Working with Data in the Public Sector

Working with Data in the Public Sector: From Fear to Enthusiasm is the first book designed for practicing and future public administration professionals to help overcome any anxiety about using data effectively in their roles.Authors Anne McIntyre-Lahner and Ronald Schack explore different types and degrees of data fear (a data fear/data comfort continuum) and provide a toolbox of fear-fighting techniques, including methods of dealing with data fear "e;in the moment,"e; methods of mitigating data fear related to using, sharing, and reporting data, and demonstrating how many common data tasks need not be scary. They further offer a self-assessment instrument and process to help individuals assess their level of data fear/comfort, identifying which specific dimensions of data fear/comfort may be most problematic at both the individual and organizational level. The book examines how individual data fear can "e;infect"e; organizations, collaboratives, and communities and how to "e;bake in"e; data fear prevention in one's efforts to create and sustain a data-informed culture.It is important reading for both practicing and future public servants, including those enrolled in public administration, public policy, and nonprofit management programs.