FAQ
- What is LINC?
- Who leads LINC?
- Who are LINC partners?
- How do you become a LINC partner?
- How does a LINC project work?
- What does LINC not do?
- What do partners value about LINC?
The Linked Information Network of Colorado (LINC) helps agencies and organizations make use of cross-system data to better address complex community needs—from prenatal substance use to poverty and child welfare, youth at risk of homelessness, and more. People interact with different public systems for different needs, and often data from just one agency can’t complete the picture. LINC was created to securely connect data across systems and remove identifiable information to gain a fuller, more realistic picture of what people experience in their lives and, in turn, better inform program and policy solutions.
LINC development began in 2017 as an informal partnership between the Governor’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) and the Colorado Evaluation and Action Lab (Colorado Lab). Today, OIT continues to support the technical aspects of LINC’s work and the Colorado Lab supports LINC’s business, data partner, and client needs through a long-term contractual agreement. Data analysts from the Colorado Lab work in the secure OIT environment.
LINC’s growing network includes 35 Colorado state and local government agencies as well as Colorado-based nonprofit organizations.
Partnership is initiated when an agency or organization contacts LINC to discuss improving their approach to data sharing for research and analytic projects requiring cross-system data. LINC also initiates partnership discussions by reaching out to an agency or organization that is a necessary party to a potential LINC project initiated by an existing data partner. In-depth discussions follow the initial contact, leading to an Enterprise Memorandum of Understanding, with a final review and signature by the Governor’s Office of Information Technology.
LINC uses a federated model that allows multiple autonomous databases to maintain their independence while enabling data sharing and integration for partner-approved, time-limited projects. Each project serves as a “proving ground” to gain a more complete picture of what people experience in their lives, inform program and policy solutions, and test drive new systems. Project phases include:
- Project Development. Agency and nonprofit staff often reach out to LINC with project ideas developed in leadership meetings, task force convenings, or informal brainstorming sessions. Researchers can also initiate projects if they have expertise to contribute to an area that is a high priority for LINC partners. LINC staff help the requester shape the project to be achievable with the data available from partners and will onboard new data partners if appropriate for the project. The development phase is focused on ensuring the requester proposes a project that is likely to be approved.
- Project Review. LINC sends proposed projects to relevant data partners for their review and consideration. The requester, data providers, and the LINC team then meet to further improve and vet projects. When projects are approved, the requester organization signs a standard Data Use License that includes the approved request.
- Link and De-Identify Data. Following all data security and privacy standards required by state and federal laws and regulations, LINC data analysts secure the LINC project data in an encrypted environment and perform a series of record-linkage strategies. The linked project data are then de-identified to meet the standards of all LINC data partners. The LINC team produces a data matching report for the requester and data providers that details all steps taken with the data and the de-identified data dictionary for review before project data are sent to the requester.
- Data Transfer and Ethical Use. LINC uses a HIPAA- and CJIS-compliant data transfer method to receive approved data from owners. LINC provides continued oversight of projects once the de-identified data are in the hands of the approved requester as outlined in the Data Use License. This ensures the data are actionable and provides partners with an opportunity to review and provide feedback on results from the data before they are publicly released.
- Project Completion. The LINC requester and the LINC staff must destroy all LINC project data once the project period is over. The only exception is if another approved LINC project uses the same data, in which case the LINC staff destroy the data upon completion of the project with the latest end date.
LINC does not serve as a data warehouse. Data are only temporarily stored during the life of the LINC project period and then destroyed. This means that LINC does not support integrations of data systems for routine data analytics such as data dashboards. These needs can be met through other statewide integrated data solutions such as the Statewide Longitudinal Data System or the Early Childhood Integrated Data System.
LINC is dedicated to a partnership model that is flexible, respectful, and responsive at every step. Benefits to data partners include:
- Streamlined, single data request pathway. LINC requesters only need to submit one data request to receive linked data from multiple data partners. This established network of data partners significantly streamlines and speeds up a typically cumbersome, slow-moving process.
- Secure, quality data. LINC follows the highest available standards to ensure data privacy and its expertise in best practices for record linkage provides customized data matching.
- Control of data use. LINC data partners can specify limits on data requests and have approval/veto power over use of their data. LINC requires end users to provide updates to data owners over the course of a project and share any materials prior to public release. This gives data partners the opportunity to provide feedback and modifications to interpretations of findings.
- Compensation for time commitment. Data partners are reimbursed for their time to contribute data to a project, ensuring the LINC partnership is cost-free for partners to contribute to high-impact projects.
- Big data, consequential impact. The large and growing collaborative of data partners has made it possible to undertake more complex cross-system research projects. Throughout projects, LINC works closely with data partners to think strategically about what they want to know and why, and how to use findings to achieve their policy and program goals.