The Department has specific federal and state standards it must abide by when granting access to DPSS resources. These include the protection and security of confidential administrative data/information and the right to privacy of applicants, participants, and employees.
In order to maintain departmentwide standards for external research projects and to provide a central point for the dissemination of confidential administrative data/information to interested parties, the Management and Research Services (MRS) Section will handle:
- Requests from researchers for DPSS to participate in their research project.
- The release of confidential administrative data/information of applicants, participants, and employees.
MRS is the designated Section for:
- Evaluating external research requests based on feasibility (e.g., impact to staff, workload, disruption to district office operations and/or participant involvement) and benefit to the Department.
- Reviewing and clearing research proposals, surveys, questionnaires, interview questions, and other data gathering mechanisms with the appropriate Divisions/Sections.
- Obtaining final approval from the Department Head to participate in external research projects.
- Coordinating research activities such as scheduling interviews with DPSS employees.
- Requesting administrative data from the Business Intelligence Section and assisting with data validation.
- Collaborating with the Business Intelligence Section to disseminate confidential data by means of secure communication channels.
- Coordinating the review of draft research reports with the appropriate Division/Sections.
- Compiling comments for draft research reports and transmitting them to the researchers.
- Presenting final research reports to the Research Review Panel.
- Publicizing and distributing final research reports.