Note on use of AI: I have taken the assistance of Claude AI for the limited purpose of collating all my ideas together into the format of a proposal. The workshop structure and content have been entirely developed by me.

Summary

This hands-on workshop demystifies complex budget data for curious generalists, equipping participants to create accessible visualizations that drive civic engagement. Using Google Sheets and focusing on real-world examples from the Indian Budget, participants will learn to translate overwhelming numbers into compelling visual stories that challenge misinformation and make fiscal data relatable to everyday citizens.

Outline

Context and Differentiation

National and state budgets represent our collective priorities but remain inaccessible to most citizens due to their complexity, scale, and technical nature. This workshop addresses three core challenges that hinder budget transparency:

1. Scale Barriers - Budget figures in the trillions (e.g., ₹50 lakh crore) exceed human comprehension without proper context.

2. Vulnerability to Misinformation - Nominal vs. real increases, selective data presentation, and contextual omissions distort budget realities.

3. Complexity of Fund Flows - Multiple tax sources, allocation mechanisms, and implementation pathways create visualization challenges.

Unlike technical data visualization sessions, this workshop focuses specifically on translating fiscal complexity for civic engagement, bridging the gap between technical accuracy and public accessibility.

Workshop Structure and Content

Introduction to Budget Data (45 minutes)

1. Understanding budget document structure and terminology
2. Identifying key challenges in budget visualization
3. Case studies: Successful and problematic budget visualizations
4. Core principles for effective fiscal data presentation

Hands-on Visualization Exercises (60 minutes)

1. Working with real Indian budget datasets in Google Sheets
2. Addressing specific questions (e.g., “How much does the government spend on advertisements?”)
3. Applying appropriate visualization techniques to different budget components
4. Creating contextual reference points for making large numbers relatable
5. Techniques for showing trends that account for inflation and other contextual factors

Collaborative Visualization Innovation (60 minutes)

1. Small group ideation for improved budget visualization approaches
2. Critiquing and refining visualization prototypes
3. Addressing specific challenges identified by participants
4. Building a shared resource of effective techniques

Technical Implementation

The workshop uses Google Sheets exclusively, ensuring accessibility for participants regardless of technical background.

Participants will:

• Learn simple formulas for data normalization and contextual calculations
• Master basic visualization creation within Google Sheets
• Develop principles for visual presentation that can be applied in any tool

Requirements

Target Audience

This workshop is designed for:

• Curious generalists with an interest in civic engagement and public affairs
• Participants with varying levels of data visualization experience (from beginners to experts)
• Those interested in making complex information accessible to broader audiences
• Civil society organizations, journalists, researchers, and engaged citizens

Participant Prerequisites

• Basic familiarity with spreadsheets (able to navigate Google Sheets)
• Laptop with internet connection
• No advanced technical skills required
• Interest in public finance, governance, and data visualization

Speaker Bio

Arun Sudarsan is Public Policy Manager at The Quantum Hub Consulting, New Delhi with prior roles at the government think-tank NITI Aayog, and CivicDataLab. He is an Economics graduate from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras and the National University of Singapore. At NITI Aayog, he played a key role in operationalising the Aspirational Districts Programme’s data collection and ranking systems. Later, at CivicDataLab, he led the expansion of the Open Budgets India (OBI) platform, the largest repository of public finance information in India. OBI added several data-viz dashboards to present budget and other public finance data to the public. Arun’s key interests include, but not limited to, Indian public finance, social sector schemes, and development policy. He is a keen observer of the developments in India’s political economy, with interest across a wide gamut of areas such as law and justice, technology, and electoral politics. He’s also a passionate educator, a part-time amateur singer, and loves cooking. His favourite quote: “no man-made system is immune to human deceit”.