Strategic Planning Toolkit: Step 2
Checklist: Gathering & Using Data Strategically
Data Collection and Initial Analysis
- Current youth violence research reviewed.
- Data analysis work group designated.
- Recent local data obtained from multiple sources.
- Data assessed for trends, relevance to plan development.
- Plan made to address data sharing obstacles.
Data Review and Analysis (Steering Committee)
- Findings, trends, interpretations discussed.
- New data needs identified, addressed Review and analysis discussions completed.
Step 2: Gather & Use Data Strategically
After building partnerships and raising community awareness, cities will need to engage in a serious data analysis effort.
Informed decision-making must be data-driven, so this phase is critical to the development of a successful youth violence prevention plan. The more complete the data profile from all of the agencies, organizations, and systems represented in a city’s youth violence prevention efforts, the more informed the decisions will be.
To be truly comprehensive, the Forum recommends that a community’s strategy for data sharing include all stakeholder agencies and integrate a wide range of data from a variety of sources, including—but not limited to—law enforcement, education, public health, child protection/welfare, and public housing.