Data and analysis - a part of our work

Thank you to Christine Franzosa, Foodshare's Technology Services Manager, for her service on the Feeding America Data Review Committee.  This committee works on the Network Activity Report (NAR), an important tool for Feeding America to gather data about everything going on at food banks around the country.  However important it is, the NAR had grown over the years to the point where it was completely unwieldy, difficult for food banks to complete, and as a result not providing good information either for use either at the local food bank level or nationally.  This year, the Committee succeeded in reducing the size of the report and Chris received this thank you note from Matt Knott, COO of Feeding America:

Data Review Committee –

I want to thank you for serving on the Committee. 

Your thoughtful input resulted in a 20% reduction in the NAR questionnaire. I know it is a difficult task to balance the necessary data collection while at the same time trying to lessen the reporting burden on the members.   Your fellow members will notice and appreciate this change. 

The value and accuracy of the NAR is advanced by your efforts and input on framing the questions from a member’s perspective.  The NAR not only provides data to track our outcomes and provide comparative data for members, it is also providing insights about key drivers of performance that will help inform decisions for the national office and food banks.

I thank you for a job well done. 

Matt

Good data and analytical tools is important to our work.  Thank you, Chris, for helping improve this data collection, not only for Foodshare, but for the other 200 food banks in the Feeding America network!