Finding Data and Information to Inform Decisions

At a glance

  • Data and information come in different forms, depending on the problem at hand.
  • Youth Advisory Councils (YACs) can use available data to identify projects and guide decisions.
  • Members can ask an expert to help determine which data to use, or to make sense of the data.

Data resources to guide decision-making

Finding Data and Information graphic icon, showing a bar chart in a magnifying glass.
Youth Advisory Councils (YACs) can use available data sources to identify projects and guide decisions.

Members can ask an expert to help: determine which data to use, or make sense of the data. Data sources include:

Success story

Statewide youth advisory boards make data-informed policy decisions

For the Pennsylvania Youth Advisory Board, data are at the core of its work. The Board includes current and former youth from the child welfare system aged 16–21 years. The Board's goal is to create positive changes in the child welfare system. The Board also raises awareness about issues for youth in the foster program and organizes community service events.

Before enacting any new project, the Board uses data to assess the issue and the community's needs. Next, the Board analyzes the data to inform policies and achieve the community's desired outcomes. For instance, the Board used data when deciding to support an effort to foster connections in order to increase adoptions. This effort seeks to improve outcomes for children in the state's foster care and improve incentives for adoption, among other measures.