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Module 3: Systems, Data, Information and Knowledge: Putting the Pieces TogetherRationale To improve understanding of their SACWIS system, supervisors need to understand the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) requirements for outcomes and performance measures, how data is collected and stored and the value of information management to an organization's achievement of the ASFA goals of safety, permanency and well being. The participants should also be familiar with the concept of databases, data, information and knowledge. Activities
Time 1 hour and 15 minutes Objectives The participant who masters the content of this module will be able to:
Flipchart/markers/pad Sample handouts and overheads:
Advance Preparation Make sure the flipchart, markers, newsprint, overheads, and overhead projector are in the room. If they are to be used, gather state/county outcomes and measures; determine how familiar the participants will be with the material and then prepare the training instructions and materials. Glossary of Terms Data - A recording of facts, concepts or instructions on a storage medium for communication, retrieval and processing by automatic means. Database - A collection of interrelated data stored (often with controlled, limited redundancy) according to a structure. A database can serve single or multiple applications. Goal - Expression of direction or priority. Indicator - Evidence of achievement or non-achievement of any outcome. Information - Data that human beings assimilate and evaluate to solve a problem or make a decision. Knowledge - Factual information which is retained with an understanding about the significance of that information. Measure - A way of evaluating something or a standard against which something can be compared. Outcome - Consequence of result of actions or a set of actions. Bibliography and Suggested Reading American Public Welfare Association. (1994). Child Welfare Systems: Some Concepts and Their Implications. Washington, DC: American Public Welfare Association. DeMarco, T., and Lister, T. (1987) Peopleware Productive Projects and Teams. New York: Dorset House Publishing Co. Inmon, W.H., Zachman, J.A., and Geiger, G. (1997). Data Stores,Data Warehousing, and the Zachman Framework: ManagingEnterprise Knowledge. New York: McGraw-Hill. Jamieson, Marie and Bodonyi, Jami M. (1999) "Data-Driven Child Welfare Policy and Practice in the Next Century". Child Welfare, Vol LXXVIII, No. 1, Jan.-Feb. Rainey, H.G. (1997) Understanding and Managing Public Organizations. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers. Usher, Charles L.; Wildfire, Judith B.; Gibbs, Deborah A. (1999) "Measuring Performance in Child Welfare: Secondary Effects of Success". Child Welfare, Vol. LXXVIII, No. Jan.-Feb. Website, Administration for Children and Families - Website: Child Welfare League of America -http://www.cwla.org Note: this website includes the National Data Analysis System (NDAS). It is an interactive child welfare database. Pre-defined tables and graphs are customizable by state and data year, and include data sources and notes. The Gartner Group - http://gartner.com Trainer's Instructions 1. Introduce the module by presenting the purpose and objectives using the following as a guide: This module gives you some background regarding the development of outcome measures in child welfare, especially the requirements for reporting and measurement contained in ASFA, and how the major automated systems support the data needs for this kind of measurement. When you complete this module, you will be able to:
2. Begin the module using the following as a guideline: Over the past two decades federal legislation has been passed that addresses the status of children placed in out-of-home care. The legislation has placed increasing emphasis on measuring outcomes for the children who use child welfare services. In addition, other factors contribute as well. As one author observes, '...the development of outcomes in child welfare is being driven by Federal accountability rules, the growth of managed care, and class action lawsuits, as well as by a need to understand trends and best practice.' (Jamieson, 1999) 3. Use Overhead 'Some Requirements of the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 (ASFA)' (3.1). Explain that: The Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 (ASFA), sets specific requirements that require measurement to determine compliance. As a result states not only must collect specific data regarding a child's out-of-home stay, but also develop outcome measures to support the goals of safety, permanency and well being. 4. Using the Overhead 'Federal Child Welfare Outcome Performance Measures' (3.2) explain that: ASFA requires that the states report data in each of these seven areas to the federal government. States' performance on these measures is reported to show how states are performing. Some states are also using the same outcomes to evaluate their IV-B program, or using them in presentations to the state legislature to indicate performance and to support requests for funding. To determine if an outcome has been met, measures were developed for each outcome. The data collected for each can then be compared to determine how states (or units, or regions in a state, for that matter) compare. The data can be used to identify averages, successes and areas that might need improvement. The material that is produced for each measure comes from the individual pieces of data that are entered in the system. 5. Use Overhead 'Outcomes for Federal Reviews' (3.3). Explain that: Federal reviews have also been revised to reflect the increased emphasis on outcome and performance measures. The Final Rule, published by DHHS on January 25, 2000, established new approaches to monitoring state child welfare programs under ASFA. It addresses the Child and Family Services (CFS) review and the Title IV-E eligibility review. The new reviews focus on outcomes for children and families, rather than on the accuracy and completeness of the case files in isolation. 6. Use the Overhead 'Measures/Indicators Common to Both Annual Report and Performance Measures Under New Federal Reviews (3.4). Continue the discussion: This table show measures and indicators that are common to both the requirements for annual reporting and the outcomes to be used in federal reviews. 