HARKENDATA built a Longitudinal Data System Strategic Roadmap for North Dakota that lays out the planning, development, and budget efforts required to create a centralized state data repository that provides the analytical insight to better administer state services and foster economic development. The proposed longitudinal data system brings together key data from public PK-12, higher education, and workforce development initiatives across seven state agencies.

HARKENDATA Solution

To construct the Longitudinal Data System (LDS) Strategic Roadmap, HARKENDATA applied its Education Analytics Maturity Model (EAMM) as a framework to examine North Dakota’s current practices in data governance, data collection and sharing, and data analysis. HARKENDATA developed the EAMM to aid states in planning and attaining an optimized longitudinal data system capable of leveraging data from multiple sources to benefit the state as a whole. First, the consultant team reviewed current reports and associated documentation provided by state agencies related to education and workforce. Next, the team interviewed state agency representatives to learn their current data practices and how they would ideally like to use data in the future. During these individual interviews with each agency, state staff indicated what data and infrastructure would be needed to achieve increased functionality and effectiveness as the state moves toward a shared LDS. The consultant team compared information from the current or ‘As Is’ description and the ideal future or ‘To Be’ picture to create a gap analysis identifying what changes are required to achieve a robust multi-agency state LDS that will assist state agencies in meeting North Dakota’s goals. This information provided the basis for the strategic roadmap recommendations.

Benefits Client Received

The recommendations describe how to resolve the gap in data functionality and attain a state enterprise-wide education and workforce data system over a five year period. The recommendations address data warehousing capabilities, reporting, business process re-engineering, operational support, and data governance. HARKENDATA presented the strategic roadmap and cost estimates for each solution option to the Lt. Governor and the legislatively appointed Longitudinal Data System Committee. The state will use the roadmap to justify state appropriations and the use of other resources to implement an education and workforce state longitudinal data system.