Collecting data and organization element

The main consideration is to make sure that any information collected is done in a
way and for a purpose that is consistent with the Code  and complies with freedom of
information and privacy protection legislation. In the interest of effectiveness and
efficiency, it is recommended that efforts be made to collect data that will shed light
on issues or opportunities. To protect the credibility and reliability of data,
information should be gathered using accepted data collection techniques

Step 1: Identify issues and/or opportunities for collecting data

The first step is to identify issues and/or opportunities for collecting data and to decide
what next steps to take. To do this, it may be helpful to conduct an internal and
external assessment to understand what is happening inside and outside of your
organization.

Conduct a review of all policies, practices and procedures applicable to employees,

service users or another appropriate audience:

 Does the organization have human resources and human rights policies,
practices and procedures that are accessible to all employees or to the people
they serve?
 Does the organization have clear, transparent and fair complaint procedures in
place to deal with allegations of discrimination, harassment or systemic
barriers?
 Have any claims, grievances or allegations been made or received relating to
discrimination, harassment or systemic barriers?
o Do any signal barriers to persons protected under the Code and/or other
individuals/groups in society based on a non-Code ground?
o Have any been dealt with appropriately and in accordance with existing
polices, practices and procedures?

Example: The review in Step 1 may have identified the following issues and/or
opportunities for collecting data:

 Positive public feedback received about a pilot community policing project in

high-crime neighborhoods
 Unclear and inconsistent human rights policies and procedures in place to
address sexual harassment.
Step 2: Select issue(s) and/or opportunity(ies) and set goals
the organization reviews the issues and/or opportunities identified from the internal
and external assessment done in Step 1, and picks one or more specific issues and/or
opportunities for starting a data collection project from among the list of priorities.
Some of the questions an organization can consider when deciding to prioritize an
issue and/or opportunity for gathering data include:

 Is there a fundamental reason or opportunity to collect data from which other

issues and/or opportunities seem to arise?

Example: An aging taxpayer base provides a government body with a pressing reason
to collect data on this group’s projected size, needs and revenue base. This changing
demographic also presents an opportunity for the government body to ensure that it is
proactively developing policies, programs and services that are accessible and
appropriate to meet the needs and concerns of these taxpayers.

 Did the internal and external assessment of the organization in Step 1 reveal
any critical gaps or trends that are apparent in the organization, industry/sector
or similar organizations?
 Is there one particular area that has drawn positive/negative media attention or
been subject to multiple complaints, internal rumors and concerns?
 Does there seem to be a greater diversity or lack of diversity in one area
compared to others?

Step 3: Plan an approach and methods

In Step 3, organizations will make decisions about who will be surveyed, how data
will be collected, the sources of data that will be used, and the duration of the data
collection project, among other questions. These decisions may be made in
consultation with an expert. The methods and approaches will flow from the goals set
in Step 2, and will vary significantly depending on a number of factors, including the
organization’s context, size, resources, and the purpose and complexity of the issue(s)
or opportunity(ies) selected.
Some of the questions to consider at this stage include:

Who will the data be collected about?

The “group of interest” (e.g., youth service users of a local community center who
cannot read and speak English as a second language) will be the focus of the study,
and the data collection methods used will refer to this group, or the persons within it,
depending on the goals of the project.

Understanding discrimination

 When thinking about who the data will be collected about, it is important to
consider who you think will be most affected by, for example, the
discrimination or inequities that you wish to measure. Is it a broad category
(e.g., all service users who cannot read), or a sub-set of that category
(e.g., youth service users who cannot read)? The italicized words refer to a
unique characteristic about a broader group that an organization may wish to
gather information about.
 Depending on factors like the goals of the data collection project, the
organization’s size, resources and time, data may be gathered about many sub-
sets within a broader group of interest (e.g., youth service users who cannot
read and who speak English as a second language).

Who will the group of interest be compared to?

The “comparator group” should be persons who share one or more characteristics with
the persons in the group of interest, but differ in the key characteristic(s) being studied
(e.g., youth service users who cannot read but can speak English fluently). The
experiences of youth service users who cannot read and who speak English as a
second language can then be compared to youth service users who cannot read but can
speak English fluently.

What locations or geographical areas will the data be gathered from?

Some data collection initiatives require gathering data from multiple sizes, groups or
communities located in different locations and geographical areas. When determining
where to collect information from, key factors to consider include who the data will
be collected about and who the data will be compared to.
What categories will be used to identify the group of interest and comparator group?

Choosing categories provides a way to organize the information that is collected. This
can be done either before collecting data, as discussed in this step, or after data is
collected 

How should data be collected?

