PUBLIC INFORMATION SHARING TOOLS: POWERFUL VISUALIZATIONS OF SOCIAL SERVICES DATA

About the Program

Category: Civic Education and Public Information (Best in Category)

Year: 2023

Data can be a powerful storyteller. In Contra Costa County, an exciting new set of tools paints a rich picture of our support of the community we serve, and promotes further engagement. In February 2023, the Employment and Human Services Department (EHSD) launched two new Public Information Sharing Tools on its web site: the Benefits Program Geographic Information System (GIS) Map and the EHSD Interactive Program Data Dashboard. https://ehsd.org/overview/ehsd-program-data-dashboard/ The Benefits Program Map provides enhanced insights into how we serve our community through key programs. Two versions of the map – count by number of “Individuals” and “Households” – contain data for the entire county, by Supervisor District, and by city. Interactive shaded zip code blocks depict program participation by geographic location. The Interactive EHSD Program Dashboard is a leading-edge platform with easy-to-understand visualizations of program activity. Monthly data can be explored three ways: trend lines, mouse-over pop-ups, and bar graph color density to reflect volume. There is also an option to download raw data into an Excel spreadsheet, in order to create custom analyses. These tools can be used by policy makers, grant makers, researchers, and advocates to strengthen their understanding and support of the Contra Costa community.