Dr. Erin Ward Bibo Interviewed in Jobs for the Future Article, “Advocating for a Better Data Ecosystem”

Data can have immense power: Through skillful analysis, data can be used to create a strategic road map for mobilizing change. But what happens when we see inequitable long-term outcomes and don’t have the data to fully understand what’s happening?

This is where CityWorks DC, an intermediary in our Building Equitable Pathways (BEP) community of practice, found itself. The organization understood the profound inequities in economic outcomes for Black and Latinx residents in the District of Columbia, but the essential data were not available to pinpoint where and how the system was failing—or where it was working. CityWorks DC embarked on a process with partners to make the case for building a better data ecosystem to help tackle this problem.