Speakers
Jennie Romich
Director, West Coast Poverty Center & Professor of Social Work
University of Washington
Amy Hawn Nelson
Research Faculty & Director of Training and Technical Assistance at Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy
University of Pennsylvania
Abstract
Cross-agency data sharing and integration is undertaken for the public good: by breaking down program silos, practitioners and policymakers can more effectively and holistically address the interconnected needs of families and communities. Established governance and clear legal frameworks for data sharing are essential to mitigate the risks that come with administrative data reuse, protect privacy, and guide responsible data use. Dr. Hawn Nelson will provide an overview of the field of integrated data systems (IDS) in the US, drawing from common approaches used by organization within the AISP Network and key components for success as described in the AISP Quality Framework for IDS (governance, legal, technical, capacity, and impact). Dr. Romich will describe an innovative effort to develop and deploy an integrated data system capturing administrative records for the full (adult) population of Washington State. This effort—WashPop—is a new statewide data repository for research and policy analysis that includes a longitudinal core data file, combining microdata from state employment, voting, licensing, public assistance, and vital statistics systems, to which other data resources may be linked to answer timely, policy-relevant questions.