Drivers for Change – Use Data
Equity Framework > Drivers for Change > Use Data
Data can be used to highlight inequities in access and outcomes. Data can also be used to identify important starting points, and track the progress and results of equity-based activities.
There are many different ways to use data, including:
- Identifying priority groups, opportunities, and issues;
- Reporting on disaggregated data that highlight inequities across different populations;
- Developing community-based profiles that show opportunities and challenges at the local level
- Working with community to identify indicators of interest and progress towards their goals;
- Making information available to communities so they can use it in their own efforts;
- Qualitative methods and community-based participatory research to highlight community voices.
Data is a resource and has value. Its collection and use is political. Involving people with lived experience in data collection, use, and research can help make questions and knowledge sharing more responsive to lived realities. It is important to provide training to community members to contribute in all stages of research. A culturally safe, trauma-informed approach to working with Indigenous and equity-deserving communities is critical. Cultural safety is reflected in environment free of racism and discrimination and people feeling safe to participate in research. Data collection among First Nations has unique context, consequences, and principles. The First Nations principles of Ownership, Control, Access, and Possession (OCAP™) reflect commitments to use and share information in a way that brings benefit to community and reduce harm. OCAP™ allows a community to make decisions about why, how and by whom information is collected, used or shared.
Adapted from:
Racial Equity Tools – Data. Retrieved from
https://www.racialequitytools.org/resources/fundamentals
HealthEquityGuide.org – Mobilize Data, Research, & Evaluation. Retrieved from
https://healthequityguide.org/strategic-practices/mobilize-data-research-evaluation/
Feige, S., & Choubak, M. (2019). Best Practices for Engaging People with Lived Experience. Guelph, ON: Community Engaged Scholarship Institute. Retrieved from: https://www.cesinstitute.ca/system/files/Feige_Choubak_PeerEngagementProject_LiteratureReview_%202019.pdf
Corless, G., Humchitt, J., Hasan, L., & Marsden, N. (2021). Culturally Safe and Trauma-Informed Practices for Researchers during COVID-19. Retrieved from: https://ethics.research.ubc.ca/sites/ore.ubc.ca/files/documents/TIC-during-COVID-19-FNHA-October-2020.pdf
The First Nations Information Governance Centre. (2014). Ownership, Control, Access and Possession (OCAP™): The Path to First Nations Information Governance. Retrieved from
https://achh.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/OCAP_FNIGC.pdf
Further Reading / Additional Resources:
- From Data to Action. This page includes helpful information, tips, guiding questions and resources to make a difference with data.
https://raisingthevillage.ca/from-data-to-action/ - The First Nations principles of OCAP® are a set of standards that establish how First Nations data should be collected, protected, used, or shared. They are the de facto standard for how to conduct research with First Nations. https://fnigc.ca/ocap-training/
- First Nations Health Authority and the British Columbia Academic Health Sciences Centre have prepared a note on Culturally Safe and Trauma-Informed Practices for Researchers during COVID-19. This note offers considerations for:
- Relationship building and community engagement in First Nations research from a lens of cultural safety and humility and a trauma-informed approach.
- How researchers can be guided by cultural safety and humility and trauma-informed practice.
- Respectful research with First Nations Peoples and communities during COVID-19
- https://ethics.research.ubc.ca/sites/ore.ubc.ca/files/documents/TIC-during-COVID-19-FNHA-October-2020.pdf
- Do No Harm Guide: Applying Equity Awareness in Data Visualization (2021). This guide and the associated checklists and toolkits focus on the often hidden or subtle ways that data analysts and communicators fail to incorporate equitable awareness in the data they use and the products they create. Available from: https://www.urban.org/research/publication/do-no-harm-guide-applying-equity-awareness-data-visualization
Sample Tools:
City of Ottawa and City for All Women Initiative. 2015. Equity and Inclusion Lens Handbook. Ottawa, ON: CAWI See section on “Monitoring and Evaluation” (p.32) for a set of questions to embed equity and inclusion in monitoring and evaluation.
https://www.cawi-ivtf.org/publication/equity-and-inclusion-lens-handbook-2018/
Racial Equity Toolkit An Opportunity to Operationalize Equity
https://www.racialequityalliance.org/resources/racial-equity-toolkit-opportunity-operationalize-equity/
The diversitydata.org project identifies metropolitan area indicators of diversity, opportunity, quality of life and health for various racial and ethnic population groups.
http://diversitydata.org/
Making Data Talk: A Workbook
The ultimate goal of this workbook is to help select and communicate quantitative data in ways audiences can understand.
https://www.cancer.gov/publications/health-communication/making-data-talk.pdf
City for All Women Initiative, and M. Brooks. 2015. Advancing Equity and Inclusion: A Guide for Municipalities. Ottawa, ON: CAWI. See page 55, Data Collection.
http://www.cawi-ivtf.org/sites/default/files/publications/advancing-equity-inclusion-web_0.pdf
Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion in Data Visualization: General Recommendations and Checklist (page 41-42) from: Do No Harm Guide: Applying Equity Awareness in Data Visualization (2021). https://www.urban.org/research/publication/do-no-harm-guide-applying-equity-awareness-data-visualization