Inventory

AN INVENTORY OF RESEARCH USES OF ADMINISTRATIVE DATA
IN SOCIAL SERVICES PROGRAMS IN THE UNITED STATES 1998

A Report by
UC DATA, University of California at Berkeley

To the
Northwestern University/University of Chicago
Joint Center for Poverty Research

February 1, 1999

This report presents the results of an inventory of social service program administrative databases in 26 states and the efforts in these states to use administrative data for monitoring, evaluation, and research. This inventory was completed by UC DATA to assess the status of state administrative data for use in policy and academic research.

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Background:

The evolution of automated data systems has increased the capacity of social service program administrators to study the effects of social programs. The recent devolution of federal welfare programs gives states unprecedented freedom to develop their own strategies and programs for providing assistance to the poor. These events combined have increased the necessity and expectation to produce better outcome data on program participants.

These expectations for better outcome data led to the formation, in Fall 1996, of an Advisory Panel on Research Uses of Administrative Data at the Northwestern University/University of Chicago Joint Center for Poverty (the "Panel"). UC DATA intends this "Inventory Of Research Uses Of Administrative Data In Social Services Programs In The United States 1998" to complement the work of the Panel.

The Panel released a report, "Administrative Data for Policy-Relevant Research: Assessment of Current Utility and Recommendations for Development" in November 1999.

http://ucdata.berkeley.edu/new_web/inventory/intro.html