NNIP's Guide to Starting a Local Data Intermediary

NNIP’S GUIDE TO STARTING A LOCAL DATA INTERMEDIARY MAY 2016 Leah Hendey Jake Cowan G. Thomas Kingsley Kathryn L.S. Pettit ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors would first like to thank the elected National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership (NNIP) Executive Committee: Mark Abraham (DataHaven), Bob Gradeck (University of Pittsburgh), Sheila Martin (Portland State University), Jeff Matson (University of Minnesota), Laura McKieran (Community Information Now), and April Urban (Case Western Reserve University). Each of them reviewed sections of the guide and provided valuable feedback to improve the content. In addition, several other NNIP partners shared their expertise by commenting on sections: Rebecca Hefner (Charlotte, NC), Erica Raleigh (Detroit, MI), Katie Pritchard (Milwaukee, WI), and John Cruz (St. Louis, MO). Sharon Kandris (Indianapolis, IN) also gave early input on the guide’s outline. Finally, this guide would not have been possible without the dedication and generosity of all the staff members in the NNIP partner organizations over the past 20 years. Their cumulative efforts have shown us how to help communities access and use data to improve their neighborhoods. This guide was supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The observations and conclusions presented in the guide are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the reviewers or funders. Copyright © May 2016. Urban Institute. Permission is granted for reproduction of this file, with attribution to the Urban Institute. NNIP | NNIP’s Guide to Starting a Local Data Intermediary 1 Contents Chapter 1: Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 3 Purpose of This Guide ................................................................................................................................ 3 Structure of This Guide ............................................................................................................................... 4 Chapter 2: Local Data Intermediary Activities and the NNIP Model .................................................... 6 What Local Data Intermediaries Do ....................................................................................................... 6 The NNIP Model ........................................................................................................................................ 10 Resources in Chapter 2 ........................................................................................................................... 13 Chapter 3: Deciding What’s Right for Your Community ....................................................................... 14 Getting Organized ................................................................................................................................... 14 Identifying an Institutional Home ........................................................................................................... 18 Assessing the Local Data Environment ................................................................................................ 25 Putting the Plan Together ....................................................................................................................... 31 Resources in Chapter 3 ........................................................................................................................... 34 Chapter 4: Funding a Local Data Intermediary .................................................................................... 35 Finances of Current NNIP Partners ........................................................................................................ 35 The Cost of a Local Data Intermediary ................................................................................................ 38 Fundraising and Sustainability ................................................................................................................ 39 Resources in Chapter 4 ........................................................................................................................... 43 Chapter 5: Getting Started ....................................................................................................................... 44 Organizing the Operations ..................................................................................................................... 44 Building the Information System ............................................................................................................ 48 NNIP | NNIP’s Guide to Starting a Local Data Intermediary 2 Designing the Local Data Intermediary Website ............................................................................... 55 Delivering Products and Services ...........................................