Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Quick Guide To Workforce Analytics For Child Welfare Agencies, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

Child welfare agencies continue to seek resources to help them better understand their workforce data. The Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development (QICWD) developed several valuable resources for public child welfare agencies working to build partnerships between child welfare and human resources (HR) professionals to address child welfare workforce challenges. These resources were created for jurisdictions participating in the QIC-WD Child Welfare Workforce Analytics Institutes 1.0 and 2.0 but can be used by any jurisdiction. These resources aim to help agencies build their workforce data analytics capacity and improve practice. Planning When conducting workforce analytics, agencies are encouraged to adopt …

Happiness And Policy Implications: A Sociological View, Sarah M. Kahl

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The World Happiness Report is released every year, ranking each country by who is “happier” and explaining the variables and data they have used. This project attempts to build from that base and create a machine learning algorithm that can predict if a country will be in a “happy” or “could be happier” category. Findings show that taking a broader scope of variables can better help predict happiness. Policy implications are discussed in using both big data and considering social indicators to make better and lasting policies.

Assessing Your Workforce Needs, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

You know you have a workforce challenge… but do you know what is causing it? Many child welfare agencies have expanded recruitment efforts through social media, started using telework and flexible work schedules, and even increased wages and provided hazard pay to build and strengthen their child welfare workforce. But sometimes even the best strategies don’t fix the problem because they aren’t aligned with the underlying cause of the problem. When your child welfare workforce is understaffed or overwhelmed it is tempting to want to find an immediate fix because the need to expand the workforce is urgent. However, it …

How Can Child Welfare Agencies Leverage Data To Address Important Workforce Questions?, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

QIC-Tips

Child welfare agencies experience workforce turnover (14-20% annually) that can be costly and result in poorer outcomes for children and families. Although turnover is often acknowledged as a significant problem, it is not one that is easily understood or addressed. The following tips and strategies being implemented by jurisdictions working with the QIC-WD may be helpful for child welfare administrators, legislators, and other policymakers seeking to utilize agency data to answer pertinent child welfare workforce questions.

• Understand what data is collected and stored, and where. Oftentimes, there are multiple systems used by agencies during the employee lifecycle that may contain …

Building Capacity To Effectively Share And Use Data, Robert Blagg

Other QIC-WD Products

In child welfare, the need to utilize meaningful data to ensure that the services provided are effective in supporting children and families represents a continuing challenge. There is a large volume of data from sources that are internal and external to child welfare agencies; and it increases almost exponentially on a regular basis. It is difficult for leaders and practitioners to quickly and meaningfully synthesize, make use of, and share new information with colleagues who need it to make sound decisions. Even when data is transformed into knowledge, challenges remain around the preferred method of ensuring information reaches the individuals …

Introduction To Data Dictionaries, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

Are you interested in exploring how to leverage the data necessary to examine and address child welfare workforce challenges in your agency? If so, you may consider developing and using a human resources data dictionary to help guide your work. A data dictionary is a collection of detailed information about the content and structure of data in one or more databases. This descriptive information is often called metadata (i.e., data about data). Other terms used to describe data dictionaries include data definition matrix, metadata repository, design dictionary, and business glossary. You also might see other variations of these terms, further …

Introduction To Workforce Metrics, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

It is important for Human Resources (HR) and child welfare leaders to start with a question-based mindset when analyzing workforce data (i.e., being thoughtful about what you and/or your stakeholders want to know), but it is also important to leave room to explore the data as well. This can only be accomplished if you know what is possible. This blog post describes some of what is possible to explore within the realm of workforce metrics as they relate to employee well-being, performance, and retention. In many ways, the concept of workforce metrics is still in its infancy and many things …

Want To Improve Organizational Outcomes? Consider People Analytics, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

People analytics has been around for more than 20 years. However, it continues to be viewed as an emerging area of study. People analytics shows the contribution that the workforce makes to organizational success and provides insight to maximize that contribution. It is an evidence-based practice that allows human resources (HR) staff to evaluate practice for the purpose of improving outcomes for employees, and to communicate with the workforce the effectiveness of personnel management and HR practice. People data, when used appropriately, may improve trust and transparency within organizations. There is evidence that organizations are not using the people and …

