📚 OpenStacks for Change

A modular, evolving collection of open-source documentation, research tools, MEL frameworks, and participatory knowledge practices—rooted in the realities of Indian and South Asian public interest work.

📂 Repository Table of Contents

• InsightStack – Visual documentation and research artifacts
  • 🧰 Tools: Observable, Open Data Editor, Taguette, Excalidraw
  • 📂 Folders: observable_notebooks/, open_data_editor/, taguette_coding/, visual_ethnography_descript/
  • 🌱 Why: For MEL teams, documentation strategists, and storytelling in development work
• FieldStack – Field research and evaluation infrastructure
  • 🧰 Tools: ODK, KoboToolbox, Stata, R, Excel
  • 📂 Folders: survey_design/, data_cleaning/, qualitative_tools/, analysis_templates/
  • 🌱 Why: For researchers, fellows, enumerators, and MEL practitioners conducting field-based studies
• EquityStack – Data tools for public health and gender equity
  • 🧰 Tools: ggplot2, pandas, Power BI, custom dashboards
  • 📂 Folders: gender_data/, equity_dashboards/, visualizations/
  • 🌱 Why: To support inclusive, evidence-based decision-making across policy and programming

❓ Why OpenStacks?

Research and evaluation tools are often siloed, fragile, or inaccessible—especially when working across grassroots systems, multidisciplinary teams, or social impact fields. OpenStacks was created to address that gap. It connects the dots between documentation, analysis, fieldwork, and storytelling—so that development professionals, researchers, and policy actors can work with contextually grounded, reusable infrastructure.

Each folder is a real, working component used in field contexts like gender audits, public health evaluations, climate adaptation studies, and social systems documentation. You are free to copy, remix, cite, and build upon them.

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📌 What’s Coming Next

Planned Tools and Methods (InsightStack)

• Vensim models for system dynamics in health, livelihoods, education, and climate resilience
• Econometrics modules covering RDD, HTE, DiD, LATE, MDE, and synthetic controls
• Bayesian tools using PyMC, Stan, or brms for policy modelling and uncertainty handling
• Data validation scripts for checking duplicates, ranges, missingness across CSV, SPSS, Stata
• Survey-to-codebook converter from XLSForm to Markdown
• Labeling templates and variable naming standardization tools
• Replication folder structure with data lineage documentation

Field and Equity Tools (FieldStack + EquityStack)

• SROI, care economy, and survey weighting notebooks with real sample data
• Dashboard exports: Excel, Power BI, Looker Studio
• Advanced graph types: stacked bars, waterfall plots, dot plots, panel visuals
• Templates for longitudinal data, baseline/endline, and quasi-experimental studies
• Test automation, Quarto rendering, and Zenodo citations via GitHub Actions

Knowledge and Communication Resources (KnowledgeStack)

• Learning layer frameworks and program capacity guides
• KM SOPs and tagging systems for documentation and reuse
• Annotated writing samples, methods notes, and literature mapping visuals
• Memo templates for evaluations, internal reports, and knowledge curation

Standalone and Experimental Ideas

• BayesStack: Bayesian models and examples for development economics
• APIs & AI for Development: using public APIs and AI tools for dashboards, reports, and automation
• Online Library: curated open-access repository of key research, guides, and readings
• Lovable Integration: exploring Lovable to enhance repo engagement and usability

Cross-Cutting Enhancements (Across All Repos)

• Automated changelog generation with GitHub Actions
• Standardized authorship notes and responsible AI use declaration
• Real sample datasets (≥100 rows) included in every repo
• tools_used.md for every technical or method folder