Grant: Pro. Gr. - PA: Pandemic Preparedness and Health Emergencies: ECI Grant

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a surge in domestic and sexual violence (DV/SV). Although many organizations were collecting information on DV/SV, there was no centralized structure to combine and display this information across sectors in real-time. To address this, our team created the Data2Action (D2A) initiative, which involved curating data on DV/SV from 39 organizations across Alberta to inform decision-making in real time. An initial evaluation of this project after 2 years showed that if we attempt to collect and aggregate data across organizations using their existing data "as is", we cannot aggregate across organizations in a meaningful way to inform real-time decision making. This is because: a) there is no consistency in types of data collected across organizations, b) there is no common terminology or taxonomy for data being collected, c) there is inconsistency in timing of data submissions, and d) data is not being collected from equity- and sovereignty-deserving groups. This research study will advance our previous work by identifying the ways in which we can collect, aggregate, and utilize data for decision-making to prevent domestic and sexual violence at scale (both during the pandemic and beyond). Specifically, we plan to do this by starting with a smaller group of organizations, building relationships to create a shared purpose and process for collecting and using data, prototyping the methodology, and then expanding its use across all of Alberta. This project will result in a shared process across the province that will allow for improved decision-making within and across organizations, as well as with policymakers. It will allow for real-time knowledge of prevalence and help-seeking behaviors related to DV/SV, which is critical for prevention. Importantly, it will advance our understanding of DV/SV for equity- and sovereignty -deserving populations, which are currently underrepresented in data collection.