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DATA AS PLANNING TOOL. Sola Plumacher, City of Seattle Human Services Department WSCH Conference May 11-13, 2011. a new accountability focus. Increased accountability in constrained resource climate. Strong commitment to performance measurement at local and federal levels.
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DATA AS PLANNING TOOL Sola Plumacher, City of Seattle Human Services Department WSCH Conference May 11-13, 2011
a new accountability focus • Increased accountability in constrained resource climate. • Strong commitment to performance measurement at local and federal levels. • Measure what works and use HMIS data to inform policy.
Step 1 What Do We Want To Know? • HEARTH measures • Ten-Year Plan Goals • Local Community Goals • Others?
Step 3 Develop a planning team King County planning for new HEARTH measures • Gathered a small group of agency providers, government planners and government and agency evaluators. • Assess each measure individually and what data/reports we have and what do we need to be responsive. • Developing methodology and identifying impacts on providers and other funders as well as data collection.
Step 4 Communicate Results • Produce reports • Annual Homeless Assessment Report results • Committee to End Homelessness Governing Board Report • Funder reports (APR, HPRP, THOR, IYHP) • Program reports (Data Quality Reports by program) • Share information • Use data to support funding requests • Stakeholder meetings • Community meetings • Policy makers
Lessons learned • Keep it simple • Data collection can easily get out of control. Streamline your requirements to ensure good quality data. • Data collection has a huge impact on providers whose primary focus is client service. • Know your HMIS staff • Working closely with HMIS staff is critical in using the data as a planning tool. • Involve HMIS staff early in planning to ensure reporting can be completed.
Adapt Agency and Funder business practices • Define data collection requirements and align funders. • Create program guidelines that link HMIS data collection and reporting. • Collaboratively identify broad system goals and how they will be measured in advance. • Communication • Acknowledge that HMIS providers and service providers may have different priorities and competing deadlines. • Collaboratively create shared understanding of HMIS system and program goals through definitions.
Questions? Sola Plumacher, Safe Harbors Manager 206.733.9404 Sola.plumacher@seattle.gov