Data Concierge Models for a National Secure Data Service
Challenge
Federal data users need more and better resources and assistance.
Federal data users face challenges in efficiently and securely accessing appropriate data and building relationships with relevant agencies to facilitate their research. The Advisory Committee on Data for Evidence Building (ACDEB) identified the need for a data concierge service to provide technical assistance to individuals seeking access to federal data. The service would serve as a coordinator between data providers and data users, answering questions, identifying appropriate data assets that meet user needs, interfacing with subject matter experts, and supporting the development of project proposals for access to relevant restricted data.
Solution
NORC is developing models for data concierge services that will provide users with technical assistance for data discovery.
NORC is developing models for data concierge services informed by current data users' needs and federal statistical agencies’ capabilities. Data concierge services offer technical assistance, such as helping to refine research projects, discover relevant data, acquire access to data, link data, and understand linkage results and quality. NORC is conducting interviews with traditional and non-traditional data users and federal statistical agencies to learn about the challenges users encounter when searching for and accessing federal data for evidence-based research. Based on these insights, NORC is developing user personas and recommending tools that can be incorporated into the data concierge models that NORC recommends.
Result
NORC’s work will create a feedback loop between data providers and users.
NORC’s work is helping to identify information gaps and articulate evidence-building considerations that influence data discovery and reuse in the federal data ecosystem. NORC’s recommendations for data concierge models will vary regarding the amount of service integration and curation they provide. Lighter touch models will help organize existing agency information for search and discovery, while full-service models may offer expanded tools and services to support data analysis. In developing the models, NORC will gather user feedback and demonstrate the impact of each model on user personas by illustrating how each model helps close information gaps uncovered during user interviews.
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Project Leads
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Brandon Sepulvado
Senior Research MethodologistPrincipal Investigator -
Seth Brohinsky
Senior Research Director IISenior Staff -
Michael Berning
ConsultantSenior Staff
“Supporting and expanding access to federal statistical data will be a critical component of the future National Secure Data Service, a one-stop shop for researchers seeking data assets. We are proud to bring our deep connections in the federal statistical and data user communities to the important work of developing data concierge models that will best support users’ needs.”
