Results from the Data & Democracy Initiative to Enhance Community-Based Organization Data and Research Capacity

Authors evaluated an initiative designed to increase community-based organizations' data and research capacity through a three-day train-the-trainer course on community health assessments. Data sources collected from 171 participants captured individual and organizational characteristics and pre-course self-efficacy on 19 core skills, as well as behavior change one year later among a subsample of participants.

Findings: Results suggest that an intensive, short-term training program can achieve large immediate gains in data and research self-efficacy in community-based organization staff. In addition, they demonstrate initial evidence of longer-term behavior change related to use of data and research skills to support their community work.