Data Timeliness FAQs

Why is data timeliness important?

Timely data entry allows agencies, funders, and Continuums of Care to make quick decisions regarding how to allocate or utilize funding and other resources in order to serve clients with the highest needs most effectively. Here are some examples:

A CoC may realize that there is not a sufficient number of emergency shelter beds because the shelter beds are usually fully occupied and there are clients who are seeking shelter being turned away.
A CoC may decide to reallocate funding from one project to another because the data shows that one project is being underutilized while the other is at or over capacity.
A funder may determine that a project is not using their funding effectively and choose to stop funding the project.

Timely data entry also results in an increased likelihood of the data being complete and accurate.

What are the data timeliness standards?

Each CoC within the implementation sets their own data timeliness standards. As of Oct. 28, 2020, the data timeliness standards for each CoC within the implementation are as follows:

Continuum of Care	Project Start	Project Exit
MO-500 St. Louis County CoC	1 day	2 days
MO-501 St. Louis City CoC	1 day	2 days
MO-600 Springfield/Greene, Christian, Webster Counties CoC (includes Connect Springfield projects)	3 days	3 days
MO-602 Joplin/Jasper, Newton Counties CoC	3 days	3 days
MO-603 St. Joseph/Andrew, Buchanan, DeKalb Counties CoC	3 days	3 days
MO-606 Missouri Balance of State CoC	3 days	3 days

Some funders have also established their own data timeliness standards.

Funder/Program	Project Start	Project Exit
Supportive Services for Veteran Families	2 days	1 day

In the event a funder has a timeliness standard, the shortest applicable timeless standard must be applied. For example, an SSVF program located within MO-500 St. Louis County must follow a project start timeliness standard of 1 day and a project exit timeliness standard of 1 day. However, an SSVF program in the MO-606 Balance of State CoC must follow a project start timeliness standard of 2 days and a project exit timeliness standard of 1 day.

Data Entry Timeliness in WellSky Community Services

How is data timeliness calculated in WellSky Community Services?

Project Start

In WellSky Community Services, data timeliness at project entry is calculated by subtracting the project start date from the date the Entry/Exit record was created. The Entry/Exit creation date is based upon the date and time at which the user clicked the "Add Entry/Exit" button. The calculation is shown below.

Project Exit

Data timeliness at exit is currently not calculated properly in WellSky Community Services. This is due to a programming issue which WellSky (the vendor) has acknowledged and has stated they will fix. Until this issue has been resolved, ICA encourages CoCs, funders, and agencies to not utilize or monitor data timeliness at project exit using HMIS-generated reports.

Can data timeliness be corrected or fixed?

No. Data timeliness is calculated by WellSky Community Services using the audit system. ICA has no ability to modify the date on which the project start record was created. The main thing that projects can do to improve their data timeliness scores is to ensure that data entered going forward is entered in a timely fashion and to avoid making mistakes such as deleting and re-creating Entry/Exits.

What mistake do users make which negatively impact data timeliness?

We occasionally see that users will, in an attempt to "start over fresh" when a mistake has been made, delete an Entry/Exit and create a new record entirely. We actively discourage deleting an Entry/Exit in order to "start over fresh" as it will throw off the data timeliness for that particular Entry/Exit. In the event you have an Entry/Exit with incorrect dates or other errors, please contact the helpdesk for guidance in fixing the Entry/Exit in the most efficient manner which has the most minimal impact on your data timeliness score possible.

Can ICA restore the Entry/Exit I accidentally deleted?

No. ICA does not have the ability to restore any data that was deleted in WellSky Community Services. We may be able to find the information that was entered originally utilizing the audit trail of the system, but that will only allow for the record to be recreated, not restored. If you've accidentally deleted something and aren't sure what you need to recreate, we encourage you to reach out to the helpdesk for assistance.

What if I have questions that haven't been answered?

If you still have questions that haven't been answered above, we encourage you to reach out to our helpdesk.