Data are only useful if people are able to access, understand and use them. Without access to the right information, stakeholders are forced to make decisions based on anecdote, experience or instinct. For information to be useful, it must be timely, readily available, and easy to understand. This brief highlights the importance of implementing systems to provide all stakeholders timely access to information and gives an overview of two promising state practices, Arkansas and Colorado. Examples from Colorado are appended.