BACKGROUND/OPPORTUNITY
Data2insight partnered with Youth Development Executives of King County to explore the possibility of investing in a shared management information system across 80+ organizations.
The Youth Development Executives of King County (YDEKC) is a diverse coalition of leaders representing youth-serving community-based and nonprofit organizations across King County. YDEKC had identified essential field-building strategies used to develop shared measurement success. They convened more than 200 service providers and 75 youth to define priority outcomes and indicators as well as critical data points. With input from providers and local school districts, YDECK identified the need to develop technology and other infrastructure to collect data at the organizational and aggregate levels.
Data2insight partnered with YDEKC to explore the possibility of investing in a shared management information system that would allow youth development organizations in King County to:
Track youth participation in development programs,
Centralize collection of program level indicators and youth outcomes at the program, site, and system level,
Facilitate referral/collaboration in service provision across schools, CBOs, and funders,
Link to other existing data systems.
SOLUTION
Data2insight identified the critical metrics needed for the selection of a successful shared data system.
The YDEKC advisory committee needed support as they considered how, or if, to move forward with a database system for shared measurement across their 80+ organizations.
Our team partnered with YDEKC and Elite Services & Support for the following:
Research member data systems needs and technology capacity,
Identify organizational readiness for shared measurement,
Conduct research on best practices in shared measurement initiatives and existing data systems with which the YDEKC system would need to interface.
Data2insight mapped the existing and eminent data systems in King County, Washington State, and at the federal level, which would likely impact the development of the YDEKC data system. We partnered with YDEKC to identify the critical metrics for inclusion in the data system design. We conducted market research and drew from literature to identify similar data system projects and collective impact efforts. Lessons learned, the benefits and risks of a shared data system for the youth development field in general, and in King County specifically, were summarized and presented to YDEKC.
OUTCOME
Data2insight recommended a data system focused on leveraging a shared measurement initiative to further YDEKC's impact.
Data2insight developed a recommendation detailing the feasibility and desirability of a shared system focused on a shared measurement initiative. We recommended a three-step procurement process consisting of focused demonstrations and presentations by the best commercial software candidates.
We also recommended an implementation plan and identified the critical data system collection criteria that would inform the Request For Information (RFI) process and data system selection.
