Part 2: Start with Discovery

Series: What You Need to Create a New Church Data Program

Note: This is post two of three in our “What You Need to Create a New Church Data Program” series. Missed the first one? Catch up here.

Congratulations! You’ve got leadership buy-in for your new data efforts. You have a church data expert (that’s us!). Now what?

Beginning with What We Don’t Know: Discovery

We know a lot about creating and managing successful church data programs. What we don’t know (at this point) is what yours should look like – and that’s because there’s no one-size-fits-most approach to this work.

We start each new partnership by asking a lot of questions to make sure we’re delivering value for you from the get-go. We call this our Discovery Phase, and it looks like this:

• Discovery Kickoff Meeting

  What We Do:
  Either onsite or virtually, we get to know your team and mission. We work to understand what’s brought you to this point and what data you need to make a difference to the results that matter to you.

  We’ll facilitate curiosity to understand:
  • Vision for your church and the role data can play in your on-going success

  • Database structure, schema, current state, future state, technical requirements

  • Internal reporting needs - immediate and future state for decision makers at your church

  Deliverables:
  A documented, shared vision for your data strategy that you can use as a guide moving forward, whether or not you choose to partner with us

• Discovery Assessment

  What We Do:
  After that meeting, we’ll review your current systems, map the data points needed, and begin to scope out the dashboards that will support your mission and values. Here is where we start to connect the data to your outcomes.

  Deliverables:
  A Smart Data Assessment (a snapshot of the current data program that includes what’s being collected, what isn’t, is the right data being collected, what low effort\high impact opportunities exist, and any unique-to-you data situations we uncover)

• Planning

  What We Do:
  Then, we’ll use what we’ve learned to structure our recommendations, calculate costs, and provide you with next steps for implementing and building your scalable data strategy and foundation.

  We’ll also include a proposal for SmartMetrix to do the heavy lifting. Either way, you’ll be equipped to start making your data more meaningful.

  Deliverables:
  Next step recommendations for continued growth

Our Promise to You

You have our commitment that we’ll do our best to work efficiently and with curiosity. We won’t tell you what to measure until we know why to measure it.

We will always communicate with as much clarity and transparency as possible – and if you have questions about where numbers are coming from or why we’re making a recommendation, please ask!

We promise to work quickly because we believe in iterations that keep us moving. We’ll use educated reasoning to try, evaluate, and adjust as needed. No waiting months for a deliverable only to find out it isn’t what you had in mind or that it isn’t helpful.

Together, we’ll use our Basecamp project management system and hold regular check-ins aligned with your current meeting rhythms. Our goal is to stay on track and empower you to proactively share progress with your team.

All of that to say: you have our commitment that we want to be a great partner, and we’ll do everything we can to make that happen. You understand your church. We know metrics that matter. Together, we are fuel for a growing church. 

Let’s go!

What happens after Discovery? Stay tuned for the final post in this three-part series.