Making outcomes traceable
A verification workflow, a data-integrity push, and a reporting cadence so leadership could trust the numbers.
- 01
Specialist submits
- 02
National lead reviews
- 03
Program lead approves
- 04
Weekly report
“A number nobody can trace is just a guess with a decimal point.”
Challenge
Outcome data lived in several places, entered by several people, with no shared definition of "verified." Leadership couldn't tell which numbers to believe.
Who it was for
Career Specialists entering outcomes, the data team maintaining the system of record, and senior leadership reading the reports.
What I built
- A three-stage verification workflow: specialist submits, national lead reviews, program lead approves
- A data-integrity pass on the system of record, with a consolidated alumni dataset for communications
- A weekly report to leadership in funnel form: program totals, then regional and specialist breakdowns, then individual stories
- Intake systems for external opportunities, with form-based entry, routing rules, and monthly reporting
Decisions and tradeoffs
- Three stages instead of two. Slower, but every number has two sets of eyes before leadership sees it.
- Stories at the bottom of the report, not the top. Numbers first so the stories have context.
Outcome
A single definition of "verified," a reporting rhythm leadership relies on, and a dataset the communications team could use the same week.
What I'd do next
Automate the first verification stage with form validation so specialists catch their own gaps.