Collaboration strengthens the KC region’s research and data community

The first week of October brought the return of the Kauffman Foundation’s Economic Mobility Research and Data Forum, convening members of 30 organizations from the research and data ecosystem to help foster collaborations that will move the needle on economic mobility in the Kansas City region. Attendees at this annual event come together with the understanding that shared data, narrative clarity, and a coordinated regional effort are key to turning economic mobility insights into lasting community change.

Held at Reconciliation Services, CEO Father Justin Mathews welcomed participants to the space, providing the history and mission of the organization located on Troost Avenue in Kansas City’s east side. This year’s forum showcased the work of Foundation grantees, local researchers, and the Kauffman Foundation’s Research, Learning, and Evaluation team that provided new data and tools – including the Kauffman Economic Mobility Index.

The Kauffman Economic Mobility Index demonstrates where access to opportunity exists and where it is extremely limited across the region, explained Dr. Josh Akers, director in Research, Learning, and Evaluation for the Foundation. The index utilizes data tied to the Foundation’s strategic priorities of college access and completion, workforce development, and entrepreneurship.

“Each of the Foundation’s strategic priorities play a key role in our 2035 vision of Kansas City as a model for equitable economic mobility,” said Dr. Akers. “The index gives us a starting point and allows us to measure the region’s progress during the next decade.”

The real impact, he said, comes from how we use it.

That idea of how to work together to use data was carried into the forum’s data walk and break-out sessions. There was excitement around how data scientists can make sense of data at a local level, with intent to make it accessible, actionable, and tied to community outcomes. There was optimism that from the complexity of data and research, a simple story could be told and validated to inform policy, programs, and collaboration.

“The energy and thought partnership in this year’s forum is awesome,” said Dr. Yvonne Owens Ferguson, chief research, learning, and evaluation officer for the Foundation. “During the data walk and break-out sessions, I see participants exchanging information for future collaboration opportunities. Grantees are presenting their data and forming collaborations with researchers. These relationships create conditions for significant impact to develop – we’re collaborating with a unified purpose.”

Dr. Ferguson also shared the RLE Research and Evaluation “blueprints” with participants. The visual representations outline the team’s approach to research and evaluation, which includes launching impact evaluations for the Foundation’s operating and affiliate programs, as well as participatory evaluation with Collective Impact and Project grantees.

The importance of what RLE is building to measure impact and progress at the grantee level, system level, and to evaluate large, long-term investments was underscored by Kauffman Foundation President and CEO Dr. DeAngela Burns-Wallace who joined the forum as well.

Our focus on research and grant evaluation is essential to learning what drives economic mobility to inform investments and strategy. It’s how we will know if, together, we are moving the needle toward our 2035 vision.

— Dr. DeAngela Burns-Wallace
President and CEO, Kauffman Foundation