Using different experiences to contribute to the result

If your agency is collecting or using personal or non-personal information for something other than directly working with a service user, consider who else should be involved.

It’s important to identify and talk to people and other agencies with different areas of experience at each stage of the work:

• Service users — they provide the information and are the intended beneficiaries of improved outcomes. They can contribute to the approach and provide their perspectives on the best ways of sharing insights from the information collected from them.
• Frontline service delivery workers — they are involved in the original collection of information, even when it is ultimately used in a non-personal form.
• Communities — other agencies may be involved in providing similar services or with similar service users. They can influence the approach to developing the best insights.
• People involved with contracting, funding or partnering — they manage, monitor or account for the performance of funded programmes. These might include government agencies, philanthropic groups or community trusts.
• People involved in policy, analysis or research — these people may work in agencies working on related or similar insights. They can collaborate to reduce overall effort and increase overall value.
• Cultural experts — individuals with expertise in using data in a culturally appropriate manner. They can assist with the development or review of insights, taking into consideration the cultural context.

Things to consider

• Who should, could or must be involved given the nature of the work?
• If the potential insights may be useful to Māori or iwi groups, how might they be involved?
• If insights may be useful to other groups with specific interests, such as Pacific peoples or disabled people, are they involved?
• What processes are in place to involve service users’ and communities’ points of view, as well as non-governmental organisation and service provider input?