CTData Accepted as a Partner in the National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership!
Work in Hartford and Connecticut Recognized as Having Community Impact, Advancing Understanding, Use and Access to Data to Inform Policy
Driven by the track record and commitment of the Connecticut Data Collaborative (CTData) to improve data literacy, the use of data, and the involvement of residents – including youth – in the development of data to improve lives in Hartford, CTData has been accepted as a partner in the National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership, one of the nation’s premier organizations in the field.
The National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership (NNIP) helps local communities use data to shape strategies and investments so that all neighborhoods are places where people can thrive. The national network of local organizations in 31 cities connect their communities with the data they need, and the help they need to use it, to support local priorities.
CTData provides services to residents, nonprofits, policymakers, and funders so they can use data to drive policy, program, and service improvements. The organization strives to promote and engage data users in implementing equitable data practices across the state.
The Hartford Data Collaborative, launched in 2019, is a network of Hartford non-profit organizations, government agencies, and philanthropic partners supported by CTData that manages data sharing and local data infrastructure projects in the city, including the North Hartford Ascend Pipeline project. In addition, the Hartford Data Collaborative runs a Hartford Youth Data Fellows program, among numerous initiatives.
The Hartford Data Collaborative’s vision is to build a community where timely, integrated, client-level data is accessible for regular analysis to support improved services, operations, policies, and outcomes for the common good of Hartford residents. Most recently, CTData partnered with grassroots organizations in Hartford and identified the most important questions they needed to answer to effectively conduct their Get Out the Vote efforts for the upcoming elections.
“CTData is on the frontlines making data more accessible and working with individuals and organizations to improve their understanding of and use of data,” said Michelle Riordan-Nold, Executive Director of the Connecticut Data Collaborative. “We are grateful to the National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership for accepting our partnership application upon review of the work that we have done and continue to do in Hartford and throughout Connecticut. This designation reaffirms our commitment to this work and the importance of involving residents of Hartford in the data collection and analysis related to their city.”
CTData program initiatives include the CTData Academy, Equity in Data Community of Practice, Customized Data Workshops, and Data Consulting services. CTData also has developed a well-received coaching service to help organizations make data a strategic asset - Data Strategic Planning – now working with its second cohort. In addition, CTData makes many datasets available including subject areas and policy categories for businesses, municipalities, nonprofit organizations, educators, policymakers, and community groups.
In addition to the local contributions from the partners, the NNIP network as a whole engages changemakers nationally to share insights to accelerate innovation and advance equity around the country. This will be an opportunity to share successful initiatives and community interventions from Hartford so other places can learn from them.
CTData also possesses extensive experience in providing training on how to use data effectively and success in convening data users across the state to increase connections and hear about new ideas they can apply to their work. CTData’s work with youth, both in youth participatory action research and with high school and community college students, provides a wealth of knowledge that CTData can share with partners across the NNIP network.
Kathryn Pettit, Director of the National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership, said, “Hartford is fortunate to have such a committed and responsive organization like CTData to help their community get better at using data to benefit the people who live there. Our network will be richer as they share the best practices and lessons from their extensive experience in using data to advance equity.”
“The public interest is well-served by these efforts to better inform the people who make decisions impacting our daily lives,” added Riordan-Nold. “We look forward to benefitting from and contributing to the work of the NNIP network and the opportunities for potential collaboration with our colleagues and peers across the nation.”
Reflecting growing public interest in the use of data to inform decisions, and the expertise provided by CTData, the organization which began with a single employee a decade ago has grown consistently - to a three-member staff by 2018 and to the current staff of 12 in 2023.
Among its areas of responsibility, CTData has been designated as the lead organization for the State of Connecticut in the U.S. Census Bureau's State Data Center Program. Earlier this year, CTData added to its website U.S. Census American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates for Connecticut's 169 cities and towns, with topics including income, education, housing, remote working, and more.
The mission of CTData is to connect people and data to increase informed decision-making and advance an equitable Connecticut. Additional information about CTData workshops, initiatives, and datasets is available on the website at www.ctdata.org. More details on the National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership can be seen at www.neighborhoodindicators.org/.