Brave New World: Privacy, Data Sharing And Evidence Based Policy Making, Rhonda S. Binda

Open Educational Resources

The trifecta of globalization, urbanization and digitization have created new opportunities and challenges across our nation, cities, boroughs and urban centers. Cities in particular are in a unique position at the center of commerce and technology becoming hubs for innovation and practical application of emerging technology. In this rapidly changing 24/7 digitized world, governments are leveraging innovation and technology to become more effective, efficient, transparent and to be able to better plan for and anticipate the needs of its citizens, businesses and community organizations. This class will provide the framework for how cities and communities can become smarter and more …

Does Your Agency Embrace Evidence -Based Management Practices?, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

Child welfare agencies are encouraged to use evidencebased practices in all aspects of their work to try to improve outcomes for children and families. The child welfare field has made improvements in using data, research, and evaluation to inform practice and decision-making, but still has a ways to go. The primary goal of the Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development (QIC-WD) is to build the evidence base regarding strategies to strengthen the child welfare workforce. One means of practicing evidence-based management for improving workforce outcomes is using workforce analytics. As part of the Child Welfare Workforce Analytics Institute, the QIC-WD …

Charter School And Traditional Public-School Performance Scores In Washington, D.C., Nelita J. Tribble

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Student performance data reporting between traditional public schools (TPS) and public charter schools (PCS) is not uniform and cannot easily be compared by enrolling parents. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if achievement scores of students in TPS and PCS can be used to uniformly compare student performance. The theoretical base for this study was contingency theory by Fiedler. The research question sought to answer if academic outcomes in TPS were statistically significantly different from PCS in English/ Language Arts for Elementary school students. This descriptive study used English/ Language Arts performance scores based on the Partnership …

Qic-Wd Site Intervention Selection – Fall 2018, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

The eight QIC-WD sites have worked with the QIC-WD to determined which intervention to implement and evaluate to strengthen their child welfare workforce. These decisions came after a thorough needs assessment through which human resources (HR) data was examined to uncover the root causes of child welfare caseworker turnover. The sites recognize that turnover is not caused by a single issue, so they had to consider which aspect of turnover they could address in partnership with the QIC-WD. The QIC-WD team simultaneously examined available interventions, study designs, and the needs of the broader child welfare field to help each site …

Ddas: Crunching Data From The Database Of Demining Accidents, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

In the database of demining accidents, injuries are classed as either Severe or Minor. Injuries likely to be life threatening, to require surgery or to result in permanent disability are rated as Severe. All others are rated as Minor. This distinction is for convenience and is not intended to reflect on the discomfort and/or hardship associated with the injury. In some cases, injuries were not recorded in detail but I have resisted the temptation to infer detail. Note that, in very severe injuries, only the most severe injury is generally recorded.

Unpacking The Role Of Data In Philanthropy: Prospects For An Integrated Framework, R. Patrick Bixler, Marisa Zappone, Lin Rui Li, Samer Atshan

The Foundation Review

This article reports qualitative research that explores the role of data in philanthropy and proposes an integrated framework. Interviews with charitable foundations in central Texas, including members of a regional evaluation and learning collaborative, reveal an orientation toward data that is becoming increasingly institutionalized.

The research suggests that data are generated and used in a multiplicity of ways, including identifying populations and geographies in need of investment, informing funding decisions for service delivery as well as policy research and advocacy; evaluation and learning; and measuring community impact.

