Local data as an equity tool: How data intermediaries and backbone organizations use data to improve service provision and center community voices

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the calls for racial justice that followed the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, local place-based organizations have focused more on better building equity at the local level and on how data can both hinder and build racial equity. To better understand the role of backbone organizations and data intermediaries (two types of place-based organizations) in improving service provision and centering community voices during the pandemic, we interviewed organizations affiliated with the National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership (NNIP), Promise Neighborhoods, and StriveTogether to identify strategies and key practices place-based organizations can use to build local data capacity with their partners, use local data to improve service provision and day-to-day operations, and amplify community voices. (author description) #P4HEwebinarDecember2023