Improving an organization’s technology and data collection capacity can yield many benefits. That has been the case for Homeboy Industries (HBI), whose experience implementing a new data system was described in an earlier InPractice post. But there are complexities and challenges that must be addressed before a successful implementation can take place. This post explores how HBI, one of the largest gang rehabilitation and reentry social service programs in the world, managed that change process. It employed five principles that other organizations may want to consider when launching a new system to ensure that everyone is onboard and prepared for the rollout and that client data can be collected and used effectively by the entire staff: (1) identify staff needs and concerns, (2) design an inclusive process, (3) tailor the training strategy, (4) foster a learning culture, and (5) be willing to adapt.
InPractice: Lessons for and from Practitioners
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About InPractice
MDRC is known for its groundbreaking evaluations and demonstrations of social policies and programs. Our success depends to a great extent on the work of MDRC’s operations staff, field liaisons who partner with service providers to solve everyday problems and create valuable learning exchanges. The InPractice blog series highlights lessons from MDRC’s work with programs, featuring posts on recruiting participants and keeping them engaged, supporting provider teams, using data for program improvement, and providing services remotely.
Our operations staff members, who write most InPractice posts, have firsthand professional experience — including as state and local government administrators, program managers, case workers, teachers, school administrators, and community organizers. They are relationship builders and creative trainers who help programs develop and adopt new ways of working, translate complex research agendas into clear and practical guidance, provide tailored technical assistance, facilitate opportunities to hear multiple perspectives and experiences, and refine fundraising efforts. They strive to understand programs and their participants inside and out. These core aspects of MDRC’s work are bolstered by our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
For more on our collaborative work with nonprofits, see this video, the MDRC Center for Applied Behavioral Science website, and the project description for the Center for Data Insights.
The editors of InPractice are Dina A. R. Israel, Senior Operations Associate, and Jennifer Miller Gaubert, who manages MDRC’s Institutional Review Board.