From Data to Action Milbrey McLaughlin Stanford University RP Conference April 10 2014

1. From Data to Action Milbrey McLaughlin Stanford University RP Conference April 10 2014

2. What’s the Problem? • Youth-serving agencies are disconnected, isolated—”siloed” • Youth policies and programs lack coherence, consistency & comprehensiveness at the system or community level • Cross-institutional collaboration is tough to motivate and sustain

3. Youth Data Archive • Operates as a university-community partnership • Links cross-agency, longitudinal administrative data at the individual level • Adopts a youth sector perspective: Maps local supports and resources for youth • Affords a community-level view of youth needs, resources, short falls, opportunities for collaboration • Provides the connection and ‘glue’ for joint action

4. YDA’s Guiding Principles • User-focused approach to developing questions, interpreting and presenting findings • JGC acts as third party neutral • Partners retain data ownership: MOUs spell out conditions for publication & use • Focus on actionable questions • An iterative ‘design/build/revise’ approach; a long term commitment to community partners

5. Benefits to Community Partners • Cross-institutional, system-level view of policies and programs for youth—wins, warts and all. • Increased coherence/efficiencies of youth policies & resources • Expanded/improved capacity for data collection & facility with data • New cross-sector relationships, resources and partnerships– opportunities for collective impact

6. Benefits to University Partners • Informs theory development- practice-based, inquiry-based; iterative, on-going • A broader lens on youth-related research issues– a youth sector frame • Better understanding of the community perspective– how to collaborate, communicate, support, frame actionable questions • Meaningful, sustained community partnerships

7. Challenges to Launching & Sustaining a YDA: Community View • Technical—incomplete, inaccurate, missing data; little capacity • Organizational– Leaders’ buy-in and advocacy; middle management buy-in; churn; regulatory hurdles • Political—trusting university-based researchers; trusting each other; worries about data use; worries about cross-agency collaboration

8. Why is Collaboration so Difficult? • Competition for scarce resources • Different models/outcomes/language/priorities • Incompatible policy frames/accountability demands • Different financial resources, personnel & time constraints • Negative institutional or personal histories • Lack of will or motivation

9. Challenges: University Partners • Academic norms often incompatible with core YDA principles– data ownership & review; theory development goals; extending existing empirical work • Social science norms sometimes conflict with effective YDA operation—notions of validity, reliability, generalizability • Time, tenure & funding

10. Lessons Learned • Context matters: A YDA cannot be wholesaled—effectiveness requires situated, pragmatic construction • Animated by a shared community sense of urgency about a youth problem • Process is product; cross-agency collaboration a fundamental shift– patience, time and opportunity required to build trust, credibility, comfort • Learning is a product of a locally adaptive process; few hard & fast “findings”—changeable, changing • Collective capacity builders needed to be responsible for cross-agency learning and action

11. Thank you! Questions? From Data to Action. McLaughlin & London, Eds. Harvard Education Press 2013 www.gardnercenter.stanford.edu