Sustaining Your Data-Driven Decision-Making Efforts: Strategies for Success

If you're interested in improving your ability to use data to make informed decisions, but don't have the time to read the entire "How States Use Data to Inform Decisions" report, don't worry. In this series of five articles, we'll break down the key takeaways from the report, highlighting the five key actions that states can take to promote data-driven decision-making. Each article will focus on one of the key actions and provide practical tips and insights to help you get started with using data to improve your decision-making. Whether you're a state government official, a business owner, or a decision-maker in any other type of organization, these articles will give you the knowledge and tools you need to harness the power of data to achieve better outcomes. (Article 5 out of 5)

Sustain support for continued data efforts is the fifth and final key action necessary to promote data-driven decision-making, according to the report "How States Use Data to Inform Decisions." Without proper policies or structures in place, even states that invest resources into increasing data use risk losing their efforts. The following methods can help states sustain their data-driven initiatives:

1. Enhancing leaders’ commitment to data-driven initiatives: Successful data-driven states often have leadership encouraging their endeavors, which is the most important factor states cited as a support to their efforts.
2. Enacting legislation and policies supportive of data use: Implementing laws and policies supportive of data use can ensure the sustainment of data efforts. For example, when the Massachusetts Department of Public Health wanted to study the opioid crisis, they were assisted by a state law that mandated the use of data to describe the problem.
3. Demonstrating a culture that prioritizes data: Governmental or staff culture was cited as a major problem hindering increased data use by 38 states and the District of Columbia. Several states have taken concrete steps to push their culture in a more data-driven direction, such as setting new expectations, creating data-focused offices, and educating staff. To assess how well an organization is utilizing its data, they can use the data culture audit, available here.

By having the right infrastructure in place, receiving support from leadership and other staff, having access to necessary resources or knowledge, and receiving guidance via policy, laws, goals, or supervisory structures, states can boost their ability to use data effectively. Regardless of the approach, data can help states attain a more accurate understanding of their resources, opportunities, and problems, and a more comprehensive picture of how services are used.

Remember these tips can work for businesses and organizations as well. If you don't know where to start, the Ivey Collective can help. Visit iveycollective.com.