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Collecting data will help you understand if your program or service is working and how you can make it better. It’s important to choose data collection methods that provide the most accurate answers to your evaluation questions.
The collection and storage of data should be robust, ethical, culturally appropriate and properly governed.
It is important to adhere to ethical norms in your data collection. You need to ensure that your collection methodologies are appropriate (including culturally appropriate), unbiased and transparent. They should respect the rights, privacy and entitlements of those impacted by, and contributing to, the data collection.
Things to consider
How will you collect credible data to answer your questions?
- What type of information do you want to gather?
- How do you plan to analyse that information?
- Who are the data custodians (those who “own” the data) and how will you engage with them?
- What’s the best timing for data collection?
How will you organise and store this information and ensure its quality?
- Are there sensitivities associated with the information you are collecting (this will help determine how it is to be stored)?
- What legal and technical requirements apply to the collection, storage, use and destruction of the data?
- What tools and formats should you use to collect and collate the data?
- How will you record what the data/evidence relates to and how it was gathered?
What is the best way to visualise the data?
- Who is the audience for the results?
- What is the message you are trying to convey?
- What tools and skills are available to help you do this effectively?
Collecting data
There are many different ways to collect the necessary evidence and data for your evaluation.
The methods and tools you choose to use will depend on the questions you need answered, the skills and resources available to you, and the time you have to undertake the evaluation.
Administrative data
Don’t forget to use administrative data if you can – this is data collected through the routine operations of managing and/or implementing a program or activity. Data collected from other sources (including linked datasets and official statistics) may also be of use to your evaluation.
It is good practice to review the data you already have to see if there are any gaps, which mean you will need to use other collection methods to complement existing data.
Other ways to collect (or use) data include:
- surveys
- interviews and feedback
- focus groups
- case studies
- big data.
Original data
If collecting original data, it is good practice to establish protocols and procedures for the data collection. Record the definitions you use and coding requirements, pre-test your collection method to ensure it produces the kind of results you would expect, and have a quality assurance process over the top to verify and validate the data inputs.
Data collection timing
There are a few things to consider when planning the timing of your data collection:
- allow enough time for outcomes to be realised (depending on the type of evaluation you are undertaking)
- fit in with program activities
- ensure that your collection activities are not too burdensome on the respondents (choose a time that is convenient for them).
For more information about different types of data collection tools see Templates, tools and resources.
You will also find links to Commonwealth government data sources and requirements, as well as the principles of good data management.