Using Existing Data for Program Planning Adapted from materials developed by Julie Zimmerman, Extension Specialist, Rural and Economic Development

??? Do Numbers Speak for Themselves ???? 9.7%2,318,889 $33, % 15.3% %

Before Data Are Collected ASK What What do you want to know andWhy do you want to know it

Numbers can help to describe the details:  How much of something we have  How much that something has changed  How much it is compared to something or somewhere else

Numbers CAN  Describe the circumstances or state of affairs surrounding a particular issue  Identify patterns  Track trends  Monitor changes

Numbers CANNOT Tell Us  Is this a big change?  Is this a small change?  Is this change a good thing?  Is that change a bad thing?  How much is enough?  How much is too much?

What Do the Numbers Mean? Numbers tell us how much of something, but they don’t tell us the implications of how much.

Some Data that Give Implications Job Structure Job Structure:  We are moving away from a manufacturing economy to a service and retail economy. What kind of local economy do we have and want to have? Income Income:  Families today need two incomes compared to 20 years ago. Do we have enough jobs and enough child care options? Have poverty rates increased?

Some Data that Give Implications Age Structure Age Structure:  The baby boom is aging. Is our local population aging? Do we have adequate housing (ie. w/o stairs) and services for this group? Will retirement income be enough?  Households with children are decreasing (ie. living alone -- young and old, children grown up). How does this affect housing needs?  If the number of children is increasing, do we have enough schools? Enough after-school programs? If the number of adults is increasing, do we have enough jobs?

Use the numbers to help tell the story and tell the story that is most useful for your purposes PopulationEducation Age Structure Economy Households Job Structure Housing Income Poverty Low income means higher poverty Increase in # of households means need more housing Can’t have many high skilled jobs if low educ. More people live alone High % jobs in retail = lower incomes than if jobs were in manuf. Lower incomes mean a greater need for affordable housing “It’s all Connected”

 Who collected it?  Why was it collected?  What is included?  What is not included?  How is it counted? When Looking For Data: Be critical of what you find

Look at the Common Ways of Measuring Point in time  Point in time (ie. 2003) Change over time  Change over time (ie ) Distribution  Distribution (ie. % of all jobs) Comparison  Comparison with other geographic areas (neighboring county, region, state) Combinations  Combinations of above

How are they presenting it? Percents vs.Numbers (what’s the denominator?) What to Watch Out For Montgomery County, KY Grandparents as Caregivers# % Grandparent living in household with one or more grandchildren under 18 yrs Grandparent responsible for grandchildren

Picking a Time Frame (Changes across two or more points in time) What to Watch Out For June 2002

What can I live with?  Data we want, don’t exist (ie. State level, but not for counties)  It’s interesting, but is it useful? (How does knowing this help us make decisions?)  Data are not in the form most useful (ie. Calculations, pdf files instead of a table, %s instead of #s, etc)  Data are not in the time frame we would like (ie. Census only every 10 years)

Where to Collect Existing Data Two Sources of Existing Data  Original source from information or web-site  Websites that collect and redistribute data

1. 1. Scroll Down. Click here to find “Kentucky: By the Numbers” “Kentucky: By the Numbers” is on our “SNARL” website.

When to Collect Data, How to Start.  Begin by identifying some key issues  Ask why you need the data  How will it help you in program planning  Determine the best way to collect the data  Existing data  Community forums  Focus group interviews  Key informant  Surveys  Media scan  Current research and knowledge  Who will collect the data

More than one method can be used to give meaning and further define the data and information Numbers never speak for themselves. People bring meaning to data