Local Area Analysis

Bringing together data to inform local community planning efforts can sometimes be daunting  due to the myriad of public-facing websites or state and federal data sources. Data needs to be comprehensive enough to understand the unique needs of different cuties, counties, or local boards and simple enough for programs in these areas to utilize.

During Early Childhood Iowa’s Statewide Needs Assessment and Strategic Planning process, stakeholders across the system continually expressed the need for more local data.  In partnership with Early Childhood Iowa and stakeholder groups, I2D2 centralized commonly used indicators from federal, state, and local datasets in the IA Data Drive. Input from local area directors, the ECI Results Accountability Workgroup, and local stakeholders identified over 20 commonly used indicators that are now available for use to streamline decision-making in an easy-to-use and interactive format.

I2D2 is helping source, organize, and visualize data so it can be summarized effectively and used by people at all stages in the data-use spectrum. In additional to the interactive dashboard, work to date has included statewide aggregate reports of prioritized indicators and local needs assessment documents. Current efforts are underway to develop local area reports and further expand indicators on the IA Data Drive.