Finding Data in the Desert

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Finding Data in the Desert How to use what
youve got when its not a lot.
JC Dwyer Director of Public Policy South Texas
Food Bank jcdwyer_at_hungermaps.org
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NYC
LAREDO
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NYC
What I Learned

• News is whats new!
• Your data is the best data!
• 3. Keep your eyes on the prize!

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What I Learned

• News is whats new!
• Your data is the best data!
• 3. Keep your eyes on the prize!

• If your audience is seeing data for the first
  time, its new.
• If your audience is seeing old data in a new way,
  its new.
• If your audience is seeing two kinds of old data
  together for the first time, its new.

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What I Learned

• News is whats new!
• Your data is the best data!
• 3. Keep your eyes on the prize!

• Be confident in the data you have (its the best
  out there).
• Become an authority receiving phone calls, not
  just making them.
• Be open about your sources share raw data
  whenever possible.

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What I Learned

• News is whats new!
• Your data is the best data!
• 3. Keep your eyes on the prize!

• The report is not the goal and neither is the
  coverage.
• Get over your inner wonk this is not a
  dissertation.
• Major decisions are routinely made with far, far
  less data.

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LAREDO
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What have I got?
LAREDO

• Four kinds of data
• Federal
• State
• Local
• Emergent

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What have I got?

• Four kinds of data
• Federal
• State
• Local
• Emergent

• You can talk about different datasets just
  dont compare them directly.
• ACS is great if you can get it CPS is likely
  not statistically significant Census 2000 a good
  fallback (just do something new with it).
• Explore Census.gov for other newsworthy datasets
  (like County Business Patterns)

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What have I got?

• Four kinds of data
• Federal
• State
• Local
• Emergent

• Food Stamps caseloads (families, kids, seniors)
• Food Stamps timeliness rates
• of food stamps recipients who are working.
• Average length of time on program.
• Caveat Sometimes these are only available
  regionally.

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What have I got?

• Four kinds of data
• Federal
• State
• Local
• Emergent

• WIC caseloads (usually regional)
• WIC health stats
• School meals ( free reduced, breakfast
  participation)
• After-school snacks
• Summer meals
• Head Start
• A2H 2005 study get raw data and you can select
  by zip code

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What have I got?

• Emergent data is a new economy term for data
  that you have but dont know it yet.
• Typically used to increase internal efficiency
• Examples Monthly agency reports, Kids Café
  numbers, agency longevity, CSFP waiting lists
  any big number can be a newsworthy number.
• Think about untraditional numbers poundage,
  truck miles, square feet etc.

• Four kinds of data
• Federal
• State
• Local
• Emergent

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How to Design Your Data

• Structure
• Physically break your report into counties
  design so that each county section looks the
  same.
• If report covers several counties, make sure you
  have one or two datasets that cover everyone to
  justify using the rest of the data.
• Include a short summary with take-away message
  and a couple of the most newsworthy stats in the
  front.
• Keep all notes, explanations, errata in the back.

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How to Design Your Data

• Text
• GET OVER YOUR INNER WONK.
• Simple short sentences gt tables gt long,
  interminable sentences
• Repeat your take-away with each countys data.
• Stack your data on each page in a way that makes
  narrative sense (problem statement, details,
  solutions)
• Use lots of visual metaphors pitched to the local
  audience (sports arenas work well)

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How to Design Your Data

• Visuals
• Charts, graphs trend lines work best.
• If you have a flair with Photoshop, illustrate
  some of your textual metaphors
• Pulled quotes, supporting quotations add
  highlights
• Use good design sense only 2-3 fonts, dont
  overuse bold, italics, underline, font size. Be
  consistent.
• Use GIS HungerMaps.org