what is data fluency?
Also called “data literacy,” data fluency is the ability to work with, interpret, and utilize data and analytics. The exact details of what this looks like vary based on who you ask. Some people include knowing advanced statistics and analytic techniques as part of data fluency.
Here at Merakinos, we believe that what you actually need is to be able understand the directions analytics give us. The idea isn’t to turn us all into data scientists, but rather make us all at ease and effective dealing with the outputs of analytics.
This means you don’t need to be data fluent to improve your decisions with data. You just need to be able to hold your own in a conversation with data. Think about travelling to a foreign country – you’ll need to know how to ask where the nearest toilet is, how to find a train station, how to order an appetizer and a cocktail off a menu. We like to call this data conversancy.
Whatever we call it, these skills are critical for nonprofits. We work with data from program evaluations to donor assessments and everything in between. Often, each of us cover multiple roles with diverse responsibilities, and “down time” is unheard of. We need to be able to readily and quickly assess incoming information, judge its quality, and apply it properly – without the luxury of making mistakes or puttering around on Google for answers.
Moving towards data conversancy
Whether we work with you to develop custom training, you attend one of our webinars, or you enroll in an on-demand course, there is a shared set of essential concepts. These build a foundation of data skills that are approachable and valuable for everyone.
What Even Is Data?
Is a picture data? How about a song – or your very thoughts? We should know what data is, and isn’t, and the limits on its abilities. Data can provide the best map we have to achieve our personal and organization goals – but we must understand the difference between that map and the real territory.
How We Work with Data
While most of us won’t have to do heavy lifting with data, we should be familiar with the major processes involved with developing analyses. Such processes include cleaning, aggregations, merging multiple datasets, and calculating new fields. This understanding makes us better data stewards and prepares us to recognize when those processes may have gone wrong. Think of it as visiting a data factory – we want to be aware of how analytics are produced but we don’t have to be able to do it ourselves.
Statistics – Lies or Analyses?
“There are lies, damned lies, and statistics.” This famous quote certainly captures what many of us may feel about statistics. But statistics can provide critical insight from our data. Understanding key statistical concepts helps us better interpret data and feel more confident when you are presented with more complex analyses.
Likelihood of Events
What does it actually mean if the weather channel says “60% chance of rain”? If a medical test is 95% accurate and you get a positive result, does that mean there’s a 95% chance you have that condition? These questions are not as easy to answer as they seem. Risk and probability analytics help us know how likely or unlikely some key event is to happen, but are easy to misinterpret.
Predictions and Models
We often use data to predict trends or relationships within our systems or environments. Without getting bogged down in the technical details, we need to know how to appropriately interpret and apply major models such as regressions and time series. And let’s not forget about developing fields of artificial intelligence and machine learning! We should understand how these emerging analytic tools impact our lives and businesses.
Experimentation and Outcome Orientation
Anyone who has watched a toddler test the theory of gravity with her cereal bowl in her high chair realizes we are born scientists. But often we’ve lost that innate understand how to test our own understanding and knowledge when it comes to adulting and business. Data becomes valuable when we can use it to mark progress towards the outcomes we want and find the most effective ways to get there.
How we can help
Customized Data Fluency/Conversancy Training
We'll work with you to identify your biggest challenges and knowledge gaps across your team or organization, then tailor-make an education series to fit your time and budget. Empower you team, and invest in their success.
Live and On-Demand Training Series
We offer regular live virtual training sessions on all the key data fluency topics. We are also working on On-Demand data fluency courses that will be coming out soon. You can check out our upcoming events below, or sign up for our email list to stay up-to-date on future offerings and to be notified when our on-demand course is launched.