Our Data Advisory Group (DAG) Chair, Dr. JT Stark, talks about the methods and purpose for collecting data in support of the community.
The Community Progress Report is grounded in accurate and verified data, thanks to the expertise and volunteer work of Truckee Meadows Tomorrow’s Data Advisory Group (DAG). This team carefully selected the appropriate data sets for each Quality of Life area featured in the report. Under the guidance of TMT Data Chair and Board Member JT Stark, Ph.D., the group ensured that all information presented here is reliable and relevant. Before diving into the data, Dr. Stark shares insights on the importance of data verification and offers guidance on interpreting the findings as you read.
Data Collection and Analysis
Q: How do you ensure that the data collected reflects the diverse experiences and needs of community members?
A: First, as a DAG, our top priority was ensuring that Truckee Meadows Tomorrow’s primary data sources deliver accurate and relevant information. In other words, we needed to assess the reliability of Truckee Meadows Tomorrow's data. Our initial step was to engage the more than 50 subject matter experts in the group and simply ask, "Do these data pass the eye test?" and "Which data are most relevant to our community?" If the data didn’t pass the eye test, we engaged in discussions and made appropriate changes. When certain data were identified as particularly relevant, we tracked those recommendations and highlighted the data that DAG members consistently flagged as essential for our community.
A key strength of the DAG is having the right people reviewing the right data. Why is this? Use me, for example. After working closely with educational data for the past decade, I can confidently assess the reliability of education-related data at the local, state, or federal levels. However, I can’t speak with the same authority on areas like Health & Wellness or Economic Well-Being, and what may or may not be relevant to our community. That’s why we rely on subject matter experts with strong data acumen to inform all quality of life areas.
Q: What role did community input play in determining which indicators to include?
A: The DAG’s first call to action was a deep-dive review of all 400-plus indicators on Truckee Meadows Tomorrow’s website. The goal was to ensure that each indicator was aligned with the appropriate quality of life area. If a DAG member flagged an indicator as misplaced, they were asked to provide justification and suggest a more suitable category. All feedback and recommendations were addressed individually, and the information was compiled to provide TMT with DAG-recommended relationships between quality of life areas and indicators.
Following the review, TMT implemented the necessary changes and took it a step further by applying DAG recommendations upstream, working with stakeholders, and correcting data at its source.
In addition to refining indicator placements, the DAG engaged in discussions about the relevance of each indicator. They were tasked with identifying which indicators held the most significance for the community at this moment. This collaborative process allowed the DAG to prioritize indicators that are not only timely, but also reflective of the community’s current needs and concerns.
These discussions ensured that the indicators featured in this report are the most relevant and valuable for assessing our community's quality of life.
Reporting and Communication
Q: How do you balance the need for data-driven decision-making with the potential for data overload or misinterpretation?
A: We balance these need by focusing on how we communicate and distribute the information. The method of data dissemination is crucial. When engaging with community members, or during public talks, I often direct people to our website, where all data is available. They can explore specific data points that matter to them at that moment. This allows for a more personalized and in-depth exploration of the data.
In contrast, the Community Progress Report serves as a curated summary of our key data points. This year, we’re presenting the current status of various indicators and establishing a baseline that will enable us to measure progress over time. When the next report is released in two years, we’ll have a clear view of whether we’ve improved or regressed on various quality of life indicators.
The progress report is intentionally designed for those who prefer a snapshot of the most relevant data, offering a high-level view of key trends and developments across different sectors of the community. It’s a tool for quickly grasping where we stand and identifying areas that may need more focused attention.
Q: Can you discuss the role of data in fostering transparency and accountability within the community’s decision-making processes?
A: Data has become sexy, especially with the rise of better data visualization and artificial intelligence. I often tell my students at UNR that when we talk about data, we’re really talking about information, and the more information we have, the more empowered we are. The power of data lies in its ability to inform decisions and drive meaningful change.
At Truckee Meadows Tomorrow, the DAG plays a crucial role in ensuring transparency and accountability. Over 40 experts volunteered their time to assess the accuracy of TMT’s data, highlighting just how important it is to present trustworthy information. When we can be confident that our data is accurate, we build a foundation for decisions that reflect the true needs of our community.
Our goal is to bring this data to community leaders, establishing a shared understanding and a common starting point for future action. Progress becomes difficult if we’re working from different interpretations or unreliable data. But when we all agree on the accuracy of the information, it opens the door to impactful decision making and growth.
In today’s highly politicized climate, transparency is more important than ever. Once things become politicized, trust erodes. Changing minds is already a challenge, so starting with clear, accurate, and transparent data is essential for fostering trust and accountability from the very beginning.
Future Directions
Q: In what ways can data be used to foster collaboration among different stakeholders in the community?
A: Data serves as both a tool and a shared reference point that can bring stakeholders together. At its most basic level, data creates a common starting point, a foundation from which everyone can work. Whether we’re talking about community organizations, policymakers, or business leaders, having a reliable set of data ensures that everyone is operating with the same understanding of the challenges and opportunities our community faces.
