From Data Needs to System Improvements: Turning Operational Needs into Data Solutions

Data is most valuable when the systems behind it evolve alongside the work they are designed to support. As programs grow, operations expand, and data and reporting requirements become more complex, databases must adapt to ensure that the information captured remains accurate, relevant, and useful.

As the Child Welfare Immigration Centre of Excellence (CWICE) continued operational expansion this past year, including the opening of a new office at the airport, there was a need for new data and system requirements. As the scope of CWICE’s work has grown, it became increasingly important to ensure that the database could effectively support this growth. This led to a comprehensive review and enhancement of the CWICE database in 2025. Bringing together data and research, operational knowledge, staff feedback, and technical expertise, we worked to strengthen how information is collected, organized, retrieved, and reported.

As CWICE Data and Research Coordinator, I worked collaboratively with the CWICE team and Information Technology (IT) department to identify opportunities to improve existing fields. We also reviewed options to introduce new data elements, standardize data entry, address technical issues, and strengthen reporting capabilities. These needs were translated into clearly defined system requirements, ultimately resulting in more than 200 documented enhancement requests across seven key areas ranging from services to capacity building to projects.  

Identifying the Need for Change:

A database is not simply a place to store information. It plays an important role in understanding the services an organization provides, identifying trends and emerging needs, measuring activity, supporting reporting, and informing future decisions.

As CWICE’s operations expanded, the database required a closer review to ensure that the information being captured continued to reflect the breadth and complexity of the work. This included examining whether existing fields and categories remained relevant, whether important information was being captured consistently, and whether the system could effectively support evolving reporting and analytical requirements.

The review therefore looked beyond individual technical issues and considered a broader question: Is the system capturing the information CWICE needs in a way that supports both current operations and meaningful analysis? This perspective guided the modernization process and provided a foundation for identifying and prioritizing system enhancements.

Turning Operational Needs into Data Solutions:

A key aspect of the project was translating operational needs into actionable technical requirements. Each identified change was reviewed, documented, and organized according to the relevant area of the application. Requests included adding or modifying fields, revising response options, introducing mandatory fields, updating terminology, improving form structures, strengthening search and summary functions, correcting reporting calculations, and resolving issues affecting data entry and case management.

The database enhancement was an extensive process requiring significant time, coordination, and attention to detail. The work extended beyond identifying desired changes: each request needed to be assessed within the context of CWICE’s operational and data requirements, clearly documented for technical implementation, and coordinated with IT. As updates were implemented, ongoing review and follow-up helped ensure that they aligned with the original requirements and addressed the identified needs.

Continuous collaboration between CWICE and IT was essential throughout the process. Considerable effort was dedicated to clarifying requirements, monitoring progress, identifying outstanding issues, and refining updates where necessary. This iterative approach was particularly important given the interconnected nature of the enhancements, as changes to individual fields or functions could influence data quality, reporting, and the overall user experience.

The enhancements also created opportunities to better capture evolving areas of CWICE’s work. New or revised data elements included information related to human trafficking, family and intimate partner violence, Unaccompanied and Separated Children (UASC), immigration-related services, national consultations, airport responses, and other areas relevant to understanding the scope and complexity of CWICE’s work.

The goal was not simply to collect more data, but to collect meaningful and purposeful information. Each change was considered in relation to its operational purpose and potential value for reporting, analysis, and program understanding, strengthening both database functionality and the quality and usefulness of the information it produces.

Improving Data Quality and Consistency:

Data quality was a central consideration throughout the project. Even small inconsistencies in how information is entered can create larger challenges when data is later analyzed. Missing information, duplicate response options, inconsistent terminology, or outdated categories can make it difficult to produce reliable reports and identify meaningful patterns.

Several database enhancements therefore focused on improving standardization and completeness. Existing options were reviewed and refined, outdated or duplicate selections were addressed, terminology was updated, and mandatory fields were introduced where key information needed to be consistently captured.

Together, these improvements create a more structured dataset and reduce variation in how similar information is recorded across the system. In turn, stronger data quality enhances the reliability of reporting and supports more meaningful analysis.

Strengthening Reporting and User Experience:

The project also focused on how users interact with the database and how information moves from data entry to reporting. Managing issues identified by the team as well as designing the placement of fields were considered to ensure data entry is more intuitive and better aligned with operational workflows.

Reporting accuracy was particularly important. When database information is used to communicate program activity, understand service trends, or support organizational decision-making, the underlying data, calculations, and classifications must be reliable. Addressing these issues helped strengthen confidence in the information generated through the system and its value for ongoing analysis and reporting.

Collaboration as a Key to Modernization:

A major strength of the initiative was the collaboration between CWICE and IT. Effective system improvement requires both technical expertise and an understanding of how the system is used in practice.

The data and operational perspective helped identify what information needed to be captured, why it mattered, and how it should be structured, while IT provided the technical expertise to translate those requirements into system functionality. Ongoing communication supported clarification, implementation, review, and refinement throughout the enhancement process.

This collaborative approach helped bridge operational needs and technical solutions, positioning database modernization as a shared process involving data, practice, users, and technology rather than a series of isolated IT changes.

Building a Stronger Foundation for the Future:

The CWICE database enhancement project demonstrates that meaningful data modernization is not only about technology, but also about strengthening the connection between the work being performed and the information available to understand that work.

By strengthening data fields and standardization, addressing technical issues, enhancing reporting functionality, and incorporating evolving areas of practice, the updated database provides a stronger foundation for CWICE’s ongoing data and research activities. More reliable and structured information can support a clearer understanding of service patterns, emerging needs, case and client characteristics, and the evolving scope of CWICE’s work, while contributing to stronger program reporting and evidence-informed decision-making.

Most importantly, the project demonstrates the value of continuously evaluating whether organizational systems continue to meet the needs they were designed to serve. As CWICE continues to grow and evolve, its data systems must evolve alongside it, turning operational needs into meaningful data solutions and ensuring that the information collected today can help inform the work of tomorrow.

About the author:

Ghezal Wallid is a Data and Research Coordinator at Peel CAS in the Child Welfare Immigration Centre of Excellence (CWICE). She holds a Master of Development Policy from the Korea Development Institute (KDI). Ghezal has over 5 years of experience in the humanitarian and social services sectors. She has experience working with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and CORDAID to create a safe, positive, and caring environment for the community, with expertise in coordinating program and response plans and researching evidence-based practices and interventions to improve the quality of services to the vulnerable. In her current role, Ghezal focuses on leveraging data-driven solutions to enhance child welfare practices and outcomes at Peel CAS.