This brief provides a checklist of important steps and considerations for teams to address when adding and using new data in their data systems. The considerations are presented in the context of collecting data elements that have not been collected in the past, although many of these steps can also be applied to revising existing data collections or incorporating data from new sources. The relevance of each step and consideration depends on the scope of the new data collection, current capacity and infrastructure, risk, political climate, and other factors related to collection of the data in a particular state. The checklist is divided into five categories: Planning, Data Governance Considerations, Technical Considerations, Communications, and Implementation. The order of the considerations in and between each category is not necessarily sequential and will vary depending on each state’s needs.
