I've lost count of how many times this has happened to me.

A fellow consultant contacts me in the middle of a strategic planning process. They've already conducted their one-on-one interviews with stakeholders and are about to hit "send" on a poorly designed staff survey. They ask me to come on board to help with the data analysis. I spend half the time trying to catch up on what's going on with the organization, the other half puzzling out incomplete datasets, and the third half trying to use the data to answer the organization's most significant questions that were never clearly identified in the first place.

Why have I kept saying yes to these types of projects? A deep-seated, psychological need to be useful that I should probably work out with my therapist. But nine times out of ten, these types of engagements leave me feeling deeply frustrated because I know that I could have gotten more insightful data had I been there from the start. The strategic planning consultant can also get frustrated because the data either isn't what they were looking for or the results aren't resonating with their client.

There's an easy way for strategic planners to avoid these frustrations– hire a data expert well before the start of the project. But who, exactly, should you be looking for?

Data analyst v. Data strategist

If you're about to embark on a strategic planning process, the most important thing that I want you to know is that you shouldn't be hiring for "just" a data analyst. Yes, it's great to have a team member with no fear of Excel and a natural knack for thematic analyses. However, what you should really be looking for, especially for strategic planning, is a data strategist.

What's the difference?

A data analyst crunches the numbers, codes the responses, and helps you interpret the results. Fantastic, important, and essential work. But a data strategist brings something more to the table:

1. First, a data strategist works alongside you to tease out the most important issues facing the organization. What questions does the leadership have about programs, policies, and operations? What are they noticing about their organizational culture? What worries them about their financial future?
2. Next, the data strategist identifies what data is needed to answer the organization's big questions. This is a big stumbling block for many nonprofits, so this expertise is extremely valuable.
3. Finally, the strategists design the data collection tools, protocols, and processes to collect this essential information and analyze it accordingly.

Your data strategist is essentially the one who can do it all: design the data collection and analysis process to align with the client's needs and goals and implement the plan in partnership with the strategic planning team. They are also people who understand data ethics and privacy issues, which are essential for any strategic planning process.

What questions should you ask potential candidates?

Finding the right data strategist can take time, which is why it's important to start the hiring process before the project launches. Here's a set of questions I wish organizations and consultants would ask me more often when inviting me to be on a strategic planning team:

1) How do you approach your work with clients?

This question will give you insights into whether the candidate takes a more collaborative, community-based approach to their work or a more top-down, "I'm the expert" perspective. It's important to ensure your data strategist aligns well with your client approach, no matter where you fall on that spectrum.

2) What's your experience working with nonprofit organizations?

Someone whose data expertise comes from program evaluation might be different than someone who comes from marketing or fundraising. Also, a data expert with a corporate background may have different knowledge or approaches than someone with a nonprofit background. This question will help you start a conversation to determine if the candidate will do well working with your nonprofit client and all of the nuances that come with working in this sector.

3) What kinds of tools do you use to collect and analyze data?

Ideally, it's great to have someone already familiar with the tools that your client uses. It means a lower learning curve for all parties involved! But you also want to look for someone open to learning new tools if needed and can do so quickly. You'll also want to keep an ear out for how they handle quantitative versus qualitative data, since strategic planning often involves both.

4) What steps do you take to ensure participant confidentiality?

Successful strategic planning hinges on trust – if a staff member, board member, or other stakeholder is concerned that someone will find out about what they said, they will be less likely to share their honest insights with you. Asking questions about how the candidate establishes rapport and protects data privacy will help you make an informed decision.

Finally, don't forget to ask about work styles, communication preferences, and the other administrative details that make a team run smoothly. Don't make your life harder by hiring a last-minute night owl when you're an early-morning advanced planner!

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Need a data strategist for your consulting team? Email me at lindsay@the-data-coach.com to set up a 1:1 intro call.

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