Scope

This service produces the evaluation, the attribution model, and the calculation formula. It answers what a destination needs to calculate: which specific investment produced which economic outcome, and what data and calculation method make that answer defensible.

It starts with what the destination already has. National and regional data often exists already, inside the DMO, a migration service, a statistics office, an airport authority, or another government department, and sits unused or unshared between them. The work identifies what data exists, works toward bringing it into use where departments are willing to share, and produces recommendations for both making better use of existing sources and acquiring new ones.

The output is a blueprint: the attribution model and the formula used to calculate impact, along with a recommendation for the business intelligence infrastructure a destination would need to run it at scale, if any.

Who It's For

DMOs whose promotional budget has no attribution model connecting it to economic outcomes
Governments and finance ministries requiring verified reporting before approving continued investment
Multilateral and development finance institutions requiring measurable return on funded programs
DMOs building or rebuilding a business intelligence function from scratch

Process

01
Data Audit

Inventory of what data already exists across the DMO and other government departments, including sources sitting unused or unshared, such as migration records, statistics offices, or airport authorities, alongside what would genuinely need to be purchased or built to close remaining gaps.

02
Model Design

Selection of the attribution methodology and multiplier approach suited to the destination's data maturity and the questions the client needs answered.

03
Formula Development

The calculation formula itself: the specific method for turning available data into a defensible economic impact figure. This is the core deliverable, the blueprint the destination can run against.

04
Infrastructure Recommendation

An assessment of what business intelligence infrastructure, if any, the destination would need to run the model at scale, delivered as a recommendation for the client to act on.

05
Reporting Framework and Handover

The public-facing reporting structure, defining what gets published, how often, and to what standard of verification, delivered with full documentation for the team that will run it going forward.

What You Receive

FAQ

Do we need to purchase data sources before starting?
No. The Data Audit phase starts with what already exists, often sitting unused or unshared across the DMO and other government departments, such as migration services, statistics offices, or airport authorities. That audit informs recommendations for both making better use of existing data and acquiring new sources. It doesn't require a data purchase before the work can begin.
Does this include building the business intelligence infrastructure?
No. This service produces the evaluation, the attribution model, and the calculation formula, along with a recommendation for what infrastructure, if any, would be needed to run it at scale. Building that infrastructure, selecting a platform, and integrating data sources through APIs is a separate implementation phase, scoped and costed once the model defines what it actually requires.
Does this replace GDP as the reporting metric?
No, it supplements it. GDP measures aggregate contribution. An attribution model shows which specific investment produced which specific outcome, the distinction a budget conversation needs.
How long before the formula is ready to use?
Depends on data maturity. An organization with well-organized existing data can often move through the Data Audit and Model Design phases faster. One with data scattered across departments needs more time in the audit before Formula Development can begin.

Related Reading

Led by Woodrow Oldford, Managing Principal of Oldford Global Consulting. Full background →

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Oldford Global works with governments, ministries, and DMOs on the attribution models that connect promotional investment to verified economic outcomes.

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