Geographic Distribution
Description
Definition: Geographic distribution analysis examines how people, problems, or resources are distributed across a service area. Dividing the area into smaller subregions reveals spatial patterns.
Purpose: Identifies spatial dimensions of your organization’s reach and client needs.
Examples:
- Mapping cases by zip code.
- Showing distribution of foreclosure cases across counties.
Key Insight: Spatial patterns provide opportunities to learn about the geographic dimensions of your services and client needs, highlighting where interventions may be needed.
Example Data Question
In what counties do we provide more extended service than brief service?
Recreate This Analysis
Data Sources
Closed Case data from your case management system, including:
- Data that indicated the level of service provided, such as closing code
- Open date and close date
- County (or other geographic field such as zip code)
- Other case information that you might be able to use in other analyses, demographics, etc.
- Exclude cases that were identified as errors or duplicates and cases that ended up not being served
Example Analyses Steps
- Export the total cases closed (exclude cases not served) from your CMS to a spreadsheet for the most recently completed year.
- Sort the cases by county. Review the counties and remove any that aren’t actual county names or aren’t in your service area. You may have to combine data if counties show up with multiple spellings.
- Subtotal all cases closed, cases closed with brief service (closed with A or B), and cases closed with extended service (closed with F-L). Then, calculate the percentage of cases closed with brief service and extended service in each county.
- You should have a spreadsheet that simply shows County, Total Cases, Brief Service Cases, Extended Service Cases, % Brief Service Cases, and % Extended Service Cases.
- Login to Microsoft Power BI (create an account if you don’t already have one).
- Click on Get Data, then Excel, find the spreadsheet you just created, and click Open. Note that your spreadsheet will need to be in Microsoft Excel Worksheet format for Microsoft Power BI to import it into your document.
- Double click on the name of the sheet in your spreadsheet and then click Load.
- Insert a Filled Map Visualization.
- Enter County as Location and % Extended Service Cases as Legend.
- Adjust the formatting as you prefer to show the variation in Extended Services by county.
- Use the automatic Legend or create your own using shapes with titles.
- In order to include the map in other documents, you will have to take screen shots.
Related Questions You May Ask
- Where do those receiving limited services or extended services live, and how does this vary by specific demographics, groups, or legal problems?
- Where do those achieving positive outcomes versus those not achieving positive outcomes live, and how does this vary by specific demographics, groups, or legal problems?
- Where do those served by staff versus those served by pro bono volunteers live, and how does this vary by specific demographics, groups, or legal problems?
- Are certain types of cases that require more time or less time coming from specific geographic areas?
- Do we tend to provide extended services for clients who live near our offices?