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Sponsored by: A Service Of: The Tao of Data Cheri Weissman March 6, 2012
Sponsored by:A Service
Of:
The Tao of Data
Cheri Weissman
March 6, 2012
Sponsored by:A Service
Of:
Protecting and Preserving the
Institutional Memories of
Nonprofits Since 1993
www.cjwconsulting.com
(866) 598-0430
Sponsored by:A Service
Of:
Affordable collaborative data
management in the cloud.
Sponsored by:A Service
Of:
Today’s Speaker & Host
Cheryl J WeissmanPresident
CJW Consulting & Services, Inc.Assisting with chat questions: April Hunt, Nonprofit Webinars
The Tao of Data Management
Cheri Weissman8331 Central Avenue
Morton Grove, IL 60053866/598-0430
www.cjwconsulting.com
Presented by
The care, feeding and productive use of information
CJW Consulting & Services, Inc.Earning the trust of the nonprofit community since 1993
You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.
Woodrow Wilson
CJW Focus
Our work is about memory: We help organizations create,
maintain and use data as institutional memory.
Elie Wiesel said, “Forgetting means the end of civilization, the
end of culture, the end of generosity, the end of compassion, the
end of humanity.”
Nonprofits work to protect and preserve culture, compassion,
humanity. Nonprofits rely on generosity.
We cannot forget.
What should data do for me?
Serve as your Institutional Memory
In an ideal world, you want ONE location that everyone has access to as the “Go To” spot to find any piece of information about any constituent.
You cannot rely on data scattered in numerous places
Common access to data allows for “one version of the truth”
Your data entry choices, along with the capabilities of the software, will have a major impact on your ability to define groups or segments
Your ability to define groups or segments, along with the capabilities of the software, will have a major impact on your ability to output information
Pivotal Reality
What’s data really about?
One Word: OUTPUT
Solicitations
Board reports
Volunteer applications
Moves management tracking
Volunteer schedules
Event response reports
Prospect profiles
EXAMPLE
You are responsible for creating and maintaining a roster for the board of directors, which must include
Name of board member
Business and home address/phone/email
Name of board member’s assistant and phone/email
Date member joined board
Committees on which member serves
EXAMPLE
You are asked to design a financial report that lists donors of $1000 or more to the annual fund. Information needed:
Name/address/phone of donor
Date, amount, type and payment method of gift(s)
Designation identified by donor (where the money can be spent)
What’s data really about?
Two Words: DEFINING GROUPS
Who gets solicited
Who gets invited to an event
Which volunteers can do the job
Who CANNOT be contacted
EXAMPLE
You are generating a mailing list for an annual fund appeal. You want to be able to include the following segments:
Major donors
Current annual fund donors
Board, Staff and Volunteers
Donors of the verge of lapsing
Attendees at a recent event
How do I get there?
Focus on quality input (entering data)
Define and document data entry standards
Implement processes for regular data checks
Get staff the resources they need
Training
Cheat sheets
Pitfalls To Avoid
Entering data needed for output that can’t be exported correctly
Entering data for the sake of entering data
Every piece of information recorded should be relevant, necessary in some way, accurate and current
Experimentation with data in your live database
Insufficient communication
Pitfalls To Avoid
Creating data values that do not serve your output needs
Ignoring output formats/procedures when entering data
Inconsistent data entry
Multiple-use fields
Failure to document data entry/management processes!
Data Management Standards
How are names entered
Address standards
Addressee/Salutation values
Gift entry
Output procedures
Mailings
Reports
How do I start?
If you have individual documents that cover specific functions or policies
Collect all such documents into one folder
Print out each document
Review carefully for accuracy and effectiveness
Organize and compile information into one document
Add necessary information
How do I start?
If you are starting from scratch
Steps
Write Overview
List any Prerequisites
Describe the Steps in intimate detail
Describe the steps
Using a precise, step-by-step approach, walk your reader through the process. Make sure your reader can reproduce your intended result by following your exact steps. Make the learning process efficient by supplying samples or details as necessary.
Always write for the lowest common denominator – the person who knows nothing!
Use examples
Describing the steps
Remember – write for the person who knows nothing!
Walk through a process yourself
Write down everything you do
Keystrokes
Menus accessed and selections made
Decisions made
Document the process
Test yourself – repeat using your documentation
Inform the user
Documenting steps and keystrokes is enough for certain types of users. Keep in mind, however, that some readers will assimilate information better if they see it in context.
Provide reasons for things being done as they are
Remember that you are documenting standards, not just data entry
Don’t make it a treasure hunt
Documentation is more likely to be used if it is easy to use. It is usually more effective to repeat information rather than to compel readers to hunt for it
For example, if you are documenting standards for address entry, copy the standards wherever in the documentation address entry is included.
Organize!
Create a natural flow for the content
Include a Table of Contents and Appendix
Glossary of terms can also be useful
Know when to say when
Sometimes the hardest part about documenting something is knowing when enough has been said. Too much explanation can cause the reader to lose focus.
Resources
Software manual
Can help clarify
Fills in blanks
TechSoup
Searching for “how to write software documentation” returned over 6 million hits
CJW Contact Information
Office Phone 866/598-0430
www.cjwconsulting.com
Please contact me to:
Receive sample copies of documentation
Address any questions not answered today
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