7. Use the Overhead 'National Systems to Collect and Retrieve Child Welfare Data' (3.5). Continue the discussion: The outcomes we have been looking at depend on data that is entered into several large systems. Over the last two decades the federal government has provided for the creation of two major automated systems, known as NCANDS and AFCARS, to collect and retrieve state welfare data nationwide. The data collected provides information regarding the characteristics, status, performance, and outcomes for children and their families served by state child welfare agencies. 8. Use the Overhead 'SACWIS' (3.6). Explain that: Federal legislation has also provided funding for states to develop their own data collection systems. These are the SACWIS systems, which are called by a different name in each state. For example in Maine, the system is called MACWIS; in Massachusetts it is called Family Net, and in Colorado, Colorado Trails. 9. AFCARS, NCANDS and the SACWIS systems are all data bases. To better understand them, it might be helpful to briefly describe how databases are organized. A database is a collection of interrelated data stored electronically. Use the following overheads to explain basic information about databases. Overhead - 'Advantages of Using a Database' (3.7) Overhead - 'Manual Files vs Tables' (3.8). Point out that data bases are organized into tables, as shown on the overhead. Compare the way that data was organized in a paper file - all the data about the case was in one location - with the way it is organized in SACWIS - case data scattered among many tables. Explain that in a database facts are entered in a number of separate tables. So, a table might be set up with a client number, names, street address, town, zip code, and phone number. Another table might list the children involved in a case with a child ID number, case ID number, child name, date of birth, sex, etc. SACWIS is a set of tables with all kinds of case and other data. In order for data to be retrieved from these tables, there must be a common link between them. A database constructed in this way is a 'relational database.' On the overhead you will notice that the case ID number appears in two tables and the child ID number appears in two. The tables are related to each other by means of that number. Caseworkers and supervisors using SACWIS don't need to be concerned with the way the tables are organized. Usually they see a form with various places to enter data about the case. As they enter the data, the computer will place it in the correct table. Depending on the information they want, they can tell the computer to look in various tables to retrieve the data. 10. Launch the first exercise, using the following introduction: Let's think for a moment about the major goals of Child Welfare. These are, as you know: child safety, permanency and well being as established by the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997. Let's brainstorm together the effect that SACWIS has had on the achievement of those goals. In other words, from your experience and observation, what has the implementation of SACWIS done to support the goals of safety, permanency and well being? 11. Probe as to SACWIS' usefulness in supporting key indicators such as:
12. Record the group's shared information on a flipchart. Assure that both the positives (especially success stories) and negatives of SACWIS are mentioned. Probe for reports and screens that are useful in monitoring the indicators. Wrap-up the activity, using the following talking points: Demand for Child Welfare information is growing rapidly and several information technology developments, like SACWIS, have attempted to satisfy that demand for information. Used wisely, information management can support, inform and improve Child Welfare practice, as well as measure progress toward achievement of outcomes. The challenge for the Child Welfare organization is not only to use data like this to set goals and outcomes, but also to inform decisions regarding practice and policy and to make improvements in service. 13. Refer to the Puzzle Diagram handout and overhead (3.9). Introduce the diagram using the following as talking points: Another concept that will be referenced throughout the seminar originates with the need for information management and is illustrated by the puzzle diagram. Sometimes the words 'data' and 'information' are used interchangeably. However, in this curriculum, data, information, and knowledge mean specific things. Data, information and knowledge are steps in a classification process that moves from data, to information, and then to knowledge. The puzzle diagram illustrates this progression. For the purposes of this curriculum, data are basic facts. For example, the numbers 58, 65, and 75 are data in the purest form. They are unstructured raw facts resulting from empirical observation. In the corporate world, as well as in child welfare, huge quantities of data are generally available. If we look at the puzzle diagram, we can see that the entire base of the pyramid represents this great quantity of data. The puzzle pieces are data items that are part of a child welfare case record that fit into this category. All data is not equally important, however. As W.H. Inmon said in the book Data Stores, Data Warehousing and the Zachman Framework, 'One of the keys to success for modern corporations is access to the right information at the right time at the right place in the right form.' This statement is true for child welfare agencies as well. It is only when data is placed in context, transformed into information that it becomes valuable. Information represents data in the context of decision making. In the example above, data became information when you know that these numbers represent the mean temperatures for July 15 for the past 3 years. If you are planning a family picnic, this data has become valuable information that will assist you in picking a date for the event - the right information at the right time in the right form. Looking at the puzzle diagram, we can see that information is the next level in the data to knowledge progression. Information is data that has been selected by someone because it has some relevance to their needs. Knowledge is information combined with experience, context, interpretation and reflection. Knowledge is a higher value form of information that is ready to apply to decisions and actions. The human element is important at this point as a filter to determine which knowledge is applicable in which context. Knowledge is the result of collecting and distilling information over time to understand what works and what doesn't work. The key factor in assessing knowledge is time - that is, collecting and applying information to decisions over time yields knowledge. For instance, in trying to decide on a date for the family picnic, you know from years of experience, or by looking at long term trends, that the 2nd week of August has the best temperature for holding the event. Looking at the puzzle diagram we see that knowledge, distilled from data and information is located at the top of the pyramid. 