The National Legal Aid and Defender Association has published a new guide to data collection for defenders, which can be found here. This 'toolkit', titled Basic Data Every Defender Program Needs to Track, argues that defenders nationwide, regardless of size, should be tracking certain key pieces of information in every case.

Among other things, the report discusses:

• Why defenders may want to track data (advocacy for clients, programs and policy change)
• Recommendations for a uniform approach to data collection for all defender offices, including specific data points NLADA regards as high priority
• Recommendations for how to build a data system that will speak to the intended uses the defender has for it
• Commentary on the problems of case counting and time tracking, respectively
• A discussion of computer and other hardware required
• Examples of data analysis and interpretation
• Suggestions for how to present findings clearly and feed them back to interested parties
• Suggestions for engaging professional research help if you are able

This toolkit follows upon NLADA's previous publication on Building In-House Research Capacity which can be found here.

The following tables are the specific recommendations of data programs should track, taken from pages 8 and 9 of the report.