Developing a research, technology and innovation dashboard for policy evaluation in the bublic sector

Abstract

Dashboards have become central tools for supporting evidence-based policy evaluation, particularly in the public sector where complex data must be communicated to diverse stakeholders. Despite their growing importance, many existing implementations remain fragmented, domain-specific, or difficult for non-technical users to configure. This thesis addresses this gap by developing and evaluating a modular dashboard for Research, Technology, and Innovation (RTI) policy monitoring, designed to be adaptable across different policy contexts while remaining accessible to policymakers without technical expertise.The research follows a design science methodology. First, a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was conducted across four major databases, yielding a consolidated set of design principles for dashboards. These principles include visual clarity, interactivity, contextual information, accessibility, and provenance. Second, these principles informed the design and implementation of a prototype dashboard built on a three-tier architecture with a flexible multidimensional database schema. The system incorporates a guided configuration wizard, enabling the integration of heterogeneous datasets without requiring backend knowledge, and supports interactive visualizations linking indicators, subareas, and goals. Third, the system was evaluated through a twofold approach: (1) informed argumentation, comparing the implemented dashboard against the design principles derived from the SLR, and (2) semi-structured interviews with three expert participants involved in RTI policy evaluation.The results demonstrate that the prototype effectively operationalizes principles of visual clarity, configurability, and systemic representation. The configuration wizard was particularly praised for transforming complex setup processes into accessible workflows. However, important gaps remain: accessibility features, provenance display, export/versioning, and systematic goal-indicator mapping require further development. The interviews confirmed the policy relevance of the system while underscoring the importance of explanatory support and decision alignment. The thesis contributes both academically, by synthesizing dashboard design principles and demonstrating their applicability in the public sector, and practically, by delivering a functioning, extensible RTI dashboard prototype. Future work should prioritize accessibility, provenance, and advanced decision-support capabilities to fully realize the system’s potential as a policy tool.