CASE STUDY : SALVATION ARMY
PLANNING LOCALISED STRATEGIES WITH CLIENT AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC DATA
It has been a huge privilege to work with the Salvation Army across Australia. No one can deny the work they do is awesome. Key to their impact is being there when poeple need them. That means being one step ahead in anticipating where this need will be. I have worked with the Salvation Army across a number of regions using their data and a huge breadth of external socio-economic sources to help develop models to identify and anticipate such needs, now and in the future. This means not just being there - but there with the right services and support too.
THE CHALLENGE:
Key to the effectiveness of the Salvation Army is knowing where to be and what to offer. A constant presence on the street can answer a lot of that. But often what is needed is hard data and a clear picture of regional and local trends. Deep White was engaged to do this work for a selection of local areas by bringing together of host of socio-economic data and integrating that with Salvation Army data. Blending these along with the operation capabilities of the Salvation Army will help them strategically allocate resources and determine which of their breadth of services to focus on.
HOW WE WORK:
Each region we work on has its own nuances. The mix of population and needs is completely different, as is the culture and resourcing of the Salvation Army itself. So each engagement always begins with meeting the local Corps and understanding the environment, observations and challenges. Likewise where possible we would go and check out the community ourselves and be immersed in it. There are things hard data can't answer and these are often the most important things. It is also vital to be rooted in what can realistically be delivered by the Salvation Army.
Having formulated a plan we work on gathering data. Outside of the Salvation Army we can access vast volumes of data, each adding a piece to the jig saw. A solid base is Census data, which has is a huge store of socio-economic data. This is great as a broad snapshot and of long-term trends, but it often lacks timeliness and deep focus in specific areas. We enhance this data with the likes of:
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Population Projections
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DSS data (unemployment, disability, age pension, youth allowance)
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Homelessness data
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Building permits
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Education data (volumes/performance)
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Charities register (existing local services)
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Volunteering
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Health data
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Faith and Religion
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SEIFA (socio-economic deciles)
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House Prices and Rental Rates
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Crime data
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Drugs/Alcohol data
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Births and Deaths data
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etc
This is all overlaid with geospatial data which often means we can map things down to street level. This is important as for the Salvation Army accessability is critcal.
After this comes the key task of bringing all the data together and unearthing the key insights and trends. These are vital for the Salvation Army to be able to plan ahead.
OUTCOMES:
The outcome of the work is summarised reports which are designed to be easily interpreted by the Salvation Army. We discuss these with the Corps and present areas of more depth where required. Atlhough we make recommendations our role is to empower the Salvation Army to make the right decisions. On the street they know what is best, we just add that extra layer of important information.
FEEDBACK:
"Working with Aaron is always a valuable investment and an enjoyable experience. He takes the time to understand what we are seeking and skilfully engages and supports our needs. He knows the research craft and draws out insights in meaningful and accessible ways. I highly recommend and his work to anyone seeking a highly credible research partner."