Introduction to Data Sharing and Integration

This Introduction to Data Sharing & Integration was created by Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy (AISP) as a primer on the basics of using, sharing, and integrating administrative data. Administrative data are data collected during the routine process of administering programs, but can also be repurposed to support evaluation, analysis, and research.

This resource is designed to help partnerships, collaboratives, agencies, and community initiatives enter into that process of repurposing administrative data thoughtfully and of building the capacity to do so routinely with strong governance in place. We generally refer to these efforts as integrated data systems (IDS), but they have other names, including data hubs, data collaboratives, and data intermediaries.

Whatever they are called, all efforts that seek to leverage shared data to improve individual and community outcomes will likely face common ethical, relational, legal, and technical considerations. This introductory document outlines some of those considerations and provides recommended resources and references for those interested in diving deeper.