Many of the services that Hillcrest Advisory provides are tailored to the individual needs of a client, and all of them emphasize coaching organizations to be wise and thoughtful with data visualization and storytelling, so that the organization can carry forward this work on its own.

Tailored services include:

• Creating data messaging and stories that effectively summarize findings

• Developing product road maps and outreach plans for large-scale data visualization/communication initiatives

• Obtaining audience input to ensure your data dissemination plans incorporate end-user needs.

In addition to this custom work, here are some specific service offerings:

Data Storytelling Training & Education

From Spreadsheet to Story: A Step-by-Step Guide to Communicating Health Data

Hillcrest Advisory has teamed up with Innovation Horizons to offer this five-module, continuing education class that’s a primer on communicating health data. The class is hosted by George Washington University, and course credits are provided through the American Public Health Association.

Data, Storytelling and Saving Lives

Hillcrest Advisory co-created this 85-page workbook for the California Overdose Prevention Network on finding, analyzing, and communicating data related to drug overdose and the opioid epidemic. The guide includes case studies, worksheets, and links to numerous resources that can be useful at the grassroots level.

Evaluation & Data Storytelling

Evaluators face a particular challenge with sharing results from their work in interesting ways. To help address this, Hillcrest Advisory periodically teaches a two-part data storytelling class geared for evaluators through the EnCompass Learning Center (EnCompass is an organization that focuses on monitoring and evaluation).

The Quick Viz

Hillcrest Advisory’s abiding interest is helping social sector organizations leverage data to achieve results, especially by working in the trenches on the everyday work being done at a community level.

However, Hillcrest Advisory knows that many social sector organizations need cost-conscious options – in essence, easy entry for the overwhelmed and budget-minded. Through the “Quick Viz” (“viz” is short-hand for visualization), Hillcrest Advisory provides data communication consultation that typically run hours, not days, costing perhaps a few hundred dollars. We’ll have a phone call to learn about your needs, use cases, and audiences. Then, we’ll review the data; provide some graphs or messaging; and share what we did/why I did it (in order to provide some training in effective data communication). Examples include:

• Crafting data slides for a PowerPoint presentation to help ensure what you’re communicating is cogent, engaging, and relatable to your audience.

• Reviewing findings for a report you’re publishing to provide you with another set of eyes to develop messaging or graphs that clearly express key points.
  
• Recommending useful data visualization tools. Based on what we hear about organizational needs and capabilities, we can make a recommendation on which of the many data tools out there can be useful for accomplishing the tasks you face.

• Graph/map review: Perhaps you want a quick consultation on graphs or maps you’re getting ready to share publicly. We can offer some tips to help make sure you nail the point you need to make with the visuals that you’re using.

• Developing fact sheets that you can share at meetings or events.

• Brainstorming ideas for data-related outreach. Perhaps you need some ideas on how best to get the word out to your audiences regarding interesting data you’re releasing.

• Helping your organization find and retrieve data from the wide array of public sources that are available.

Would you like to have an initial conversation to discuss? Provide details below, or e-mail andy@hillcrestadvisory.com