This report outlines a project aimed at helping literacy networks plan their services.

The project proposal noted that there was a significant gap between the demographic and labour market data networks needed for planning and what they were actually able to obtain. A survey carried out during the project showed that networks were concerned about the value and relevance of the data on which they based their planning.

Given the constraints of human and financial resources, the researchers proposed that networks focus more directly on the best source of information about community needs. A companion document, “Counting the Beans: Data for Decisions,” provides a model for collecting, analysing and delivering that information.