DATA DIALOGUE

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DATA DIALOGUE

• Using The DD Suite To Tell Our Stories
• Daniel Shannon
• MA Developmental Disabilities Council
• June 5, 2006

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What is the DD Suite?

• Tool for collecting and managing data
• Specifically designed for DD Councils
• Collects/stores data on all Council State Plan
  Initiatives
• Sub-grants and Council activities
• Provides easy mechanism for report generation and
  data analysis

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What do we collect in the DD Suite?

• Sub Grants
• Application Documents
• Data Sheet (Applicant and Grant Information)
• Narrative (Abstract, Methodology)
• Work Plan (Goals, Objectives, Performance
  Targets)
• Budget Plan (Expenses Planned Federal and
  Match)
• Reporting Documents
• Periodic Reports (Narrative and Objective
  Updates)
• Periodic Fiscal Reports (Actual Expenses)
• Performance Measures (Actual)
• Personal Stories (Impact)

4
What do we collect in the DD Suite?

• Council Projects
• Internal activities of Council members and staff
  (task forces, advocacy work, disability
  coalitions, network collaboration, etc.)
• Periodic Reports (Narrative Updates)
• Fiscal Reports (Track Matching Funds)
• Performance Measures (Actual)
• Personal Stories (Impact)

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Why do we collect the information?

• Enhances project management
• Streamlines federal reporting
• Provides reliable performance data
• Prediction vs. Performance
• Future Planning
• Creates an archive of information to use to tell
  our stories

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Why do we need to tell our stories?

• Perception is reality
• We are what others think we are
• Accountable to our customers
• Administration on Developmental Disabilities
• Elected Officials (Federal and State)
• Individuals and Families
• Council - Ourselves
• General Public
• Goal - Positive perception of Councils
• Councils do important work for people,
  communities, service systems, and do it well

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How do we use the information?

• Generate electronic documents and reports
• Templates in Word
• Press Releases
• Web Site Grant Descriptions
• Project Updates
• Public Annual Report
• Communications with Elected Officials

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Press Release

• Generated every time a new sub-grant is awarded
• Targeted geographically by circulation area or to
  major media for statewide
• Can also be generated for Council initiatives and
  to announce significant project accomplishments

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Press Release - Contents

• Generated on Council letterhead with city/date
  (template design)
• Text of Press Release includes
• Grantee Name and Amount (from Data Sheet)
• Project Title (from Data Sheet)
• Project Goal (from Work Plan)
• Project Abstract (Question 1 from Project
  Outline)
• Information about the Council (template design)

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Web Site Project Description

• Generated every time a new sub-grant is awarded
• Identifying Information
• Grant Number, Project Dates, Grantee Name and
  Address, Council Contact (all from Data Sheet)
• Grant Title and Funding (from Data Sheet)
• Project Description includes
• Project Goal (from Work Plan)
• Project Abstract (question 1 from Project Outline)

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Project Updates

• Report generated for every Council meeting
• Includes most recent information on all active
  projects
• Can be generated at any time, for any reporting
  period

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Project Updates - Contents

• Cover page with Council logo, report title and
  report date, table of contents, projects by Area
  of Emphasis (template design)
• Each project description contains
• Project Name and Number (from Data Sheet)
• Grantee identifying information (from Data Sheet)
• Project Goal (from Work Plan)
• Reporting Period (from Periodic Programmatic
  Report)
• Narrative Update (from Periodic Programmatic
  Report)

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Public Annual Report

• Data imported on all projects active during
  fiscal year
• Projects reported by Area of Emphasis
• Selected projects and performance measures used
  in report (all imported)
• Personal stories highlighted

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Public Annual Report - Contents

• Cover Page (template design)
• Letter from Chairperson - new each year
• Table of Contents (template design)
• Project Descriptions - by AOE
• Personal Stories - by AOE
• Fiscal Year Expenditures (from PPR)

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Communication - Elected Officials

• Grant Announcement Letters
• Addressed to US Senators, Congressman, State
  Senator, and Representative from grantees
  district
• Recipients name and address imported from the
  Congressional mailing list in the database (by
  town)
• Grant description attached (similar to web site
  description)

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Communications - Elected Officials

• Grant Completion Letters
• Addressed to same elected officials
• Project performance summary attached (similar to
  public annual report)
• Highlights accomplishments, performance measures
  and personal stories

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Recap

• Perception is reality
• Create a positive perception of Councils
• The more information you have the better stories
  you can tell
• With data at our fingertips,
  the only limit is our imagination
• Thank you!