STRATEGIES FOR ANALYZING COMPLEX SURVEY DATA AND CONDUCTING EFFECTIVE SURVEYS

The Community Service Society of New York (CSS) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1843 to promote economic opportunity and equity through data-driven research, direct services, and people-driven advocacy. CSS engaged a Capstone team to do a trend analysis of its long-running survey called the Unheard Third, which for twenty years has been capturing the experiences and hardships of low-income New Yorkers. The team conducted statistical analyses using STATA and Excel, reviewed academic literature on similar surveys to identify best practices, interviewed stakeholders and partner organizations, and created a data dashboard for internal and external visualization purposes. The team’s final report includes a review of relevant policy and historical events affecting low-income New Yorkers and provides recommendations on survey methodology, expansion opportunities, and ways to reduce bias to improve the survey tool. The team’s input will improve CSS’s ability to use survey data trends to better understand and advocate on behalf of its target population, and create sustainable systems for future analysis.