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By Liam Verster
Data 2 Action

IMPACT Grande Prairie joins in on project to compile, share data on domestic and sexual violence

Mar 9, 2021 | 1:12 PM

IMPACT Grande Prairie, a collective of service providers in the Grande Prairie area dedicated to eradicating domestic and sexual violence, has joined a partnership to compile and share trends based off reported incidents of domestic and sexual violence in Alberta.

Through the Data 2 Action project, the partner groups and organizations is collecting data from a range of collaborators such as shelters, police, call centres and other services, and compiling that information into a web-based data dashboard.

IMPACT Grande Prairie’s Network Coordinator, Joanne Peckham, says the purpose of the project is to collaborate with other initiatives in Alberta, and leverage the available data to amplify provincial research and knowledge mobilization within the domestic and sexual violence sector.

“We found that there is not currently a comprehensive province-wide data project that incorporates both traditional and non-traditional service providers and gathers information about the variety of diverse data points related to domestic and sexual violence,” says Peckham.

She adds this data dashboard is intended to compliment other programs by sharing relevant data to service providers, such as the RCMP, PACE, or Victim Services.

“It captures real-time information that’s already existing by collaborating with various partners. It will be made available for everybody to look at to see what is happening and get a true understanding.”

Peckham adds it’s very important to keep track of these trends, especially since reports have been disrupted this past year with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The risks of domestic and sexual violence have amplified, and we’re just not getting accurate information,” said Peckham. “Because of the lockdown, people have not been able to reach out, because now the perpetrator is in their household.

“So we’re trying to use existing data and what we can get just to find where the increases have been, and how we can align more to help those that are in need and need help.”

Peckham adds that she’s hopeful the data will be able to provide a clear picture of what is happening with domestic and sexual violence in Alberta and in specific communities, and that the data can be used by other groups and agencies to stop these types of incidents.

IMPACT Grande Prairie is buying into the Data 2 Action partnership thanks to a $12,650 grant from the Swan City Rotary Club’s Cars for Christmas Lottery.

Peckham says, thanks to that donation, the members and team leaders that make up IMPACT Grande Prairie, including PACE, the City’s FCSS, the Friendship Centre, and others, will be able to be involved in the project without having to buy in themselves.

“With us as the lead collaborator, we are able to offer this to our membership, which has now grown to 68 members in this community. They will be able to utilize this website, utilize the dashboard, and it’s not going to cost them one penny.”

The Data 2 Action project began in May 2020 with behind the scenes work that included developing the framework and training the partners. Peckham says they are now compiling information from service agencies and contributing to the dashboard, which she expects to be launched by May 2021.

by Liam Verster