Building Data Capacities for the Uncertainties Ahead
In Hawai‘i, many households continue to face significant financial struggles. According to a recently released report from Aloha United Way, 40% of households are below the “ALICE threshold,” where expenses outpace or are precariously close to income. Within this context, it is critical for those working to improve conditions to be able to identify and act on the root causes that lead so many households to struggle, and respond more immediately with prudent assistance.
Responding effectively to this growing challenge requires adaptive strategies, and recent years have underscored the indispensable role of data in shaping effective near and longer-term decision making. During both the COVID-19 pandemic and more recent disasters on Maui, the need to respond swiftly and efficiently were abundantly clear. In both cases, while urgent needs were met with an unprecedented influx of federal funds, the lack of timely, high-quality local data was a significant impediment to effective aid distribution.
Preparing for a Shifting Federal Landscape
This issue was so profound it led Hawaiʻi Data Collaborative to shift our mission to focus on building data capacities across government, philanthropy, and nonprofit service providers with the goal of improving how we in Hawai‘i collectively understand, and respond to, household struggles. The years ahead are likely to present new challenges for supporting Hawai’i’s struggling households, as federal funding and data policies are likely to shift under the new administration and majorities in Congress. Potential changes raise two primary data concerns for Hawai‘i:
Reduced Federal Funding: Programs that support vulnerable households may see significant budget cuts, requiring the state to fill funding gaps and/or reduce services. Limited data capacities will challenge our ability to make tough decisions locally.
Eroded Utility of Federal Data: The reliability of federal statistical data for local planning and decision-making is already vulnerable, and may become even more precarious as a result of budget cuts and, potentially, politically motivated changes to methodology.
While these are generally anticipated themes, specific changes are not yet clear. Regardless of how funding and data priorities shift at the federal level, however, the impacts on our ability to support struggling households locally are likely to be significant.
Unlocking Hawai‘i’s Data Potential
In the four years since we pivoted HDC’s mission to developing data capacities across sectors, we have experienced tremendous gains in data potential. New Chief Data Officer (CDO) roles within the state and City and County of Honolulu represent new commitments to enhancing government data systems, capacities, and processes. With so much household assistance facilitated by and through state and county government, this work to modernize administrative data is absolutely essential.
The contributions of community-based data infrastructures are equally vital. There are promising initiatives, currently underway, of frontline service providers, advocates, and philanthropic funders working together to improve how data is collected, analyzed, and shared. These initiatives will provide invaluable community-guided insights into what is happening on the ground, why it is happening, and which interventions are effective.
As potentially significant changes in federal policy loom, however, we will need to do much more to ensure key stakeholders and policymakers have the best data available when confronted with tough decisions. This will require:
Strengthening Government Data Systems and Process: Creating and filling CDO roles in government were essential first steps. We now need more resources and enabling policies to strengthen these functions, establish priorities, and encourage modernization across agencies.
Investing in Frontline Data Capacity Building: Across sectors, resources to modernize and enhance frontline organizations’ capacities to use and share data effectively are limited. Devoting resources to upgrade data systems, develop enhanced data governance processes, and build data literacy will support more adaptive responses to evolving challenges.
Fostering Collaboration Across Sectors: We need to invest the time and energy into forging mutually beneficial data partnerships between government agencies, philanthropy, frontline service providers, academic institutions, advocates, and community organizations to create shared insights on Hawai‘i’s challenges and opportunities.
Data to Empower Local, Adaptive Responses
More data alone will not solve the challenges of households increasingly struggling to get by in Hawai’i. Better data, however, will empower local and adaptive responses within the context of shifting federal priorities, and increase Hawaiʻi’s responsiveness and resilience in uncertain times. By investing in local data capacities, fostering cross-sector insights, and encouraging data-guided decisions from key stakeholders, we can build a stronger Hawai‘i where households are not left behind. At Hawai‘i Data Collaborative, we are committed to this mission of improving the local data landscape. Together with our partners, we strive to advance a culture of data that not only illuminates the challenges facing our islands but paves the way for local, collaborative and adaptive solutions that uplift our households and communities.