News Article

Sydney, 4 April 2012: The Local Community Services Association (LCSA) announces the launch of the sector’s most innovative data collection tool built to assess community issues in real time directly from the coalface.

“Who would have thought that a bunch neighbourhood centres in NSW, acting together through their peak body, would place themselves at the cutting edge of data collection? In 2012 LCSA members have done just that,” said Brian Smith, Executive Officer of LCSA.

The data collection widget, was developed by Internet Vision Technologies (IVT), that sits on desktop and laptop computers or iPads and other tablets. Users of LCSA Lasso can upload data about occasions of information and referral in real time and the information will be stored and aggregated so that a service can use it both for quality improvement and reporting to the funding body.

“IVT’s mission is to improve the effectiveness and operational efficiency of Australian non-profit organisations, so seeing LCSA members benefiting so much from LCSA Lasso is really exciting for us,” said IVT Director Jonathan Oxer.

With LCSA Lasso, data collection becomes an integral part of practice, undertaken easily and naturally at every occasion of service, even by the most technologically illiterate. No more paper, no more double handling, no more laborious addition of figures, no more lost sheets, no more getting behind. LCSA Lasso will improve practice and efficiency with just a few clicks of a mouse or touches on a screen.

"It's always exciting to work on a project that uses cutting edge technology and at the same time can have such measurable benefit to an organisation. As a software developer, increasing efficiency and accuracy for client's data collection is a primary goal. LCSA have been a terrific partner to work with and I look forward to continuing the development of this tool," said Luke Sparke, Head of Programming for IVT.

Over the last six years LCSA has worked together with its member centres, to advocate for recognition of neighbourhood centre’s broad role within the community development/community strengthening spectrum and seen the development of the Community Builders Program as a result. LCSA has formed a very close collaboration with Communities and Early Years, ARTD and the Fiscal Policy Studies Institute to embed the principles of Results Based Accountability within Community Builders.

The LCSA Lasso trial is a significant step in realising a new standard in how the sector evaluates the needs of its constituents. It also marks a giant leap in how peak organisations work with government in delivering real improvement in the lives of those it serves. LCSA Lasso is the beginning rather than the end point. The LCSA is already planning its expansion to every aspect of Community Builders data collection.

“We are not content with being on the cutting edge. LCSA will push that edge as far as we can into a future filled with enormous opportunity,” concluded Mr Smith.

Download the Media Release here,  read all about it on Life With Brian Blog or see it in action:

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