Abstract

The Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service (MCVS) wanted to ensure its annual report contained data that accurately reflected the accomplishments for the year. Consequently, the Commission created a process that standardized data collection and minimized data inaccuracies. MCVS's Manual for Producing Numeric Data can be used by other programs and commissions to develop their own data collection and documentation processes.

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Issue

Collecting accurate data can be difficult without a standardized process for collecting data and reporting results. A standardized process used by all staff to collect data during the year and document how data is collected makes producing an annual report easier and reduces data inaccuracies.

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Action

The Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service created a manual for producing numeric data and a five-step process to collect data for the annual report:

1. Staff follows documented process to generate each data item.
2. Staff updates documentation by completing a Technical Notes Form for each data item collected.
3. Annual report coordinator decides if and how to use each data item
4. Annual Report Coordinator oversees insertion of data into report.
5. Annual report coordinator updates the manual.

The commission first decided which data items would need to be collected for the annual report. A staff person was assigned responsibility for collecting each data item. A timeline was then created for collecting each data item. For example, "JS" was responsible for collecting the number of AmeriCorps*State members currently serving and projected education award dollars at the completion of their service. The timeline for that data item for "JS" was:

• Check if budgeted number of members from grant award is available by September 1.
• Request budgeted number of members from GARP or check out grant application by September 1.
• Obtain budgeted number of members from GARP or grant application by September 1.
• Complete Technical Notes Form by September 10 and November 1.
• Submit Technical Notes Form to Annual Report Coordinator containing number of members and education award dollars by September 15 and November 15.

The Technical Notes Form logs the data collection of each data item. The form includes:

• Description of data
• Numbers submitted for publication
• Time period the data corresponds to
• Steps taken to produce the data if different from steps already set forth in the manual
• Any steps taken to produce the data that is different than the technical guidelines already set forth.
• Contacts used to produce the data
• Any concerns about the data being submitted

The Technical Notes Form provides documentation of data collection methods that can be followed year after year. The full text includes the manual, technical guidelines and Technical Notes Form used by MCVS.

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Context

The manual was created by the Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service staff with the assistance of process consultants and the Corporation for National Service's office of evaluation.

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Outcome

The use of the manual helped MCVS:

• Minimize data inaccuracies
  
  
• Make informed decisions on when to exclude data due to inaccuracies
  
  
• Bring clarity, documentation and transparency to its numerical data collection, compilation, analysis and reporting
  
  
• Standardize the process of producing data from year to year, thus increasing reliability

MCVS used the data-collection process to create three products:

• Ready-for-publication numerical data produced with industry-accepted, transparent, replicable methods
  
  
• Documentation on the methods used to generate each item of data
  
  
• An updated manual, ready to serve as a "how-to" guide during the next occasion for producing numerical data

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Posted On

August 28, 2001

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For More Information

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Source Documents

Related Practices

• Creating a meaningful evaluation report

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Related sites

Topic Areas

• Performance measurement
• Program evaluation
• Sustainability
• AmeriCorps
• Member
• State Commissions
• Project STAR
• Program management

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