Capacity Building

Data is becoming more and more important, yet it is hard to find the time to slow down and really look at the data you are collecting and why. The Capacity Collective team works alongside you to create a data system that runs behind the scenes so you can focus on the good work you are doing. We help you examine your tools and processes for your data collection, your data storage, and what you do with your data–how you analyze it, how you use it to improve and create change, and how you communicate your story to diverse audiences. We believe in the power of data to demonstrate impact, celebrate successes, elevate voices and advocate for social change. 

We are Data Capacity Builders–that means we do more than deliver tools. We work with you, sharing our experience and best practices, following your lead as experts in your communities. We tailor our approach and methods to be responsive to your needs, and to meet you where you are. From helping you launch a culturally-responsive survey, to creating interactive dashboards, our goal is to put ourselves out of a job, supporting you with the skills and resources you need to continue these processes without us (when you’re ready!).

“Working with them has given me the confidence in reporting and ability to best understand our data. The Capacity Collective has been of such great support for our program needs, especially during the semi-annual reporting for BSK.”

– Cinthia Gutierrez, Parents as Teachers Program Supervisor, El Centro de la Raza

Our Capacity Building Services

Alternative Data Projects

We love the opportunity to think beyond traditional ways of knowing—let’s talk about how we can tell your story with PhotoVoice or other creative data collection methods.

Culturally-Responsive Data Assessment

Done well, your data collection tools and processes can help build trust between you and your clients. Without care, those tools and processes can also create mistrust and doubt, especially if you are using outdated or inaccurate language, or asking for sensitive information too soon into your relationship. Connecting your expertise about your communities with our best practices, we help you systematically examine your data collection tools and processes to ensure they are culturally-responsive and accessible to the communities you serve.

Custom Assessment Calculators

Using your program’s calendar of screenings and assessments, we create a custom, semiautomated Excel-based tool that can calculate future due dates. This reduces the amount your staff must remember, and can improve your data quality.

Custom Excel Tools

We build custom Excel-based tools, based on the needs of the program, and the database(s) used by the program. Tools can be visual dashboards, reports, supervisory tools, or anything else we can imagine together. We do not just drop off tools–we make sure staff know how to use it and update it as needed so the tool can be sustainable.

Data Culture Assessment and Training

Many communities have deep mistrust of data–for good reason. Data can also be a source of fear, especially if staff feel data is being used to judge or scrutinize them. WIth this process, our team uses a mixed methods approach to assess feelings about data, identify pain points, and provide strategies for improving your organization’s culture of data. If helpful, we can follow up our assessment with workshops customized to the needs of your staff to build trust and engagement.

Data Fundamentals Training

It is hard to build and maintain a great data management system if your staff isn’t engaged, or isn’t sure why they are collecting all of that data. With this training, we meet your staff where they are, discussing their doubts and fears about data. We explain the fundamentals of what data is, how to understand it in various formats, and demonstrate how data can help them in their roles, as well as help the communities they serve.

Data Quality Assessment

We will help you systematically look at the data you are collecting through the lens of data quality best practices. Where are you missing data? Where are errors most likely to occur? We will assess your data quality needs and provide recommendations for processes or tools to improve your data quality.

Data Quality Tools

We can help you take your data quality to the next level with custom Excel-based tools that help you quickly hone in on missing and inaccurate data. We supplement this with Data Quality Training, as needed, and refining data processes to improve quality.

Data Quality Training

Data quality depends on a data culture with engaged staff, and solid data processes. We support you in assessing your data quality issues and work with your staff to get everyone invested in collecting consistent, high quality data.

Data Reviews

We work with you to step back and really ask–what do you really want and need to know about our clients/program, given your various stakeholders (internal and external), your goals, and your mission and vision?

Data Visualization Tools

We can help you amplify your story with visual representations of your data. We support you in choosing how best to communicate your stories with visuals, from charts, graphs and tables to maps, infographics, word clouds and more. This includes designing dashboards to help you see and make meaning from the impacts of your program.

Excel Training

From one-on-one sessions to customized workshops with small or large groups, we can create and conduct Excel and Google Sheets trainings for you and/or your staff that is catered to the work you actually do (not like those business-focused tutorials online).

Focus Groups, Interviews, and Storytelling

Surveys can be fast and easy, but they are not appropriate for all communities or cultures. Using qualitative methods of data collection, like focus groups, interviews or storytelling, can provide rich, nuanced data with much more context than numbers. We can support your qualitative research project, setting up systems and mentoring you to conduct similar projects in the future on your own.

Form Reviews

We methodically look at your data needs and wishes in comparison to the forms and various data collection tools you use to collect data. We provide recommendations for adding, deleting or adjusting forms to streamline data collection processes. We also know that forms are a way of communicating your expertise and values to your clients, which we take very seriously. We can help with designing and refreshing your forms!

Process Documentation

Along with supporting you to examine and improve your processes, we work with you to document data-related processes and procedures to get your staff on the same page, set yourself up to improve processes, and to serve as guides and training materials.

Process Improvement

Borrowing from the best practices of Lean Management, we support you in examining your data-related processes, finding opportunities to improve workflows, and creating a culture where staff are engaged in making processes really work for them. This can have a huge impact on workload, data quality, and staff engagement.

Qualitative Data Analysis

We support you in learning how to analyze qualitative data (the stories beyond the numbers). This includes the data you collect (e.g. case notes or success stories), and the data artifacts that impact your work, like transcripts, images, policies and articles.

Quantitative Data Analysis

We provide quantitative data analysis services for you, or support you in learning how to analyze quantitative data. This includes data you collect through surveys as well as local, state, and national data.

Quantitative Data Collection

We support you in designing and collecting high quality and meaningful quantitative data. We can help you design the perfect survey and find helpful local, state, and national data to support your program or secure funding.

Reporting Support

You don’t have to dread reporting! We have experience with reporting to a wide variety of funders, including MIECHV and Tribal MIECHV, and many models. We work with you to create tools and processes to make reporting predictable and as easy as possible. We can support with data quality checks, custom reports, reporting calendar, semi-automated tools, dashboards and more. We will get creative to make sure you have what you need at your fingertips.

Staff Surveys

Tap into one of your strongest data sources: your staff. They work most closely with the communities they serve, and create and maintain relationships that are crucial to program supporting. We help you create systematic ways of collecting and using staff suggestions to improve programs, evaluate program values and goals, and can help you retain staff.

Staff Training & Support

We can provide and/or recommend staff training and supports based on individual staff person’s goals, and/or the needs of the program and organization. This may include training, networking or other customized supports.

Survey Supports

We can support you as you create or revise your survey(s) to ensure you are collecting the information you really want, you are being responsive to your audience, and you are able to use the data to be responsive and achieve your goals.

Using Public Data Sources

We help give context to your stories by connecting your data to public data sources. We help you find available data sources at the local, regional, national or international level to help you compare your data to trends and patterns. We also help you find data to keep you informed of trends that may be impacting your communities, locally and beyond.

“Kind, empathetic, caring, and motivated, these people have such integrity in the work they do, really believe in their mission and I feel that in every interaction I have.”

– Kirsten Gabele, Early Learning Program Manager, Communities of Rooted Brilliance