This article discusses these thematic findings, notes specific practices, and presents six principles …

Unlocking The Potential In Your Workforce Data, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

Communicating complex ideas to diverse stakeholders is central to reliable decision making. Stakeholders may vary greatly in their interest, familiarity, or expertise with data regarding a policy, program, or practice. Well-designed data visualizations provide a platform for engaging stakeholders in ways that are tailored to their interest, familiarity, and expertise. However, research indicates that visualizations are not always designed effectively to reliably motivate users to understand and ultimately use the data in their decision-making (Evergreen, 2011; Cawthon & Moere, 2007). Thoughtful and engaging visualizations demand the stakeholders’ attention and can facilitate the comprehension of findings (Hillstrom & Yantis, 1994; Treisman, …

Linking Old Librarianship To New: Aligning 5-Steps Of The Innovator's Dna In Creating Thematic Discovery Systems For The Everglades, L. Bryan Cooper, Margarita Perez Martinez

Works of the FIU Libraries

This poster presentation from the May 2015 Florida Library Association Conference, along with the Everglades Explorer discovery portal at http://ee.fiu.edu, demonstrates how traditional bibliographic and curatorial principles can be applied to: 1) selection, cross-walking and aggregation of metadata linking end-users to wide-spread digital resources from multiple silos; 2) harvesting of select PDFs, HTML and media for web archiving and access; 3) selection of CMS domains, sub-domains and folders for targeted searching using an API.

Choosing content for this discovery portal is comparable to past scholarly practice of creating and publishing subject bibliographies, except metadata and data are housed in …

Adaptation Practices And Lessons Learned, Molly Mitchell

November 16, 2012: Best Practices for Adapting to Sea Level Rise and Flooding

No abstract provided.

Book Review: The Basics Of Information Security: Understanding The Fundamentals Of Infosec In Theory And Practice, Katina Michael

Professor Katina Michael

Dr Jason Andress (ISSAP, CISSP, GPEN, CEH) has written a timely book on Information Security. Andress who is a seasoned security professional with experience in both the academic and business worlds, categorically demonstrates through his book that underlying the operation of any successful business today is how to protect your most valuable asset- “information”. Andress completed his doctorate in computer science in the area of data protection, and presently works for a major software company, providing global information security oversight and performing penetration testing and risks assessment.

Phased Retirement Data Sheet, Workplace Flexibility 2010, Georgetown University Law Center

Memos and Fact Sheets

This data sheet includes information on current coverage and participation by American workers in pension and retirement plans. It also includes information on what employees say they want in terms of flexible work arrangements and access to pension and retirement funds, as well as what employers say they need with regard to the workforce of the future.

Flexible Work Arrangements: The Fact Sheet, Jean Flatley Mcguire, Kaitlyn Kenney, Phyllis Brashler

Memos and Fact Sheets

A "flexible work arrangement" (FWA) is any one of a spectrum of work structures that alters the time and/or place that work gets done on a regular basis. The term includes (but is not limited to):

1. flexibility in the scheduling of hours worked, such as alternative work schedules (e.g., flex time and compressed workweeks), and arrangements regarding shift and breack schedules:

2. flexibility in the amount of hours worked, such as part-time work and job shares; and

3. flexibility in the place of work, such as working at home or at a satellite location.

A Summary Of Data From Families And Work Institute’S National Study Of Employers (2008), Workplace Flexibility 2010, Georgetown University Law Center

Memos and Fact Sheets

This memo presents data from the Families and Work Institute’s 2008 National Study of Employers describing the similarities in access to flexible work arrangements (“FWAs”) for employees of small and large employers. The 2008 National Study of Employers (“2008 Study”) provides a comparison of the availability of 12 types of FWAs to employees of small (50-99 employees) and large (over 1,000 employees) employers.

Telework In The Federal Government: The Overview Memo, Workplace Flexibility 2010, Georgetown University Law Center

Memos and Fact Sheets

Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs) alter the time and/or place that employees work on a regular basis in a manner that is manageable and predictable for both employees and employers.1 Telework, also called telecommuting, refers to an FWA that enables an employee to work from an alternative place to the employer’s usual worksite, typically home or a satellite work center. Telework technically refers to work performed with the use of a telecommunications connection to the workplace (e.g., computer, telephone), but the term is also

An Overview Of Early Laws Increasing Access To Flexible Scheduling And Reduced Hours In The Federal Workforce, Workplace Flexibility 2010, Georgetown University Law Center

Memos and Fact Sheets

The Federal Employees Flexible and Compressed Work Schedules Act (FEFCWA) authorizes, but does not require, agencies to offer alternative work schedules to employees. FEFCWA permits employees to designate non-traditional arrival and departure times, centered around core agency hours, and to experiment with four-day workweeks or other compressed schedules. Under the law, implementation and employee utilization of alternative work schedules depends on management support and leadership.

