Course – Lesson 2: III. Challenges
LESSON 2:III – Q+A WITH AUTHORS KATHERINE ORTEGA COURTNEY, PHD AND DOMINIC CAPPELLO
What is the term data and how are data used in agencies and organizations?
Katherine Ortega Courtney, PhD responds:
Data are pieces of information used together as a basis for reasoning or inference. Data are used in a wide variety of ways within child welfare, health and education. Data are a part of many things including raw data, analyzed data, data from focus groups, informational interview, surveys, charts and tables. Data can be a collection of information used to evaluate programs, policy/procedure and processes within government system and entities outside of government.
Data highlight challenges in the systems and can be a tool to measure the impact of a solution.
What are the sources of data that agencies and organizations use?
Dominic Cappello responds:
Data sources include Department of Vital Records, Department of Health, Health and Human Services, Child Welfare and Department of Education. Data from local, state and national sources are used to measure our progress toward meaningful outcomes
What do the terms qualitative data and quantitative data mean and what are their key differences?
Katherine Ortega Courtney, PhD responds:
Quantitative data are information collected from numbers. For example, the number of people in a room, how many attend an event, or someone’s height. It’s the “how much” question. Qualitative data are information gained from phrases, sentences or words that paint a picture. Qualitative data focused on the “why.” An example would be the description of visit between a child and their parent. It could also be information gained through a focus group.
What is the term capacity and how does it describe a local office’s ability to function effectively?
Dominic Cappello responds:
Capacity is the ability or power to do, experience, or understand something. In the local office this could refer to staffing levels, services in the community, or facility structure.
What is an important role of data in identifying a local agency’s capacity to achieve goals?
Katherine Ortega Courtney, PhD responds:
Data in the form of numbers can demonstrate the reality of what’s going on in a government office or in a community. For example, if the office is lacking staff, it is tough to get traction on new initiatives. If the office is fully staffed and stable, it is easier to implement new initiatives.
What is the role of data in identifying and describing local clients?
Dominic Cappello responds:
Data can give us a better understanding of the background families come from and the challenges they face. Data can reveal and document needs in community for services. It can also help identify possible collaborators in the community. Data have the ability to reveal the effectiveness of certain practices.
What data sources are readily available to describe family and client populations?
Katherine Ortega Courtney, PhD responds:
Possible sources are county profiles, census data, county economic data, national child welfare data, Department of Health data, court data and criminal data. There may be other sources in your county to explore, such as data being collected by nonprofit service providers.
What is the importance of time management during participation in the course?
Dominic Cappello responds:
It is important to practice time management , especially during the assessment process. One can literally spend days digging into data sources. We do want due diligence but also do not you to become overwhelmed. It is also important to manage your time as you continue to do your everyday work and participate in the overall development of your innovation that follows the process of assessment, planning, action and evaluation.
What’s the importance of local office presentations to share the course topics with colleagues?
Katherine Ortega Courtney, PhD responds:
The office of community mobilizers and action team members represent vital environments for public awareness and professional development. Presentations on all CQI phases are helpful and it’s important to keep office colleagues in the loop and promote the 100% New Mexico initiative local innovations. It is an opportunity to share the wealth of tools from the Institute and bring others on board to practice data-driven practice. CQI works at its best when all members of a team/office have a shared understanding of the policy/procedures, practices and data.
What is the participant's role in the evaluation of the course?
Dominic Cappello responds:
We are in a constant state of assessing our initiative and course. Evaluation of the course is always welcome as we seek honest reflection about the process from the participant’s perspective. It is a place to gather ideas for the future versions of the course and overall initiative. It is the participant’s opportunity to let us know what’s missing from the initiative, course or resources.
