Resource Center

Your Virtual Library

Our Resource Center is a virtual library where you can go for a broad range of information relating to interoperability, information-sharing, and the six domains in which NIC primarily works: human and social services, public health, public education, public safety, emergency medical services and health information technology. We have vetted and aggregated numerous studies, guidance documents and other materials, which can be sorted in a variety of ways for easy access and use, and will add resources continually over time. The Resource Center is available to all professionals interested in the subject matter, irrespective of whether they are NIC participants.

To make the Center as robust and beneficial as possible, we welcome recommendations of relevant content that users encounter elsewhere, that they have produced themselves, or that they are already utilizing. Please provide your suggestions and comments via email to NIC@stewardsofchange.org.

11-15-2021 Featured Project

National Commission to Transform Public Health Data Systems

This paper explains the Commission, the foundational white papers, defines terms, describes the Commission approach, and outlines the guiding principles of a modern, equity-oriented public health data system and what that system does. This includes a brief summary of past and present data modernization initiatives.

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11-15-2021 Featured Project

Charting a Course for an Equity-Centered Data System: Recommendations from the National Commission to Transform Public Health Data Systems

The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the gaps in our public health and health data infrastructure and illuminated the many ways in which they perpetuate vast health inequities. To work toward a modernized health data system, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation established a first-of-its-kind National Commission to Transform Public Health Data Systems to reimagine how data are collected, shared, and used, and identify the investments needed to improve health equity. Commissioners examined both the systems and the data needed to ensure public health information works for all, including: who the data we collect elevates, who is being centered in our data, who is being excluded, and why.  

The Commission’s recommendations for the nation call on government at all levels, business, community-based organizations, philanthropy, and others to take specific action to reimagine and modernize the public health data system.

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05-24-2018 Roadmap

Roadmap for Cross-Agency Data Governance

Data governance provides state agencies a structure in which to define the roles and responsibilities needed to ensure clear processes for collecting and reporting education data and to ensure accountability for data quality and security. To make informed policy decisions across agencies, such as the state education agency and early childhood, higher education, and workforce agencies, cross-agency data governance is needed. This roadmap provides recommendations for states who are looking to develop and implement a high-quality cross-agency data governance committee.

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05-21-2018 Handbook

California Health and Human Services Agency Data Playbook

Data changes everything. The Playbook can be used by Departments to solve problems with data. It is designed to help build an organizational culture that is focused on data and data-driven decision making. Departments can leverage the various components of the Playbook as they see fit and can customize the Playbook to their needs.

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05-15-2018 Report

DASH Bright Spot: A Legal Approach to Sharing Health & Education Data

Increasing research indicates that education and health are linked.  The Chicago Department of Public Health partnered with Chicago Public Schools for the Chicago 2.0 Plan, which focuses largely on education. Chicago 2.0 works to address the root cause of poor health in its communities, through bringing agencies together.  

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05-14-2018 Web Page

The California Healthy Places Index (HPI): Public Health Alliance of Southern California

A tool developed by the Public Health Alliance of Southern California with Virginia Commonwealth University’s Center on Society and Health, for health professionals and communities to explore and address the health of California communities. This tool provides overall scores and detailed data to identify policy action areas with the greatest potential to impact population health. 

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05-14-2018 Article

Can an Algorithm Tell When Kids Are in Danger?

New question: Which families are most at risk and in need of help? Not which services to provide, but to whom. It would be unethical not to use the currently most accurate predictive analytics tool. The presence of bias, despite the algorithm, is recognized, but still seen as an oppotunity for more screening consistency.  In attempts to limit the effects of bias, objective risk measures were added to the screening process. 

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05-14-2018 Article

Managing the Flow: Predictive Analytics in Child Welfare

Technology and the need for predictive analytic risk modeling are outpacing questions around ethical use. There are two “currents” of thought 1. academics and public agency administrators, 2. big software and analytics firms.  How will the power of predictive analytics be checked and monitored for bias?

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05-14-2018 Article

A Child Abuse Prediction Model Fails Poor Families

Predictive models to predict child abuse are a useful tool, but have human bias of their creators embedded in them. Disproportionate racial bias exists in referral rates, the definitions of maltreatment, and the types of data collected -majority on measures of poverty. The Allegheny Family Screening Tool is no exception to these complexities. 

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05-14-2018 Report

Advancing State Data Sharing for Better Economic and Workforce Development

State administrative data is key to evaluating the effectiveness of state programs. Access to reliable administrative data can provide an evidence-base for policymaker’s decisions on public investment and development programs. The role of independent data intermediaries supports access to information with public interest at the forefront. Improved data sharing can lead to: better research, quality of administration records, quick identification of data errors, identification of system improvement for higher quality data. Success requires active management of data sharing processes by data stewards.  

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