14. Show the Overhead 'Data , Information, Knowledge' (3.10) then explain that: Data is a fact about the case that is entered into the database and stored there. The first column called 'case data' in the overhead is just a list of numbers, many of them look like dates. By themselves these pieces of data have no meaning. However if a person looks at the second column in combination with the data connected with each entry, the numbers make more sense. They mean something when we know that 6/17/99 is the date that the child entered foster car, for example. Even so, taken individually, these facts may not tell you much about the case. However, when a person begins to relate the pieces of data and consider all the information available, then he or she can begin to make some observations, or begin to acquire knowledge about this case and actions that should be taken regarding it. 15. Write the word knowledge on the flipchart. Ask the group what observations they can make about the data and information shown on the overhead 'Data, Information, Knowledge'. For example, considering the date the child entered foster care, is it time to file a petition to terminate parental rights? (Has the child been is foster care for 15 out of the most recent 22 months?) Or, look at the number of case worker visits, is that enough considering the time the child has been in custody. Is there any data missing that is needed to draw conclusions? Where is that data located? Is it in SACWIS, or is there some other place to look for it. And finally, what kinds of decisions, if any, should the caseworker and the supervisor make at this point? How should they decide to manage this information? The decisions made here will reflect the knowledge that has been accumulated over the history of the case. 16. Continue with the lecture: Individual pieces of data in a database mean nothing. People must decide what pieces of data are important to them, know how to retrieve them from the database and then analyze them to determine in what ways they can be useful to them. The computer can't do this procedure alone. It still requires human intervention to use data effectively and to transform it into information and then into knowledge. A few minutes ago we looked at the Puzzle Diagram and talked about it from the data, information and knowledge perspective. Now we want to go a step further and talk about integration of information management into an organization .As we mentioned earlier, information technology is processing data with a computer. Information management, on the other hand, views data, information and knowledge as organizational resources designed to help an agency achieve its goals. Information technology generally causes the creation of lots of data. SACWIS certainly did that. Taking that data and creating information and knowledge and then incorporating that information and knowledge into the fabric of the organization, to support the mission of the agency, is a critical organizational challenge. It's through the use of the information and knowledge to inform activities such as policy making, goal setting and measuring progress toward achieving agency outcomes and goals, case decision making, personnel activities, creating budget requests and other day -to- day activities that distinguishes information management from information technology. 17. Refer to 'Puzzle Equation' (3.11) and continue: This diagram, looks a bit different than when you saw it earlier. We've added the terms: technology, management, people/organization as part of an equation that equals improved practice. The diagram now depicts the notion that successful implementation of information management requires much more than just the purchase and installation of hardware and software to create data. Successful integration of information management into an organization takes data, information, knowledge combined with people, technology and management to improve practice and ultimately move toward achieving an organization's goals--in this case achieving the goals of safety, permanency and well-being. Too often the benefits of information management are not fully accomplished because the organization focuses on technology and forgets that technology is just a tool that needs to be understood, harnessed and used by people to achieve organizational goals. 18. Wrap up. If time allows, ask for questions. 19. Lead into Module 5: Supervising for Results: Identifying and Locating Key Data using the following as a guideline: The advent of the major data collection systems like SACWIS may have changed the storage location of data and information supervisors have been familiar with for many years; have they, however, changed the actual data? In the next module, we are going to identify the key data supervisors need to quickly access to get an overview of a case and look at ways that data can be retrieved easily.
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The trainer should create a chart that presents the federal outcomes and measures and the state outcomes and measures.
If no other state data is available, some material from the CWLA website might be useful to incorporate into the training.
If the state/county has developed its own outcomes and measures, you can use them in this exercise based on your advance preparation.
If local data is available, it can be used as the basis for discussion in this exercise.
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