APRU Social Impact Data Science Accelerator (SIDSA) Project

The APRU Social Impact Data Science Accelerator (SIDSA) is an international initiative that connects university-led student teams with social impact organisations across Southeast Asia to develop practical, data-driven solutions to real-world challenges. Organised by APRU, data.org, Tandemic, and the Asian Institute of Management, the programme aims to strengthen the use of data science and AI for social good while building long-term data capabilities within participating organisations.  

This project aligns with SIDSA’s focus area of Advancing Data-Driven Decision-Making for Community Impact, which supports the development of integrated data systems, analytics, and monitoring tools to facilitate evidence-based planning, evaluation, and impact assessment.

From July 2025 to May 2026, the team formed by CUHK members collaborated with the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) on a project entitled Data-Driven Assessment of RSPO Palm Oil Members’ Smallholder Inclusion and Claims & Labels Reporting. The project analysed reporting data from more than 1,900 RSPO members to examine how organisations across different sectors and regions support smallholder farmers and report on sustainable palm oil commitments. To support member engagement and accountability, the team developed targeted dashboards that provide insights into reporting practices, progress, and implementation gaps.

Key insights generated from the project include identifying which sectors and regions lead or lag in smallholder inclusion and claims reporting, revealing where members’ policy commitments fail to translate into concrete actions, and examining how reporting patterns differ between buyers and producers. These findings help strengthen transparency, accountability, and evidence-based decision-making within the sustainable palm oil sector.