Self-Assessment
Why Take This Assessment
This assessment helps your agency understand where its data visualization practices are effective and where there's room for improvement. It offers a clear starting point for identifying strengths, recognizing gaps, and using the roadmap to plan practical next steps. While the assessment can be completed individually, working through it as a team often leads to deeper insights and a shared understanding.
What You'll Learn
By completing the assessment, you'll receive:
- A snapshot of your agency's current visualization practices.
- A score across six key competency areas:
- Leadership and Strategy - How well leadership supports and prioritizes visualization.
- Staff Capacity and Skills - The training and expertise available within your team.
- Data Readiness - The quality, accessibility, and governance of your data.
- Design Practices - Consistency, clarity, and accessibility of your visuals.
- Tools and Technology - The platforms, software, and automation supporting your work.
- Culture and Adoption - How well visualization is embedded into daily decision-making.
- Tailored recommendations linking you to sections of The Guide, relevant Case Studies, and Resources that can help you take the next step.
How It Works
You'll review a series of statements and rate each one on a scale from 1 to 5 based on how accurately it reflects your agency's current practices—from “Not Yet” to “Consistently True.” After scoring each competency area, you'll review your results to understand your overall profile. Your scores will then guide you to the Visualization Adoption Roadmap, which outline practical steps for strengthening data visualization practices over time.
In addition to the interactive version below, the assessment is available as a PDF: Download Self-Assessment
Instructions:
- Rate each statement from 1 (Not Yet), 2 (Sometimes), to 3 (Consistently True) based on how true it is for your agency.
- Total your scores per competency and review the scoring guidance at the end to determine your agency's overall profile.
- Then, use the Visualization Adoption Roadmap section of this report to explore how to advance to the next level.
1
Tools and Technology
| Statement | Rating (1-3) |
|---|---|
| Our staff have access to basic data visualization tools (e.g., Excel, PowerPoint). | |
| Relevant staff use specialized software (e.g., Power BI, Tableau, ArcGIS, Adobe Creative Products, Blender, etc.) for creating interactive visuals or dashboards. | |
| There are licenses and platforms across the agency for people who want to develop data visualization. | |
| Visualization tools are integrated with our existing data systems. | |
| Results |
2
Skills and Staffing
| Statement | Rating (1-3) |
|---|---|
| We have a go-to person or team recognized as internal expert(s) for data visualization. | |
| Staff across various roles, such as planning, data, and communications, receive visualization training or support. | |
| Data visualization is often included in job descriptions or performance expectations. | |
| Staff collaborate across teams to improve visuals. | |
| Results |
3
Leadership and Governance
| Statement | Rating (1-3) |
|---|---|
| Leaders in our agency request visuals to inform their decisions. | |
| At least one senior leader champions improved communication through visuals and speaks publicly about its value. | |
| We have internal guidelines or standards for what good visualization looks like. | |
| Visualizations are built into key deliverables (e.g., performance plans, LRTPs, budget presentations). | |
| Results |
4
Communication Strategy
| Statement | Rating (1-3) |
|---|---|
| Staff tailor visualizations for specific audiences (e.g., simplifying for public use, highlighting key takeaways for executives, or preserving technical detail for engineers). | |
| Staff include narrative elements or callouts (e.g., key findings, headlines, or recommended actions) to help audiences interpret the visual. | |
| Designated staff and/or other resources are available to align messaging with leadership objectives for public and agency-wide visualizations. | |
| Templates and/or guidelines are available for staff to follow agency branding and logo use in their visuals. | |
| Results |
5
Data Infrastructure
| Statement | Rating (1-3) |
|---|---|
| Our data is stored in a way that supports connections and updates to visualization software. | |
| We have consistent field definitions, metadata, and formatting standards. | |
| Data updates and maintenance are automated. | |
| Staff know where to access approved data for visualization. | |
| Results |
6
Evaluation Feedback
| Statement | Rating (1-3) |
|---|---|
| Staff review visualizations to assess whether they achieved their intended purpose (e.g., clarity, engagement, decision impact) | |
| Stakeholders and end users are asked to provide feedback on visualizations, either informally or through structured input. | |
| Staff have improved or adapted visual formats or tools based on lessons learned from past projects or feedback. | |
| Metrics are used to evaluate visualization effectiveness, such as click rates, comprehension scores, or stakeholder satisfaction. | |
| Results |
Scoring Guidance
| Score range (per section) | Visualization maturity level | Suggested next step |
|---|---|---|
| 4-6 | Emerging | Begin building foundational capacity. Use the Visualization Adoption Roadmap to identify 1-2 "quick win" areas to strengthen. Focus on tools access, skills development, and small pilot efforts. |
| 7-10 | Developing | You have established practices and are ready to formalize and scale. Prioritize governance, cross-team collaboration, and performance evaluation. Use the Visualization Adoption Roadmap to move toward institutionalization. |
| 11-12 | Mature | You are a strong candidate for peer exchange, piloting advanced methods, or mentoring others. Focus on innovation, sustainability, and alignment with strategic goals. Consider contributing a scenario to this guide. |