-ready story—while remaining grounded in frontline realities.
What We Delivered with ARC:
End-to-End Data Process Mapping: A full analysis of intake, assessment, and reporting flows across multiple ARC service lines, highlighting duplication, friction points, and MCFD alignment gaps.
MCFD-Centric Reporting Models: Redesigned reporting frameworks and tools to meet ministry expectations without compromising frontline flexibility—ensuring both compliance and clarity.
User-Centered Data Strategy: Engaged staff across program areas to co-define what meaningful data looks like—balancing funder metrics with community-defined outcomes.
Permissions and Program-Specific Views: Structured access controls that allow each staff group to focus only on the data they need—reducing cognitive load and ensuring client privacy.
Scalable Framework for Other Agencies: Delivered a replicable model that can be adapted across other youth-serving agencies facing similar MCFD expectations and tech challenges.
Problem
ARC Programs, a critical service provider supporting vulnerable youth and families, faced significant challenges in managing and reporting data across their organization. Each program area—ranging from mental health services to community outreach—operated with its own forms, processes, and systems.
As a result:
Data was siloed across multiple tools, making it hard to compile a unified view of services delivered.
Staff were spending excessive time duplicating data entry into different systems, increasing the risk of errors.
Reporting to the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) required enormous manual effort, as ARC had to reconcile data discrepancies and fill gaps to meet strict funder expectations.
MCFD reporting requirements were evolving, demanding new metrics and data points, creating additional strain.
Frontline staff felt disconnected from the reporting process, seeing it as bureaucratic rather than a tool for improving services.
This complex environment made it nearly impossible for ARC to efficiently produce reports that were both funder-ready and reflective of the real-world impact they were making. Their leadership worried that gaps in data could undermine funding applications, audit readiness, and ultimately their ability to serve clients.
Process
Ihsan Labs partnered with ARC to transform their fragmented data landscape into a cohesive, user-centered system. Our process was collaborative and practical, ensuring solutions were grounded in ARC’s real-world realities.
Here’s how we approached it:
Discovery & Analysis:
Conducted in-depth interviews and workshops with staff across all ARC service lines.
Mapped existing data flows to identify duplication, gaps, and friction points.
Analyzed MCFD reporting templates and requirements to ensure compliance alignment.
Solution Development:
Redesigned reporting frameworks and tools to standardize data collection while preserving flexibility for each program’s unique needs.
Created structured templates and checklists for data entry and reporting, reducing manual errors.
Developed permissions-based views to ensure staff only accessed data relevant to their roles, enhancing privacy and reducing cognitive load.
Testing & Feedback:
Shared prototypes and dashboards with staff for feedback.
Conducted iterative refinements based on real-world testing and user insights.
Result
Through this collaborative approach, ARC Programs achieved significant improvements:
Improved Data Quality: Consistent data capture and validation rules reduced errors and increased confidence in reports.
Enhanced Audit Readiness: ARC’s new processes ensured they could meet MCFD’s rigorous reporting requirements with greater ease and accuracy.
Funder-Ready Storytelling: ARC leadership gained the ability to clearly demonstrate program impact with reliable data, strengthening funding proposals and stakeholder relationships.
Sector Leadership: ARC now has a scalable framework that can help other youth-serving agencies facing similar challenges in the surrounding areas.
By turning fragmented data into actionable insights, ARC transformed reporting from a burden into a strategic asset—helping ensure better outcomes for the communities they serve.
