Data — what data?
We live in a world of measurement, percentages, equations, statistics and forecasts. These in turn support business benefits, impact and outcomes. It all seems very neat but of course the reality is a little different and much more complicated. Firstly, if rubbish goes in rubbish comes out. It’s essential to ask the right question first, be clear of what one is trying to measure and ultimately what story you wish to tell. Asking the the wrong question can produce a vastly different response from that which you might imagine; amply illustrated by the two Ronnie's…
Lora Tang, from the Government Digital Service published a blog recently, its worth a read. She spent 7 months working with Citizens Advice developing a better understanding of clients needs. I had no idea that the national Citizens Advice website had 43 million visits last year. I am not about to conduct a study but I wonder how many other charities manage to handle that amount of digital traffic and data collection?
The need to show our impact increases constantly it seems. It’s no longer enough to say “we have seen 4,000 people this year so therefore we have done good.” Citizens Advice has for some time also shown impact by counting the actual financial benefit provided to clients through gained benefits and grants. I recall an AGM I attended some time ago long before I joined the service and was very impressed by what I would call “process” outcomes. The need to show impact and outcomes has become vital to the survival of the not for profit sector and consequently a science of its own. Demonstrating the value of our service IS the most important business development challenge we face.
The reason data collection is such a challenge is in itself complex. We ask clients for a huge amount of personal data as they walk through the door; even before we start to help with their issues. Then we record codes and further data as their story unfolds. Then we go back to them to ask how we have done. This is all based on the assumption that the clients wants to provide the information and that we are asking the right questions. Buying online almost always ends with a pop up asking for feedback on how well the supplier has done. I have to confess I rarely bother. Then there are advisers who have a waiting room full of people needing help but firstly they must complete the “paperwork” from the previous client. Pressures like these can lead to taking shortcuts or missing out vital information. New systems, with new ways of recording data also add the pressure upon front line staff. But if we don’t get it right at the start then when it comes to reporting outcomes to our funders the information is incomplete. This could be simply due to a box no being ticked or an interpretation of which issue is the most prevalent. This being the case, to find the data each record has to be opened and re-examined to extract the necessary outcome data. Time consuming and rarely possible. Many funders want different things so I am not suggesting for a moment there is an easy answer but the more time we collectively spend on getting data collection right the more our service is future proof.
The challenge to our service is to be clear on what needs recording (as little as possible) and to provide the necessary support/training/tools for front line staff to do this. Its good that Citizens Advice are taking the lead on impact data capture; there is still much to do. Working together locally and nationally will enable us to be ahead of the curve. We have been working together in Hampshire to discover the impact of our service on clients Health and wellbeing. The results are yet to be published (in a blog to follow) but this type of work is fundamental in proving the impact of our service.