Statements Illustrating The Legislative Intent Of These Laws, Workplace Flexibility 2010, Georgetown University Law Center

Memos and Fact Sheets

Based on statements in the legislative history, these laws were meant to provide:

1. Overarching Benefits in the Current Economy
2. Benefits to Families
3. Benefits to Management
4. Equality for Women
5. Protection of the Environment

Extended Time Off Overview, Workplace Flexibility 2010, Georgetown University Law Center

Memos and Fact Sheets

Workplace Flexibility 2010 defines Extended Time Off (EXTO) as time taken off from work for a single reason that extends for more than five days but less than one year.

EXTO may be brief in nature (e.g., a few weeks), when taken, for example, for a vacation, to recover from minor surgery, or to comply with a public health quarantine request. EXTO may also be longer in nature (e.g., a month or more), when taken, for example, for maternity/paternity purposes, for elder care, for military duty, or for a sabbatical from work.

EXTO (either brief or prolonged) may be unpaid …

Fact Sheet On Extended Time Off (Exto), Workplace Flexibility 2010, Georgetown University Law Center, Urban Institute

Memos and Fact Sheets

The Need for Extended Time Off (EXTO):

1. New children: More women and mothers are working, and there is an increase in the number of couples with children in which both parents work.
2. Health issues: According to a 2000 survey of employees regarding the Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA), among those who took FMLA leave, more than half, 52.4%, of workers used the leave to attend to their own health conditions. Thirteen percent reported taking leave to care for a parent and nearly 12% reported using leave to care for an ill child.
3. The need for paid EXTO: Despite the …

Sources For Statistical Data On Flexible Work Arrangements, Shelley Waters Boots, Anna Danziger

Memos and Fact Sheets

From the Department of Labor, the best survey for flexibility data comes from the Current Population Survey (CPS). The CPS is a monthly survey of 60,000 households that provides data on the labor force, employment, unemployment, and persons not in the labor force.

The benefit of the CPS is that it is large, reliable, and the sample is carefully weighted to provide nationally representative estimates. It also has a significant amount of other data, including a large amount of information on employee characteristics, occupation and industry classifications, and work schedules. The drawbacks however, are that the questions on flexibility are …

Landmine Casualty Data: Best Practices Guidebook, Cisr

CISR Studies and Reports

The inadequacy of data collection on landmine victims was recognized from the earliest years of the AP Mine Ban Convention2 implementation process. Significant sums of money were invested by the international mine action donor community in the development of an Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) and in the execution of Landmine Impact Surveys (LIS), with the goal of obtaining and processing needed information on landmine accidents and victims as well as other information about the presence of landmines. These tools have assisted countries to collect and manage information about landmine and other Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) contamination …

Landmine Casualty Data: Best Practices Guidebook, Cisr

Global CWD Repository

This Landmine Casualty Data: Best Practices Guidebook reports on advances being made in casualty data collection and management and offers lessons learned that countries can reflect upon as they undertake the challenging task of building mine/ ERW victim information systems that meet their needs for data to use in planning and implementing their comprehensive mine action programs, including mine clearance, mine risk education and victim assistance. While the Guidebook is premised on the advances being made in some countries, much more progress is needed before effective landmine/ERW victim information systems will be operating in all mine-affected countries. It is important …

The National Labor Relations Act And Flexible Work Arrangements: An Overview Of Existing Law And Proposals For Reform, Workplace Flexibility 2010, Georgetown University Law Center

Memos and Fact Sheets

The scheduling of work hours is important to employers and employees alike. Employers must ensure sufficient staffing to meet workload demands; employees must balance work with other aspects of their lives. Over the past several years, the tendency to view these needs as mutually exclusive has slowly given way to increased discussion of and experimentation with flexible work arrangements as an effective way to balance work-life demands. While these workplace flexibility initiatives take many forms, the majority of them require collaboration between employers and employees regarding work hours and conditions.