Ask Nicole: Your Data Is Only as Strong as the Hand-Offs
Organizations encounter data in many forms.
Research findings, program participant feedback, interviews, community stories, website analytics, service records, donor information, observations from frontline staff, and conversations with partners can all help an organization understand what is happening and what deserves its attention.
Because data takes so many forms, no single person or department can hold responsibility for everything an organization learns. Program staff gather information directly from participants. Researchers or evaluators examine patterns and help make sense of the findings. Development staff use that information to answer funder questions or strengthen a funding proposal. Communications staff translate a finding into an infographic, social media post, annual report, or story. Leadership rely on the same information to make decisions about strategy, staffing, partnerships, or resources.
Each person interacts with the data differently, and those differences matter. The strength of your organization’s data practice depends on how well people connect these roles.
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