In this post
Securely managing data is foundational, not optional. The new Data Management & Security Playbook, written by Dimagi with support from Digital Square, gives social impact organizations practical, lifecycle-aware strategies they can apply at any level of data maturity.
Hosted by Senior Director of Product Marketing Amie Vaccaro, the launch webinar uncovers key strategies for securely managing data across data lifecycle stages and maturity levels. Expert panelists Erin Quinn, Clayton Sims, Kai Cowger, and Rishabh Rath share insights drawn from years of advising leading social impact organizations.
Why a playbook?
For non-profits, social enterprises, and frontline programs, data isn't just a record of work, it's the basis for accountability, funder reporting, and the next program decision. Yet in low-resource settings, teams hit a familiar set of obstacles: spotty connectivity, varying digital literacy, conflicting reporting requirements, and a steady drumbeat of security threats.
The Playbook is built for those realities. It frames data work as a four-stage lifecycle (generation and collection, processing, storage and management, analysis and interpretation) and a three-level maturity model so a small NGO and a national-scale program can each find themselves on the map.
What’s inside
- Four data lifecycle stages, with practical strategies at each
- A three-level data maturity model tailored for social impact organizations
- Mapped data journeys showing how organizations move between maturity levels
- Data security as a foundation, including SOC 2-grade controls translated for ICT4D contexts
- CommCare-specific features for each stage, in the Appendix
Acknowledgements
The Playbook was written by Rishabh Rath, Erin Quinn, Kai Cowger, and Clayton Sims, with reviews from Amy Smith, Gillian Javetski, and Sarah Strauss. Special thanks to Matthew Konda (Jemurai/Crux Security) for the security review, and to the team at Digital Square for funding and partnership.
Read the Playbook
The full Data Management & Security Playbook is open and free to use, with a CommCare-specific appendix at the end.
Open the Playbook
