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American Public Human Services Association
American Public Human Services Association
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Data Collection and Analysis


Child welfare agencies must collect and analyze data credibly and translate their findings into information that guides planning, dictates program change and supports funding requests.  Although agencies may, at times, lack the full range of data that would be ideal, all agencies have some data that can be useful in planning.  The same data can be used for various tasks.  It can be managed and analyzed in different ways for different purposes.  Extreme caution needs to be exercised when using less-than-perfect data.  It is imperative that agencies be explicit about the limits of their data.  At a minimum, child welfare agencies should collect data and get answers to questions on the following subject areas:

Client Needs

In the environmental scan, the agency collected data on who its clients are and their current and future needs.  Analysis of these findings can help determine which interventions work best with a particular population, under what set of circumstances and why, and ultimately what knowledge, skills and abilities are needed in the workforce.  Program decisions require review of staffing patterns.  The agency must use this information to staff and deploy its workforce and use resources effectively and efficiently to meet client needs.

Current Status of Workforce Available to Meet the Needs of the Clients

The number and type of workers an agency needs should be determined by clients’ current and projected needs.  Planners should gather baseline data regarding the agency’s workforce operational capacity to determine current and future staffing levels and configurations and to measure productivity. 

Example: The agency needs to gather information about the knowledge, skills, ability, education and experience of its staff to identify the numbers and type of additional staff and other resources needed to provide effective services to its client population.

An accurate determination of an agency’s workforce needs requires estimation or measurement and analysis of the following:
  • The agency’s productivity levels (provided it is adequately staffed given the current and projected demand for client services.)
  • Staff retention patterns including vacancies, turnover rates and characteristics of the workforce.
Example: An aging workforce suggests anticipated retirements.
  • The time a worker has available to serve agency clients in a month or a year and in a manner that meets established agency practice standards.
  • The impact practice or policy changes have on the workload of existing staff.
Example: Changes in practice that screen in more child protective service investigations or increase the worker-client contact requirements will increase the workload of workers.  Documentation, reporting and federal regulations such as the caseworker face-to-face contact with children in foster care requirement, also have direct impacts on workload.
 

Labor Market

Child welfare agencies need to know what the candidate pool looks like to determine what the options may be if the labor market does not have candidates the agency considers ideal.  It is critical that the practice model service standard not be compromised.  The agency has the responsibility to take action as necessary to develop and attract the ideal candidates.  To consider alternatives and make decisions, agencies will need to gather data and analyze the labor market to understand its relation to:
  • Labor force trends and shortages.  Note:  While much of the emphasis is on front-line workers, labor force trends and shortages are equally important for technical and professional staff in administrative functions (IT, fiscal, legal, etc.).
  • The demographic characteristic of the candidates.  What attributes, knowledge, skills, abilities and educational levels are available in the job market for every position in the agency?
  • Competition in the job market including local salary differentials, specific compensations and benefit packages and professional growth opportunities.
  • Economic conditions including geographic wage differentials, unemployment and community resources. 
Example: High unemployment and tight labor markets could make more people available for employment, but not necessarily the ideal candidates.  Economic downturns could also increase the numbers of the client population and cause an increase in workload.  Potential candidates may consider leaving the area for higher wages, more reasonable workload or other employment opportunities.
 

Budget Obligations and Statutory Requirements

Budgets can pose both opportunities and systemic barriers.  Aligning workforce planning with the budget process is essential for setting realistic workforce goals and initiatives.  Budget allocations impact the number and type of staff that may be hired, the scope of resources that can be accessed through community resources and contracts, and the size of the agency’s support and administrative staff, as well as non personnel resources.

 

Statutory requirements and commitments force choices that impact budget allocations and program selection.  It is essential that agencies determine the workforce capacity they need to support credible practice and meet statutory service obligation.  It is important to collect information on the potential impact on clients that insufficient staff (both in number and skill sets) will have.  Credible data can also be used to demonstrate the need for non-personnel resources (cars, cell phones, information technology, etc.) that the workforce requires to conduct its work safely and effectively.
 
 

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