Centering community voice, the perspectives and experiences of people most affected by policy, is a pillar of SEAP’s approach to advancing progressive policy across the South. All too often policies are created and implemented without meaningful input from the communities they affect. We believe everyone belongs in policymaking conversations and have partnered with Propel, a benefits management app used by SNAP-eligible families, to connect with low-income households to gather insights about their needs, priorities, and how public dollars can be used to help every family thrive.
Key Takeaways:
1. Create data partner ecosystems including tech platforms, community partners, local governments, and researchers.
2. Use open-ended questions to surface new ideas, and value the qualitative results: they’re your community’s lived experiences.
3. Use data to shape policy and advocacy work as well as internal workplans.
4. Let communities identify what’s not working…and also what is working and worth protecting or expanding.
Learn More About the Projects
Visit our Community Voice page to see a snapshot of the findings from several recent community-centered data projects in food security and Medicaid redetermination.
