The dominant model in education-to-workforce work — and broader collaborations more generally -- is what you might call the use-case approach: identify a single problem, assemble the stakeholders most directly affected by it, solve for that problem, and go back to your day jobs. It's a logical way to get something done quickly and it’s the funding mechanism used by federal, state, and local governments and countless philanthropic organizations looking to “make an impact.” However, it creates unnecessary burden and it doesn’t always address the things we actually need.

Across the social sector, digital and AI projects aren’t failing because organizations lack the right tools. They’re failing because we’ve systematically underinvested in the soft infrastructure that makes technology work: governance, decision rights, routines, data stewardship, and the learning mechanisms that help organizations adapt. DARO uses the term soft infrastructure to describe these leadership and coordination systems, which are critical to success—yet remain the least funded and least understood drivers of digital transformation.

This is a series by David Goodman, VP of Learning and Impact, on data sharing. David shares what he's learned over the past decade about sharing data within and across organizations in a series of posts. The 7 Truths are based on David's work in research; evaluation; collecting, managing, and governing data for organizations; and leading collaborations to share and use their collective data.

Welcome to What DARO’s Reading Right Now! We’re sharing what articles have caught our attention lately and why they're worth reading. We'll be regularly posting what's inspiring us, interesting us, and making us think deeper about our work.

How do you create lasting, intentional change to strengthen your organization and improve its impact? We're exploring this important topic in the first of a series of articles with Jean-Marc Chouinard.

We have some exciting news!