Decide what data is needed and why, and who is responsible for collecting and analyzing the data.
Determine assessment needs first, and then decide what data to collect and how to collect and analyze it. Consider what questions need to be answered and what data is needed to answer them.
Be consistent.
Whatever data is collected, it is important to collect it consistently. It’s hard to analyze and use data that has not been recorded in a standard way. Consider creating detailed instructions for how data should be recorded, particularly if multiple staff members will be doing the data collection.
Monitor and analyze.
Depending on the scale and scope of the data being collected, perform a periodic quality review to check for errors in data entry so that it can be corrected retroactively and/or going forward. Likewise, decide how the data will be analyzed and how regularly this will be done (quarterly, annually, as-needed).