Track Outcomes for Skill Development Programs

Improving the Outcome of Skill Development Programs: A Data-Driven Approach

In the ever-evolving landscape of workforce development, nonprofit organizations play a crucial role in delivering skill development programs to marginalized communities. EmpowerU, a fictitious Job For Future organization based in the United States, is at the forefront of this mission. EmpowerU provides a range of training programs tailored to various needs, including digital literacy, vocational training, entrepreneurship, and soft skills development. Despite the organization's success in expanding its programs, it faces several data management challenges that hinder its ability to measure impact and optimize program effectiveness.

This article discusses how EmpowerU can overcome these challenges, leveraging data hubs and structured and unstructured data management, to drive program improvements and better meet funder requirements.

Key Challenges for Skill Development Programs

EmpowerU, like many similar organizations, is on a growth trajectory but faces several critical challenges related to data management:

1. Program Effectiveness: Measuring the real-time effectiveness of multiple programs with varied training objectives and participant demographics.
2. Reporting to Multiple Funders: Different funders require unique reporting metrics, which complicates data collection and reporting processes.
3. Aggregated Reporting: The need to produce high-level aggregated reports for internal reviews and impact measurement, while managing granular details of each program.
4. Portfolio-Based Tracking: Understanding the performance and tracking outcomes for each program in relation to long-term goals across a portfolio of initiatives.

A Closer Look at EmpowerU’s Programs

EmpowerU offers several types of training programs:

• Digital Literacy Program: Focused on increasing the tech-savviness of marginalized groups, including individuals from low-income backgrounds and senior citizens.
• Vocational Training: Helps participants gain certifications in fields like plumbing, carpentry, and healthcare support.
• Entrepreneurship Bootcamp: Teaches entrepreneurial skills to help participants start and manage small businesses.
• Soft Skills Training: Focused on building communication, leadership, and teamwork skills, which are essential for career growth.

These programs target diverse populations, each with unique needs and learning trajectories. The challenge arises when data is scattered across different platforms such as Salesforce CRM, surveys, and EmpowerU's custom-built Talent Catalog. This not only makes tracking outcomes difficult but also affects the organization's ability to report to multiple stakeholders effectively.

Data Silos and Locked Information in Salesforce CRM

During a recent webinar hosted by EmpowerU, the Chief Technology Officer highlighted that while the organization uses Salesforce CRM to manage participant data, much of their critical data remains locked within the CRM. This causes inefficiencies when reporting outcomes, analyzing data across programs, and ensuring all stakeholders receive tailored insights.

Here’s why data gets locked in systems like Salesforce:

• Limited Integration: EmpowerU collects data from multiple sources, including Salesforce CRM, survey platforms (for feedback), and their custom-built Talent Catalog. However, these systems do not communicate well with each other, creating data silos.
• Complex Data Formats: Salesforce primarily manages structured data (rows and columns), but much of the information gathered from surveys—like qualitative, open-ended responses—is unstructured. Without an efficient system to manage both types of data, the richness of the information remains underutilized.
• Manual Reporting: Aggregating data for funders often requires manually exporting from Salesforce, surveys, and the Talent Catalog into spreadsheets. This introduces the risk of human error and creates inefficiencies in reporting.

The Power of Unstructured Data in Program Evaluation

One of the biggest unrealized opportunities for EmpowerU lies in its open-ended survey questions. These qualitative responses provide a gold mine of insights into how participants experience the training programs, the barriers they face, and how the programs impact their lives.

However, unstructured data, such as written feedback, transcripts from training evaluations, and even participant narratives, can be difficult to process manually. Without a system in place to analyze this data efficiently, EmpowerU is missing out on potentially transformative insights that could improve program delivery and outcomes.

Enter Sopact Sense: A Solution to Aggregate Structured and Unstructured Data

Sopact Sense offers an advanced solution that could help EmpowerU address its data challenges by transforming its approach to data collection, aggregation, and reporting.

• Data Hub Approach: Sopact Sense acts as a Data Hub, integrating data from Salesforce, survey tools, and the Talent Catalog. Instead of locking data in separate systems, it creates a centralized platform where all data—structured and unstructured—can be stored and analyzed.
• Automatic Aggregation: By using a data pipeline, Sopact Sense ensures that as soon as new data is collected, it is automatically processed, cleaned, and ready for reporting. This eliminates the need for manual aggregation and ensures continuous learning across programs.
• Leveraging Unstructured Data: One of the major strengths of Sopact Sense is its ability to process unstructured data like open-ended survey responses. Through advanced AI-driven text analysis, it can extract key themes and insights from participant feedback, providing a more comprehensive understanding of program effectiveness.
• Custom Reporting: EmpowerU can generate tailored reports for each funder without having to manually aggregate data. This allows for seamless reporting, showing not just high-level aggregated results but detailed program-specific insights that different funders may require.

The Impact of Implementing a Data Hub

By adopting the Sopact Sense Data Hub approach, EmpowerU can expect to see several benefits:

1. Improved Program Effectiveness: With real-time access to both structured and unstructured data, program managers can track outcomes more accurately, make data-driven adjustments, and enhance program effectiveness.
2. Efficient Funder Reporting: Tailored reports can be generated with minimal effort, saving time and ensuring that each funder receives relevant insights aligned with their reporting metrics.
3. Reduced Human Error: Automation of data aggregation and reporting reduces the risk of errors that often arise during manual data handling, ensuring that reports are consistent, accurate, and timely.
4. Enhanced Decision-Making: With a centralized data system and qualitative insights readily available, EmpowerU’s leadership can make more informed decisions about program expansion, funding, and future interventions.

Conclusion: Building a Future-Ready Skill Development Program

EmpowerU is poised for continued growth, but to sustain this growth, it must address its data management challenges. By leveraging tools like Sopact Sense, EmpowerU can unlock the full potential of its data, combining structured data from systems like Salesforce with unstructured qualitative insights. This will not only streamline reporting and improve program outcomes but also position the organization to better meet the needs of its funders and stakeholders.

In an era where data is more critical than ever, nonprofits like EmpowerU must embrace innovative solutions to remain effective, transparent, and impactful. By implementing a centralized Data Hub that supports both structured and unstructured data, EmpowerU can build a more resilient, data-driven approach to workforce development, ensuring long-term success for its programs and participants alike.