1. Maximizing Resources in Delivering Technical Assistance: lessons from two cities Jake Cowan Research Associate Allison Plyer Technical Assistance Manager

2. 1. Identify your audience

3. Access basic data Motivation Self-efficacy Access complex data Analysis Expertise

4. TA requests per month

5. 2. Determine your objectives

6. To teach requestors how to find the answer themselves, not give them the data To provide access to otherwise difficult-to- retrieve data and expertise in data selection and analysis

7. 3. Build trust

8. Before…

9. After…

10. People known in the community

11. 4. Set expectations

13. …New Orleans area nonprofit organization… Who’s eligible?

14. …New Orleans area nonprofit organization…...one hour of free help… Who’s eligible? How much?

15. …New Orleans area nonprofit organization…...one hour of free help… Who’s eligible? How much? Timeframe? …contact you within one business day… process can take up to two weeks.

17. Cite or credit us Give us a copy Complete our evaluation Conditions?

18. Cost? Cite or credit us Give us a copy Complete our evaluation One hour free. If longer, we’ll negotiate fees.

19. 5. Streamline intake

22. 6. Promote accountability

23. Full team sees requests

24. 7. Establish and reinforce intake protocols

25. I’m looking for data.

26. I need data! I’m looking for data.

27. I need data! I’m looking for data. Thanks for meeting. Did you bring data?

28. I need data! I’m looking for data. Would you have any data on you? Thanks for meeting. Did you bring data?

29. Got any data? I need data! I’m looking for data. Would you have any data on you? Thanks for meeting. Did you bring data?

31. Protocol All data requests are to be entered into the “Ask Allison” intake form by the person who received the request.

32. Protocol All data requests are to be entered into the “Ask Allison” intake form by the person who received the request. If an email to info@gnocdc.org is a data request, then the emailer should be directed to make their entry into “Ask Allison.”

33. 8. Make key resource decisions

34. Does working on a TA request add value to existing projects?

43. 9. Apply meta-data

48. 10. Make changes to website or acquire new data

50. If you’re not sure which Neighborhood Cluster you’re in… look it up here: http://citizenatlas.dc.gov/atlasapps/reporthometab.aspx

51. 11. Produce enduring teaching materials

54. 12. Evaluation

56. Sample = 35 Responses = 13 85% satisfied with quality of information 77% satisfied with timeliness Revise survey instrument for 2005

57. Outside evaluator – 10 brief case studies “She received a notification of when to expect a reply. Then she received the reply far in advance of the notice date. She was asking how to combine census variables, a complex task that she had not done before. Data Center staff were able to give her sound instructions that she could easily follow. Now she feels she could do it again herself if she had to.” “While she was at first somewhat put off by the fact that the Data Center staff would not do the analysis for her, she felt strongly in the end that this was an important learning experience for her.”