Recycling data: common metrics for research, policy, and evaluation Samantha Becker, MLIS, MPA Principal Research Scientist University of Washington Information School

How does digital inclusion work? Digital inclusion programs Inputs Increased digital literacy, technology use Outputs Opportunity Outcome Health, wealth, happiness! Impact What happens here?

The “digital divide” concept suggests we just need to build (the right) bridge and our work is done.

But there are many trails to opportunity.

Practioners need help measuring. But they don’t always know the best ways to achieve their aims, or how well they are doing, or what happens to their clients when they get to the other side. They are not experts in program design or measuring what they have done. Community-based organizations understand the gaps they are trying to bridge. They understand what barriers from opportunity their populations encounter. They are trusted allies. Meaningful metrics would allow them to better communicate with other practioners. A common language will help them identify best practices and learn from each other to deliver better programs. How can they know if they’re doing good?

Researchers, evaluators, and policy makers need data. A lot has been invested in building bridges, but we still don’t have a common language to talk about impact. We don’t really know what it takes to get people to the other side of their own digital divide. We don’t even know whether getting them to the other side actually creates the opportunities we hope for. We need a model that is nuanced and multifaceted to account for the different levels of adoption, the different pathways to fluency, and the possibilities of impact for people at different stages of their lives. We also need to understand how digital inclusion for individuals impacts the development of communities. For this, we must have data that can be aggregated for meta-analysis and longitudinal evaluation.