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Data Orchard‘s data maturity framework outlines and benchmarks the various factors that contribute to an organization’s capacity to use data, including the uses of data, the data itself, analysis, leadership, culture, tools, and skills. Non-profits can then self-assess against each theme and determine what stage in the journey of data maturity that they are on for each theme: unaware, emerging, learning, developing, mastering.
The ability to evaluate the individual elements of data maturity provides a potentially powerful tool to help non-profits take a strategic approach to address challenges and building capacity.
The three focus areas of our research and engagement in data maturity are:
A data management system that provide streamlined systems for data capture, storage,
management, analysis and program evaluation, and reporting to support effective decision making. These tools should not require data experts for effective use. (Data Orchard, 2019)
Commitment on all organizational levels to data literacy and engagement for service delivery, evaluation, decision making, and security. Ongoing investment, from funding bodies, for staff and volunteer training to ensure data competency. Maximizing expert partners in the community as a resource, requiring common language and established partnerships or infrastructure supporting these skilled partnerships towards data collaboration.
Data and analytics are viewed as a vital organizational resource, requiring the full support of funding bodies and governance boards to ensure adequate human resources and tools. As a vital resource, data is the backbone for decision making, impact measurement, and prediction of need.