Project Planning and Management

• Establish project goals, scope, key roles, and core stakeholders

• Train agency leadership and program area staff on the potential of a longitudinal data system, how to clearly define its role, and how to adapt agency business processes

• Assess human resources capacity to successfully implement and sustain a longitudinal data system – content experts and technical support roles, skills required     

• Determine appropriate phases of implementation, based on reporting needs

 

Vendor relationships

• Clarify and document agency and vendor roles and responsibilities

• Define short-and long-term deliverables

• Establish a project meeting and other communication mechanisms and protocols      

• Create an escalation process if project requirements are not met

 

Data Reporting

• Identify which compliance reporting (state and federal) should be fulfilled by the longitudinal data system

• Prioritize the policy and program questions to be answered by the longitudinal data system and the audiences for each

• Define report specifications, including which data elements to use, business rules, calculations, and display of information (format, aggregations, etc.)

• Establish a validation process for program area and local staff to review and provide feedback on the report accuracy and display of information