Want to Improve Data Sharing Efforts? Start with a Playbook.
Data sharing, or the process of sharing related data within different data systems, has become increasingly important to the way we develop effective policies and deliver better services to the public. In this digital age, sharing data in a way that is safe, secure and ethical has become even more critical. For many governments and organizations, it’s hard to even know where to begin when there are multiple players and threads that need to connect and work together to make data sharing work as it needs to.
We’ve learned that developing a data sharing playbook could be a great place to start.
“A playbook is a comprehensive guide on a technical topic, describing both overarching strategy and tactical approaches.”
— U.S. General Services Administration (GSA)’s Tech team website
Our recent work with the State of Connecticut taught us that both the journey of creating a data sharing playbook as well as the playbook itself, can powerfully advance the way an organization shares data.
Understanding the current data sharing landscape — its challenges and opportunities
As part of our ongoing work with Connecticut’s Office of Early Childhood (OEC), we were asked to collaborate with the Office of Policy Management (OPM) and explore opportunities to improve the state’s interagency data sharing efforts.
Through the initial research and discovery work, the team learned there were several issues that had to be addressed to make tangible improvements. First, we needed to gain a deeper understanding of the current landscape of data sharing across the state. What kind of data sharing is happening? Where is it happening and what practices are people using?
As the existing landscape became more clear, we soon realized that there were critical gaps and variances around how data sharing was being done. “A big challenge with interagency data sharing is that processes vary by agencies and are not always documented or known outside the agency,” said Pauline Zaldonis, Research Analyst at OPM. Our next step involved exploring what kinds of processes, “plays,” and strategies agencies could use to start sharing data better and address key pain points.
Over four months, the team spoke to data sharing practitioners across agencies, researched best practices from data sharing experts and reviewed case studies from other states. We also analyzed the state’s technology tools to document the secure channels for data transfer available to agencies.
Tailoring the playbook for the right data users and getting support from inside experts
In collaboration with OPM, our team began developing a playbook specific to the state’s data sharing landscape.
Our work methods during short timelines involve approaching tasks in parallel and iterating as needed to keep moving things forward. As we were developing the playbook and continuing interviews, we learned that folks working in data sharing in Connecticut lived at two ends of the spectrum — data experts and individuals who were new to the space and who were just beginning to do this as part of their work. This posed an interesting challenge as it related to developing the playbook. Which set of users should this playbook be for? Can we accommodate both?
After pursuing a few different ideas, and given the time available, the team decided to develop one data sharing playbook tailored towards newcomers in the data sharing space. Fortunately, we were also still able to engage some of the dedicated data experts in the state by having them review the playbook and recruiting their help in making it as useful as possible.
Testing and refining a data sharing playbook people will use
The true value and utility of any data and technology-related playbook depends on if and how it’s used. That’s why it was very important for us to be deliberate about testing the data sharing playbook with future users. We continuously updated the contents of the playbook based on feedback from our interviews. The team also ran a workshop with OPM to share the playbook with participants, but also further test its usability. During small group breakout sessions, we were able to observe as flies on the wall and listen in on what was working in the playbook and what needed to be further refined.
By testing throughout, we were able to sharpen top line guidance and examples in the playbook which have proven valuable to users.
“Where was this playbook when I started my project?”
— Data sharing playbook workshop participant
Small but significant steps towards using data and technology better to serve the public
The latest version of the State of Connecticut’s data sharing playbook is now available online and on GitHub. OPM enthusiastically trained up on how to use GitHub and will maintain the playbook moving forward in a format that is editable, collaborative and public.
Having OPM utilize a new tool like GitHub, which has received statewide approval, helps make information in the playbook open for knowledge sharing. Now, in the same way that code can be open sourced, other states can also refer to the playbook, copy it, and people can even share edits, and suggestions in an open way.
“We hope the playbook will be a resource for stakeholders in Connecticut state agencies, and in other states moving forward. We plan to continue to develop the playbook on Github as our data sharing processes evolve.” said Zaldonis.
To help build capacity and ensure sustainability, the team also designed and shared the workshop format with OPM so that they can replicate it in the future.
The learning journey continues
As with any project that seeks to improve ways we use data and technology to help people, there is always a need to revisit and reflect on how we could do it better.
If we had to revisit this work, our team may have tried to jump into interviewing people working on data projects across the state sooner so we could validate our learning and updates earlier in the process. We would also integrate content support earlier so we keep in mind the importance of producing content and messaging that is accessible to everyone versus having to rework it later. Yet overall and given the timeline, we were pleased to have made progress by way of a successful partnership with key data stakeholders to produce a new and open resource to further data sharing efforts in Connecticut. “The data sharing playbook is a step forward in documenting the current data sharing landscape. The best way for us to improve it is to put it into practice, and we plan to use it as a way to engage earlier with users working to share data.” said Scott Gaul, Chief Data Officer of the State of Connecticut.
When approached thoughtfully, the process of developing a data sharing playbook geared towards the needs of a government or organization can generate just as much alignment and understanding as the playbook itself.
July Tran is a software developer turned product manager. She’s worked in civic and social impact technology at the National Renewable Energy Lab, food waste startup FoodMaven, and is currently a product manager at Bloom Works.
Pollinator is an open space for sharing lessons learned and insights curated by Bloom Works. Have practical wisdom to share with other changemakers in this space? We’d love to learn more. Drop us a line at — pollinator@bloomworks.digital
