Boston Region MPO manages data requests from external parties, such as municipalities or researchers, through the Asana platform within a project named Data Requests, which gathers initial information through a form. Documenting and tracking external data requests ensures that they are fulfilled in a timely manner and gives our agency a central place to collect information about the inquiries.

Some examples of data requests may include requests for growth rates, greenhouse gas emissions, regional travel demand model inputs or outputs, or MBTA-related data. Regardless of the scale of work or whether Boston Region MPO has the requested data, please follow the process described below.

Entering A Request into the Queue

When a member of the staff receives a data request via email, phone, or otherwise, they should enter it in the Data Request Intake Form. This form provides a consistent framework for entering information about the data request. After completing the form, the staff member should notify the requestor that their request has been submitted to Boston Region MPO’s data request process.

Data Request Intake Form

The most important function of the form is getting the request entered in the queue. If there is a critical piece of information missing, the person filling out the form may leave it blank or enter “Unknown” and the data request team will find it later on in the process.

There is space to add attachments at the end of the form. If the staff member entering the request received the request via email, they should print the email to PDF and attach it in the space provided. This will keep the context of the request within the data task itself.

The person whose email is entered into the “To what email do you want the confirmation sent?” field (most likely the person entering the request into Asana) will receive an automatically generated confirmation email after they submit the request. Asana will automatically notify the data request team that a new request has been added to the queue after one hour.

Once the initial contact has completed the form, their job is largely done. They will be added as a collaborator in the Asana task and can follow the request. Depending on the specific relationships involved in the request, the initial contact may be asked to deliver the results of the data request.

After the Request Enters the Queue

The data request team will review the request and assign the request to a staff member or group manager. The assigned staff member is encouraged to talk to the external requestor and other staff members as necessary to clarify and complete the request.

The staff member in charge of fulfilling the request will

• send the final data to the requestor or coordinate with others (possibly the initial contact) to ensure that the requestor receives the data,
• document the results of the request, and
• let the initial contact know that the request has been completed.

If you need assistance with the Data Request Intake form or the data request process, please contact Steven Andrews.