“The Data Inventory helps you build out your Data-Driven Feedback Loop to determine which data are ‘accessible,’ ‘available,’ or ‘aspirational’:
- Accessible: You have immediate access to the data.
- Available: The data are available for access, but you have to do a little work or call on someone else to get them.
- Aspirational: You need/want the data, but must create a way to get them.
Once you’ve categorized the data you want, use the inventory to develop a collection plan. This includes the other components in the spreadsheet:
- Data source: Who collects the data? Which partners need to be engaged to access the data?
- Timing of data collection: Is it quarterly? Yearly? Something else?
- Challenges with data: What are your challenges in getting these data? This can be a description of challenges in accessing the data and/or challenges with the data themselves.
- Data Importance: How critical are these data to your work? Which should you prioritize?
By filling out this spreadsheet, you can then determine next steps to get the data you need for your work, whether that’s engaging with partners differently or finding new partners to work with.”
