Team studies the data uses and needs of community-based organizations

In many areas across the country, nonprofit community-based organizations (CBOs) provide vital supports, filling gaps in health care and other services and advocating for the needs of their communities. To understand and serve local need in an impactful way, CBOs require data on what needs exist and how well programs are working to serve them. Recent technological advances and investments in data infrastructure mean that information on regional demographics, health behaviors, clinical information, and more is increasingly accessible for CBOs to analyze and apply. How are CBOs using these data, and what barriers do they face? The Chicagoland CEAL Program recently set out to learn more by surveying and interviewing Chicago-area CBOs.

The research team’s findings

The team conducted a survey with 51 CBOs and a follow-up interview with 24 CBOs spanning a wide range of sizes, budgets, funding sources, and types of communities served. The CBOs were highly familiar with both quantitative and qualitative data from a number of sources. 

They placed a premium on population-level data, but they often cannot access the kind of hyperlocal, tailored information that may better further their goals. Funding and staffing challenges were barriers, with training and infrastructure realities often not able to keep pace with funders’ requirements. 

The evidence-informed opportunities

Recognizing the value that CBOs place on effective data use and understanding some of the challenges they encounter, the CEAL team identified opportunities for researchers and funders to help in this regard. For example:

• Funders can foster CBOs’ internal data capacity, including infrastructure, training, and consultative support.
• Funders can also help ensure that CBOs have a seat at the table in determining what data get collected, and they can support increased data sharing with the organizations.
• Academic researchers can provide detailed trainings and consultations on the use of data platforms.
• Researchers, health departments, and funders can work together to ensure that data platforms support action, including by being tailored to specific populations and capturing the right kinds of information to support program goals.

The research team states that engaging CBOs in data processes can improve not only the quality of the data and its utility, but also enhance public trust. Better-designed data systems can ultimately fuel better programs and services, improving the health of communities.

Link to article: How community-based organizations view and use data: Practices, challenges, and opportunities