Sparrow is a stand-alone HMIS system developed by Quicksilver Consulting. It includes paper entry and exit forms, instructions and protocols, sample consent form and privacy notice, a custom Access database for collecting and analyzing data, and technical documentation.
The log-in screen for Sparrow.
Sparrow was developed by Quicksilver Consulting while working for the Continuum of Care body of Marin County, California (the Marin Continuum of Housing and Services, or MCHS). Quicksilver and MCHS have worked together to collect client-level data on homelessness since 1998.
The Sparrow package was created to provide the quickest, simplest approach to meeting HUD's published HMIS standards.
It collects all “universal data elements” published in HUD's July 2004 Technical Standard, and many of HMIS's optional “program-level data elements” as well.
It collects data on “chronic homelessness,” a critical element that was not included in the HUD Technical Standard.
It collects the data elements needed to generate HUD's AHAR (Annual Homelessness Assessment Report) and APR (Annual Program Report).
It generates AHAR and APR reports by community, agency, and/or program.
It uses 128-bit encryption to store protected identity information.
Its forms, instructions and database can be modified to meet local needs.
It's relatively simple to set up and use.
It's free for any non-commercial use.
Quicksilver developed Sparrow to be a simple HMIS package that could be given away freely to other HUD grantees throughout the country. There's no reason that thousands of HUD-funded communities across the country should have to spend millions of dollars to invent (or license) HMIS systems on their own. In most cases, these dollars would have to be diverted from direct services to homeless people - a terrible waste of resources in a time of drastically shrinking public funds.
Sparrow was first released for public use in October, 2004. Since then, Sparrow has gone through a number of revisions and improvements. To obtain the latest version of the Sparrow package, send an email by clicking here:
Quicksilver Consulting grants communities and individuals permission to use and modify Sparrow freely and without charge for any non-commercial use. For full description of the terms and conditions of using Sparrow, please refer to the file “licence.doc” in the Sparrow package.
Like any software product, Sparrow has specific limitations. You should be aware of these before deciding to use Sparrow as an HMIS system in your community.
Sparrow is designed simply to collect HMIS data and generate HMIS reports. It is not a “case management” system. Individual workers can't open Sparrow to look up data on specific clients.
Sparrow’s data model works best in communities that serve up to about 15,000 homeless individuals per year. The software may not be appropriate in much larger communities, where performance and duplication issues may limit its use.
Sparrow doesn't attempt to capture all of the “program-level” data elements defined by HUD. It collects only the HMIS universal data elements; data elements as required for compiling HUD's APR and AHAR reports; and a select number of other critical data elements, such as “chronic homelessness.”
You may modify Sparrow to meet your own local needs. However, any modifications may need to be re-added if you choose to use updated versions of Sparrow, which may become available in the future.
The Sparrow software is provided “as is” and without support or warranty.
That said, Sparrow offers a great package of features as well.
Paperwork is streamlined. Workers fill out a one-page Intake Form for homeless clients at time of intake (and, in housing programs, at time of exit).
Data entry is simple, intuitive and user-friendly.
Sparrow includes a number of automatic reports, including demographic reports and APRs, for user-selected date ranges. Demographic reports can be run for individual agencies or for the community as a whole. APR reports can be run for any selected program or for all programs.
Sparrow is very secure. It uses 128-bit encryption (via the CryptoSys implementation of the “Blowfish” encryption schema); protected data is virtually uncrackable without the encryption key. The software can be installed on a standalone computer, making it completely inaccessible to Internet-based attack.
Forms, protocols and instructions are provided. Technical documentation is provided to help users who wish to modify the software for local needs.
