Post by Lori Hebert on Jul 20, 2021 20:57:37 GMT
Metrics that Matter- Lesson 1 Data Overview
What are two thoughts that stood out for you in each of the readings? How might you apply these learnings to your everyday work? Please give a specific example.
Analytics 3.0 – Prescriptive analytics as described drew me right in on this reading. We have not explored this type of analysis on the Strength to Succeed contract, large scale testing. We have focused attention on descriptive, what has and has not worked after the first year to mold our predictive on how we would expand in year two. Once we have fully implemented Fedcap Cares for the program, a large-scale testing and evaluation would be ideal for this work. I think based on this reading it would also help us improve our current processes as the model moved from grant funding to the states annual budget and a sustained service provider.
Using Data-article of metrics – I related to most of this article, one piece that really struck me was the “should be spending more time learning from the data than gathering”. I worry that this is not the current case on our contract for field staff and even for myself. Our data is currently collected in excel and word format all scattered about the spectrum of services and positions, this makes it extremely challenging to research quickly. For example, to just pull data for referral to service ratio’s I must combine numerous excel reports then sift through for an outcome that really should be captured with a quick report off an electronic database. As I look to the future Fedcap Cares should help me capture data less painfully and start spending more time learning than combining.
When have metrics mattered in your professional experience?
In every aspect of my professional career I have used metrics to improve not only program performance but also my own professional development. I learned that if I am not tracking, evaluating, measuring, for performance improvement I will become an ineffective manager and leader.
I do believe that today in this work, metrics are more important than ever before in my professional career. I feel an obligation to measure and evaluate the work we are doing serving a vulnerable population who are underserviced and truly marginalized by systems. While working with families involved with child protection services, we are measuring their experience in the protection and court system (good and bad), their work and outcomes, our service outcomes and impact, system, and service gaps. We have a unique opportunity to elevate these findings in impacting systems improvements, I take evaluating and disseminating this impact extremely seriously. I know that we have continued to be funded because of our ability to show the impacts, again good and bad.
How do you use data in your current role?
Aggregate data is how we have shown outcomes, validated the need and want for peer services and told stories of the work we do with caregivers. Data is captured weekly, reported monthly, analyzed almost daily, and used to improve and expand the program model. We not only use data metrics for program performance and growth opportunities, but we also use data for professional development from numbers of direct service encounters to billable submissions and mistakes. We use this data to create training opportunities for program staff.
Would you describe your team as data driven?
My team understands that data matters, that this is how we show the impact we are having with parents and relatives along with how we are changing what it looks like and feels like to be systems involved. I would be remiss to mention that data has historically been challenging on this program, not the measuring but the reflection of the impact. We work with participants for upwards of 18 months, there are many milestones met during this engagement and to track it all in excel and truly convey the impact has not been easy. My hope is that as we are fully integrating into Fedcap Cares we will now be able to really tell the story of the families through the data and truly highlight the successes along with the barriers and then in turn use that tracking to continue to improve and impact systems reform. We all know that if we do not measure it, we cannot show the impact, which means it was never done.
What are two thoughts that stood out for you in each of the readings? How might you apply these learnings to your everyday work? Please give a specific example.
Analytics 3.0 – Prescriptive analytics as described drew me right in on this reading. We have not explored this type of analysis on the Strength to Succeed contract, large scale testing. We have focused attention on descriptive, what has and has not worked after the first year to mold our predictive on how we would expand in year two. Once we have fully implemented Fedcap Cares for the program, a large-scale testing and evaluation would be ideal for this work. I think based on this reading it would also help us improve our current processes as the model moved from grant funding to the states annual budget and a sustained service provider.
Using Data-article of metrics – I related to most of this article, one piece that really struck me was the “should be spending more time learning from the data than gathering”. I worry that this is not the current case on our contract for field staff and even for myself. Our data is currently collected in excel and word format all scattered about the spectrum of services and positions, this makes it extremely challenging to research quickly. For example, to just pull data for referral to service ratio’s I must combine numerous excel reports then sift through for an outcome that really should be captured with a quick report off an electronic database. As I look to the future Fedcap Cares should help me capture data less painfully and start spending more time learning than combining.
When have metrics mattered in your professional experience?
In every aspect of my professional career I have used metrics to improve not only program performance but also my own professional development. I learned that if I am not tracking, evaluating, measuring, for performance improvement I will become an ineffective manager and leader.
I do believe that today in this work, metrics are more important than ever before in my professional career. I feel an obligation to measure and evaluate the work we are doing serving a vulnerable population who are underserviced and truly marginalized by systems. While working with families involved with child protection services, we are measuring their experience in the protection and court system (good and bad), their work and outcomes, our service outcomes and impact, system, and service gaps. We have a unique opportunity to elevate these findings in impacting systems improvements, I take evaluating and disseminating this impact extremely seriously. I know that we have continued to be funded because of our ability to show the impacts, again good and bad.
How do you use data in your current role?
Aggregate data is how we have shown outcomes, validated the need and want for peer services and told stories of the work we do with caregivers. Data is captured weekly, reported monthly, analyzed almost daily, and used to improve and expand the program model. We not only use data metrics for program performance and growth opportunities, but we also use data for professional development from numbers of direct service encounters to billable submissions and mistakes. We use this data to create training opportunities for program staff.
Would you describe your team as data driven?
My team understands that data matters, that this is how we show the impact we are having with parents and relatives along with how we are changing what it looks like and feels like to be systems involved. I would be remiss to mention that data has historically been challenging on this program, not the measuring but the reflection of the impact. We work with participants for upwards of 18 months, there are many milestones met during this engagement and to track it all in excel and truly convey the impact has not been easy. My hope is that as we are fully integrating into Fedcap Cares we will now be able to really tell the story of the families through the data and truly highlight the successes along with the barriers and then in turn use that tracking to continue to improve and impact systems reform. We all know that if we do not measure it, we cannot show the impact, which means it was never done.
)