CSP 2017 Online Program

Integrating R Programming Platforms into Community Collective Impact Efforts to Solve Social Problems (303389)

Keywords: Collective Impact, Coalitions, R Studio, R Shiny

The Collective Impact approach has been gaining popularity in recent years as communities across the nation seek to address intractable “wicked problems” such as poverty, failing schools, and community violence (http://ssir.org/articles/entry/collective_impact). This approach builds on a rich national history of community coalitions and cross-sector collaboration but offers a prescriptive agenda that includes a Common Agenda, Mutually Reinforcing Activities, Continuous Communication a Backbone Organization and, perhaps most difficult for communities to achieve, a Shared Measurement System. In this electronic poster presentation we explore recent developments in the use of R Studio to foster such a shared measurement system by building real-time or near real-time interfaces across the various organizations that are part of the broader collective impact effort in a local community. In particular, we share how R studio and R Shiny have been used to create a phone app that allows local implementers to both target areas of the community with lower program enrollment and report on program success to local funders. This session ties into the conference themes of software, programming, and graphics as well as communication, collaboration, and career development because it shows how R programming is being used to help multiple organizations coordinate their efforts through better communication around data sharing.