1075: Dabbling in the Data: Hands-On Data Analysis Activities for Teams

As evaluators, we are at our best when interest holders use our findings to get better at what they do; meaning making with data is a powerful way to achieve this goal. However, data analysis can seem like a daunting task for many in mission-driven organizations, requiring specialized knowledge and years of training. It can be challenging for evaluators to engage teams in this situation, limiting their ability to meaningfully engage with interest holders.

Public Profit wrote Dabbling in the Data: A Hands-On Guide to Participatory Data Analysis to give evaluators, and the folks they work with, a jumpstart in interpreting data collaboratively.

In this professional development workshop, participants will get substantial hands-on experience with Dabbling activities, ranging from simple "get to know your data" activities to more complex methods. We'll discuss the ways in which participatory data analysis promotes more rigorous evaluation practice by engaging interest holders in meaning making. Finally, we'll explore the scenarios in which participatory data analysis makes the most sense, and share facilitation tips for different settings.

Participants will start their own Dabbling action plan during this workshop. Session participants will receive a complementary copy of the Dabbling guide, along with detailed planning worksheets.