I2D2: Connecting Iowa’s Leaders with Accurate, Comprehensive, and Meaningful Data.
During the past decade, advances in information technology have ignited a revolution in decision-making, from businesses to communities to government. Previously, decisions in these areas had been heavily influenced by factors other than empirical evidence, including personal experience or observation, instinct, hype, dogma, or beliefs.
For decades, service and community programs aspired to serve Iowans effectively and efficiently. But unfortunately, with siloed systems of government and fragmented services sectors, it was difficult for these programs to be effective in their decision-making.
Since 2015, Iowa has invested in developing and refining an integrated data system called I2D2, and in August 2020, it was officially launched. Its mission is to ensure that community and government leaders have the tools to make ethical and reasonable decisions that affect Iowa families and children. By coordinating with health, social service, and educational agencies, I2D2 can provide data that comprehensively identifies the needs of Iowa’s young children and their families.
Click here to download the I2D2 Project Update.
Better Data – Better Decisions
Data-Driven Decision Making is defined as using facts, metrics, and data to guide strategic organizational decisions that align with your specific goals, objectives, and initiatives. This includes creating a work culture that fosters critical thinking and curiosity and encourages data-driven insights across all departments and organizations. Data-driven decision-making leads to continuous improvement of the organization by gradually implementing changes, monitoring metrics, and making further changes based on the results. This increases the overall productivity and effectiveness of the organization.
Why Data Is Important for Decision Making – 13 Reasons:
- Improves people’s lives: Data will help improve the quality of life for people you support: Improving quality is the foremost reason organizations should be using data.
- Make informed decisions: Data = Knowledge. Good data provides indisputable evidence, while anecdotal evidence, assumptions, or abstract observation might lead to wasted resources due to acting based on an incorrect conclusion.
- Get The Results You Want: Data allows organizations to measure the effectiveness of a given strategy. When strategies are put into place to overcome a challenge, collecting data will allow you to determine how well your solution is performing.
- Find Solutions to Problems: Data allows organizations to determine the cause of problems more effectively. Data allows organizations to visualize relationships between what is happening in different locations, departments, and systems.
- Back-Up Your Arguments: Data is a critical component of systems advocacy. Utilizing data will help present a strong argument for systems change. Whether you are advocating for increased funding or making a case for regulation changes, using data will allow you to demonstrate why changes are needed.
- Stop the Guessing Game: Data will help you explain (both good and bad) decisions to your stakeholders. Whether or not your strategies and decisions have the outcome you anticipated, you can be confident that the approach is based on good solid data, not guessing.