Shelter’s Edge

Over the past year, the National Federation of Humane Societies‘ (NFHS) Metrics group, of which I am a member, has created a Basic Data Matrix for Community Animal Shelter data. The goal of the group, headed by Steve Putnam, was to develop a matrix to establish a minimum data collection recommendation and to help increase the collection of data collaboratively.

It gives me chills that the matrix has received input and support from most of the national organizations, including PetSmart Charities, HSUS, American Humane Association, Maddie’s Fund, ASPCA, UC Davis, SAWA and the members of the Asilomar Accords working group. Make no mistake, this is quite a powerhouse of minds!! We can all collect the same minimum data set — giving us the potential for benchmarking at a national level!

The Basic Animal Stats Matrix defines guidelines for the minimum data shelters should be collecting. Click to enlarge.

As reads the introduction to the basic data matrix:

For those new to data collection or reporting, we hope this matrix defines a national guideline for the minimum data they should be collecting. When collected, this data will help an agency begin to understand the nature of their work from a qualitative perspective. An agency can then begin to identify those populations of animals served by their agency whose needs are being met, and those populations whose needs are not yet being met (who are therefore at risk). Of course there is much more data which can be collected — this matrix simply defines a minimum place to begin.

For those agencies who are experienced data collectors, we hope that the basic data matrix provides an opportunity to collaborate by gathering information beyond their agency at a community or regional level in an ‘apples-to-apples’ manner. One key to compiling data from multiple organizations is to use a common language or format for that data compilation. We believe this basic data matrix and the associated definitions will help provide that necessary structure.

Important notes and definitions for the Basic Data Matrix. Click to enlarge.

Note that NFHS clarifies that the matrix defines a minimum data set. Depending upon the program and process being implemented at an individual shelter, other data may be warranted to best define risk and measure change. But, at a minimum, all shelters should be collecting the data set in the basic data matrix.

For our ASPCA Partnership communities, shelter laboratories and ASPCA $100K Challenge contestants, the data points and definitions are familiar, as they are a subset of what we collect in the Animal Stats dashboard.

Kudos to NFHS for leading the charge over 2 years ago to investigate opportunities to move toward a national standard that allows shelters to speak the same language and then build to accommodate any language! I encourage you to take a bit of time to look through the data matrix and definitions and think about how this data set may help you in tracking and reporting your data.

Related links:
“Getting Naked Together”
National Federation of Humane Societies
NFHS Basic Matrix (pdf)
Basic Data Matrix Introduction (pdf)

Tags: Asilomar Accords, intake, live release rate, naked data, National Federation of Humane Societies, PetSmart Charities, research, return rate, SAWA, shelter operations, statistics

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