Communicating Data for Impact (a knowledge café)

Failing to effectively communicate with data is not just a missed opportunity: it can be a major obstacle to achieving your organization’s mission. Despite the popularity and enthusiasm for Open Gov and Open Data initiatives, most organizational data remains woefully inaccessible. Central to this challenge is the struggle to understand what your organization’s audiences want, and then how to translate and present your data in a format that’s both accessible and, crucially, understandable.

Thankfully there are some excellent examples across the government and nonprofit sectors that illustrate the opportunity (and rewards) of effectively communicating data for impact. By investing in their content, organizations like the Kaiser Family Foundation, the State of Maryland, and the Urban Institute are succeeding in telling compelling stories about the impact they’re achieving and/or the impact of policies they’ve analyzed, using data as a powerful tool for telling those stories.

Join us for a knowledge café with Evonne Young from the Kaiser Family Foundation, Shelley Spruill from the State of Maryland Governor's Executive Office, and Jon Schwabish from the Urban Institute on how to effectively communicate with data for impact.

When: Friday, October 10th, 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Where: OpenGov Hub, 1110 Vermont Ave. NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20005

In this knowledge café you’ll learn:

• How to understand what your organization’s specific audiences want
• How to translate your audience needs into the most effective means to present your data
• Examples of effective data communication from the government and nonprofit sectors

This event will begin with lunch and brief presentations followed by in-depth, speaker-facilitated group discussions to expand on themes, share examples, and challenge participants to think about using data to communicate about and for impact in their own work.


About our speakers:

Evonne Young – Associate Director of Web Development and Production, Kaiser Family Foundation

Evonne Young joined the Kaiser Family Foundation in 2001 as a web content associate and is now Associate Director of Web Development and Production where she shepherds online projects from conception to completion. She collaborates with graphic designers, web developers, and content creators to 1) identify a the best strategy to communicate data or information; 2) implement innovative solutions; and 3) ensure that projects stay on track. She played a key role in the development of the recently redesigned website, and in transforming her print-centric team into an online production unit. Before coming to the Foundation, Evonne worked as an editorial assistant at a Washington, D.C.-based science association. She received her masters in Writing from Johns Hopkins University and her bachelors degree from Lynchburg College.

Shelley Spruill – Deputy Director of StateStat, State of Maryland Governor’s Executive Office

StateStat is a performance measurement and managerial process used to increase government efficiency, accountability and transparency. As the Deputy Director of StateStat, Ms. Spruill chairs weekly meetings with Cabinet Secretaries and agency leadership to analyze agency performance, track priority initiatives and question standard operating procedures. A team of StateStat analysts carefully analyze agency data, track progress, and relentlessly follow-up with agency leadership in between meetings to keep progress moving forward. All data, data analysis, and meeting summaries are posted onlineproviding Marylanders with an unprecedented level of access to government data. Ms. Spruill was appointed Deputy Director of StateStat in 2013 after serving as Governor O’Malley’s Research Manager. As his Research Manager, Ms. Spruill worked with leaders from across Maryland’s state agencies to manage the content of all written materials produced by the Governor’s Press Office. Ms. Spruill previously co-published a work support study on behalf of the Howard County Policy Analysis Center and worked for the Baltimore City Office of Emergency Management. Ms. Spruill graduated Magna Cum Laude from James Madison University with a Bachelor of Arts. She earned a Master of Public Policy from The Johns Hopkins University and a Certificate of Health Policy from The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Jon Schwabish – Data Visualization Specialist, Urban Institute

A leading voice calling for clarity and accessibility in research, Mr. Schwabish’s work for the Urban Institute focuses on data visualization and conducting research on older workers, people with disabilities, food security, immigration policy, and microsimulation modeling at Urban's Income and Benefits Policy Center. Previously Mr. Schwabish worked for the Congressional Budget Office, where he conducted and published research on earnings and income inequality, immigration, retirement security, data measurement, and food stamps. In recent years he has become widely recognized for his ability to present complex data in engaging ways. His work and techniques have been featured in the halls of Congress as well as online publications like Fast Company Design, Visualizing.org, Visual.ly, and SlideShare. Named a “visualization thought leader” by AllAnalytics in 2012, Mr. Schwabish — largely self-taught as a data visualizer — conducts workshops about data visualization and presentation techniques and blogs on his website, PolicyViz.com.

Brian Pagels – Chief Impact Officer, Forum One (Moderator)

Brian Pagels serves as Chief Impact Officer at Forum One, a digital agency that partners with influential organizations to craft solutions to the worlds most pressing problems. Mr. Pagels helps foundations, government, and nonprofits measure the impact of their digital efforts and explore opportunities to manage, visualize, and share data more effectively. He is particularly passionate about domestic health and environmental issues and has managed data-focused projects for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, AARP, and the EPA, among others. Mr. Pagels holds a BA in journalism and political science from the University of Richmond, where he served as editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, and an MA in communication, culture, and technology from Georgetown. He wrote his thesis on the political media habits of youth voters, focusing on the 2004 presidential election, and conducted additional research for the Pew Charitable Trusts’ New Voters Project. Outside of his job at Forum One, he plays guitar and sings in the Washington, DC-based band The Beanstalk Library.