In the context of human rights, social-science researchers are commonly asked to lead

or help with data collection projects. Two types of data are used in social science
research: qualitative and quantitative. A good research effort involves the use of both
types. Both approaches, while distinct, can overlap and rely on the other to produce
meaningful data, analysis and results.

Qualitative data:

 Typically, data is called “qualitative” if it is in the form of words, but may also
include any information that is not numerical in form, such as photographs,
videos and sound recordings.
 Qualitative methods are aimed at describing a specific context, event, people or
relationship in a broad contextual way, by trying to understand the underlying
reasons for behavior, thoughts and feelings.

Potential strengths:

 qualitative data excels at "telling the story “From the participant's viewpoint (it
helps participants feel like they have been heard)

Potential weaknesses:

 perceived that the accuracy of qualitative data can be influenced by false,

subjective or manipulated testimonies. Good qualitative data, checked by a
professional researcher and gathered using accepted data collection research
methods, can address the impact of such factors
Step 4: Collect data
When planning on how best to collect data in Step 4, it is important to be aware of the
practical considerations and best practices for addressing logistical challenges
organizations often face at this stage of the process. Implementing a data collection
plan requires attention to matters such as:

 Getting buy-in from senior leadership and key stakeholders, in or outside of the
organization. This group could include boards of directors, management
committees, union representatives, employees, community groups, tenants,
customers and service users.
 Establishing a steering committee or selecting a person(s) to be consulted and
held accountable for all major decisions about the data collection process, such
as design, logistics, communication management, coordination and finances.
 Determining who will collect the data (e.g., experts or trained employees).
 Identifying the logistics, resources, technology and people needed to develop
and implement a data collection initiative.
 Anticipating and addressing key stakeholder concerns and questions about the
project.
 Designing a communication and consultation strategy that will explain the data
collection initiative and encourage the highest possible participation rate.
 Protecting privacy and personal information by using carefully controlled
procedures for collecting, storing and accessing data that comply with privacy,
human rights and other legislation. Dignity and confidentiality must be
respected.
 Minimizing the impact and inconvenience for the people affected in the
workplace or service environment, which includes choosing the best time to
collect the data.
 Aiming for flexibility to allow for changes without great expense or
inconvenience.
 Considering a test period or a pilot phase to allow you to improve and modify
data collection methods, as may be needed
Step 5: Analyze and interpret data
Step 5 involves analyzing and interpreting the data collected. Whether quantitative
and/or qualitative methods of gathering data are used, the analysis can be complex, or
less so, depending on the methods used and the amount of data collected.

Explaining the technical steps involved in analyzing and interpreting data is beyond
the scope of this guide. An organization will have to determine whether it has the
internal capacity and expertise to analyze and interpret data itself, or whether it will
need the help of an external consultant.

A smaller organization that has basic data collection needs may be able to rely on
internal expertise and existing resources to interpret the meaning of gathered data.

Step 6: Act on results

Once an organization has analyzed and interpreted the results of the data collected, it
may decide to act on the data, collect more of the same type of data or modify its
approach.

Quantitative and qualitative information can provide a solid basis for creating an
effective action plan designed to achieve strategic organizational human resources,
human rights, equity and diversity goals identified through the data collection process.
If an organization feels it has enough information to develop an action plan, it should
consider including the following elements:

 a summary of the results of the analysis and interpretation of the data

 identification of the barriers, gaps and opportunities that exist or may exist for
Code-protected persons and other individuals/groups based on non-
Code grounds
 steps that will be taken to address these barriers, gaps or opportunities now and
in the future
 realistic, attainable goals with short-term and longer-term timelines
 input sought from stakeholders and affected communities
 how progress in meeting these goals will be monitored, evaluated and reported.

In some cases, an organization may decide that it needs to collect more information
because there are gaps in the data collected, or areas where the data is unclear or
inconclusive. This may prompt them to conduct a more detailed internal and external
assessment (go back to Step 1) or try another approach.

In the end, there is no one or “right way” to conduct a data collection initiative
LET’S MAKE IT SHORT?

Six steps to success

Step 1: Identify issues and/or opportunities for collecting data

Step 2: Select issue(s) and/or opportunity(ies) and set goals
Step 3: Plan an approach and methods

 Who will the data be collected about?

 Who will the group of interest be compared to?
 What locations or geographical areas will the data be gathered from?
 What categories will be used to identify the group of interest and comparator
group?

How should data be collected?

 Qualitative Data
 Quantitative Data

What sources of data should be used to collect information?

 Pre-existing or official data

 Survey data
 Interviews and focus groups
 Observed data

How long will the data be collected (the scope of data collection)?
Step 4: Collect data
Step 5: Analyze and interpret data
Step 6: Act on result