Data can also be used at a higher level to foster collaboration by providing a reference point that encourages different stakeholders to think more broadly. For instance, many of the indicators in our report are interconnected. While all indicators fall under specific quality of life areas like Health & Wellness or Natural Environment, they often have ripple effects across other areas. For example, improvements in education indicators can positively impact economic mobility and public safety. Similarly, changes in housing affordability might influence both economic stability and mental health outcomes.
By highlighting these relationships, data helps community members and stakeholders see beyond their individual focus areas. It encourages cross-sector collaboration because it makes clear that solving one problem can have a positive impact on others. When community members, businesses, and policymakers recognize this interconnectedness, they’re more likely to work together to leverage their unique strengths to address multiple issues at once.
Ultimately, data fosters a shared understanding and helps align different efforts toward common goals. By seeing how their work impacts the broader community, stakeholders are more likely to collaborate, share resources, and make decisions that benefit everyone.
Q: How does data help in tracking progress over time and measuring the impact of initiatives aimed at improving quality of life?
A: Long-term data is crucial because it’s difficult for us, as humans, to observe gradual changes in our daily lives. We’re creatures of habit, and everything around us often feels constant, making it hard to recognize larger shifts individually, and especially more broadly in the community. Our personal perspectives are naturally limited to our own experiences, so we might not notice when something is evolving or diminishing gradually over time.
By introducing benchmarks, whether measured monthly, quarterly, or annually, we can start to see changes and analyze our stations more objectively. Sometimes, quality of life indicators remain stable, even when we feel there’s been a significant shift. Without that historical context, it’s hard to prove whether true progress is being made. These benchmarks are critical for understanding why community efforts, funding, or programs are succeeding or falling short. They allow us to draw connections between what we perceive, the initiatives being implemented, and what the data shows is actually happening.
Q: What future trends in data collection and analysis do you foresee impacting the assessment of quality of life in communities?
A: One of the key future trends in data collection will be an increasing emphasis on transparency and accuracy. As the demand for trustworthy data grows, more data professionals will need to prove where their data comes from and why it’s reliable. In other words, we will have to demonstrate unrelenting data credibility. People are becoming less willing to accept statistics at face value — they want to understand the process behind the numbers, from collection to verification to visualization. This push for credibility will lead to a higher standard of accountability from all data professionals and entities.
Additionally, the public is becoming more data literate, raising the bar for those in the data field. It’s no longer enough to only provide information; we must also ensure that the information is accurate, reliable, and accessible. If we want to remain the go-to source in the community, we need to continue improving our standards of accuracy and trustworthiness.
Another role of the Data Advisory Group is to reinforce the reliability of the data we present. Our goal is to continuously build credibility, ensuring that the data we provide is beyond reproach, and can be trusted by the community for making informed decisions in all quality of life areas.
Q: How does the availability of reliable data influence the ability of community leaders to make informed decisions about quality of life improvements?
A: Data should lead to action, not just a discussion topic in a meeting or over email. It serves as the catalyst for real, tangible change. Reliable data gives community leaders the ability to move beyond abstract conversations and make informed decisions that have measurable impacts. When leaders have access to accurate data, they can identify areas that need attention, prioritize resources effectively, and track the success of their initiatives over time.
Without data, decisions might be based on assumptions, anecdotes, or incomplete information. But with reliable and credible data, community leaders can confidently make choices that reflect the true needs and conditions of the community. Data-driven decisions also provide accountability, as progress can be measured and reported back to stakeholders, ensuring that efforts are transparent and results-oriented. Data is both a catalyst for change and a tool for constant accountability.
In short, introducing reliable data to meaningful efforts transforms passive discussions into active problem-solving endeavors. It empowers leaders to implement policies, direct resource funding, and drive improvements with a clear understanding of what will make the greatest impact.
Q: Who makes up the Data Advisory Group?
A: The Data Advisory Group (DAG) is dedicated to nurturing a thriving local data community while championing responsible data-sharing practices. Comprised of professionals from diverse data-related fields across various sectors, the DAG ensures a holistic approach to data stewardship. In addition to validating data integrity, DAG members serve as trusted experts, offering invaluable insights into the impact of the stories we convey through data.
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About Truckee Meadows Tomorrow:
Truckee Meadows Tomorrow (TMT) was crafted in 1989 by an Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN) committee in response to local research showing Quality of Life as the leading reason businesses relocate to the region. TMT started as an “organization of organizations” whose members worked at the grassroots level to help spread the idea that indicators could be used to measure the region’s quality of life in relation to the impacts of constant growth. For over three decades, TMT has collaborated with business owners, policy-makers, educators, nonprofits, community leaders, and residents across Washoe County and the surrounding areas to define measurable and actionable indicators to monitor how we’re doing as a community at preserving and enhancing our collective quality of life. More than 30 years later, TMT remains a vital player in our community by providing accurate, timely, and objective data needed to prioritize, address, and advocate for quality-of-life issues.
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