Community Indicators

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Adapted from The Community Indicators Handbook
by Tyler Norris Associates, Redefining Progress and Sustainable Seattle

What are Indicators?

"Community Indicators" are measuring systems, designed, developed and researched by community members to assist them in steering their communities on a collectively desired course. Citizen groups across the country are collecting data and developing indicator reports to educate the public about important issues or values, like environmental quality, economic vitality, and community health. In technical terms, indicators are presentations of data that show changes and trends over time; they are most often illustrated as charts and graphs, because these images allow people to see the trends at a glance. A well researched indicator report provides community members, leaders and policy makers with the information necessary to make decisions that improve the quality of life over time.

The Community Indicators Ten Step Process

1. Form a working group of diverse community stakeholders to initiate and oversee the process.
2. Clarify the specific purpose/s of developing community indicators and develop a strategy for broad-based community involvement.
3. Identify your community’s shared values and vision by conducting local focus groups, forums and/or surveys.
4. Review existing models and indicators data and consider how your project links to other local efforts.
5. Draft a set of proposed indicators based on local needs and desired areas of impact.
6. Draw on local experts to convene a participatory selection process to narrow the list of potential indicators to a manageable number.
7. Perform a technical review of proposed indicators and retain indicators that were popular with the selection panel.
8. Research the data in the selected areas and make adjustments to the indicator list as needed.
9. Publish and promote a report on the data findings for each indicator that creates a baseline to educate the public and measure progress over time.
10. Mobilize community planning and action.

• Every 1-2 years check your progress and republish your report
• Every 2-5 years re-examine your indicators
• Every 5-10 years revisit your community vision

Online Resources and Tools

National Civic League, Healthy Communities Initiative
www.ncl.org
The Healthy Communities Initiative (HCI) promotes a collaborative community-based approach to addressing health and quality-of-life issues. The National Civic League is helping communities gather data to assess the community; set benchmarks to measure progress; and implement action plans to address a broad range of social as well as health problems.

The National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership
http://www2.urban.org/nnip
The National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership (NNIP) is a collaborative effort by the Urban Institute and local partners to further the development and use of neighborhood-level information systems in local policymaking and community building.

Redefining Progress, Community Indicators Network (CINet)
www.rprogress.org
Redefining Progress is engaged in a broad effort to promote the development of new indicators of progress at the local and national level, and has identified nearly 150 community indicator efforts throughout the country. The goal of CINet is to link existing and emerging local indicator initiatives and facilitate information exchange among them. CINet provides resources and support via the Internet, targeted publications and leadership retreats for community activists working on indicators.

Sustainable Communities Network
www.sustainable.org
The Sustainable Communities Network (SCN) connects citizens with the resources they need to implement innovative processes and programs to restore the economic, environmental and social health of their communities. The SCN website contains community indicator case studies, resources and links in the Creating Community section.

The Urban Institute, National Neighborhood Indicators Project
www.urban.org
The National Neighborhood Indicators Project (NNIP) is managed by the Urban Institute, working in partnership with neighborhood indicator initiatives in seven cities: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Oakland, and Providence. NNIP is facilitating the development and expansion of neighborhood information systems, and integrating this information with asset mapping and local policy planning.

Hart Environmental Data
www.sustainablemeasures.com
Develops indicator that measures progress. It explains what indicators are, how they relate to sustainability and how they can be used.
Jacksonville, FL-Upgrade Project
www.jcci.org/upgrade/upintro.htm
A listserve were nine workgroups update the Jacksonville Quality of Life project and post questions.

Los Angeles-State of the Region
www.scag.ca.gov
Southern California Association of Governments. Includes maps and indicators for the State of the Region report.

Minnesota Milestones
www.mnplan.state.mn.us/mm

Missoula, MT- Measures
www.co.missoula.mt.us/measures/index.html
Each indicator includes data ratings, availability, reliability and relevancy. With comparisons to other cities and states. Interests included: healthy democracy, volunteerism, art and culture.

National Academy of Sciences
www.nas.edu
Assessment of Performance Measures in Public Health: Phase I

Ontario Quality of Life index
/www.2ontario.com/welcome/oo_000.asp#ooql

Oregon
www.econ.oregon.gov
Performance measurement updates, articles and references

Oregon Benchmarks
www.oregon.gov/DAS/OPB/obm_pubs.shtml#NEW__2005_County_Data_Book

Pittsburgh-Post-Gazette's PG Benchmarks
www.post-gazette.com/benchmarks
Comparisons with other cities along with charts and indicators. Interest on technology and innovation; downtown vitality.

Portland, Or-Benchmarks
www.portlandonline.com/auditor/index.cfm?c=27358
This project identifies, monitors, and reports on 100 indicators for community-wide goals. It is also a catalyst for government, business, and community groups to improve indicator performance.

Redwood City, CA-Quality of Life index
www.redwoodcity.org
Quality of Life Goals are measured annually against indicators. Focusing on diversity and older citizens.

Redefining Progress-Community Indicator Projects on the Web
www.rprogress.org/sustainability_indicators/community_indicators.htm
Listserve, profiles of community indicators, projects on the web and frequently asked questions.

Reno, NV-Truckee Meadows Tomorrow
http://www.truckeemeadowstomorrow.org/indicators

San Diego-Quality of Life
www.qolsandiego.net
Oneline reports in the area of criminal justice, drug and alcohol abuse.

San Francisco-Sustainable City
www.sustainable-city.org
A 5-year sustainability plan.

San Jose-Sustainable City
www.sanjoseca.gov/esd/sustainablecity.htm
The process of developing indicators.

San Mateo County, CA-Sustainable
www.sustainablesanmateo.org
They have reports dating back to 1998.

Santa Monica, CA-Sustainable City
www.smgov.net/epd/scp/index.htm

Sustainable Seattle
www.sustainableseattle.org

Tucson, Livable-Vision Program
www.ci.tucson.az.us/livable2.html
Complete with goals and indicators. Each goal contains: definition; what the community said; city department/office support for the goal; key indicators of progress; and what you can do.

United Kingdom
www.quality.co.uk
Performance measurement updates, articles and references

Suggested Reading

British Columbia Population Health Resource Branch, 1995. Health Indicator Workbook: A Tool for Healthy Communities. 2nd ed. Victoria, British Columbia: British Columbia Ministry of Health and Ministry Responsible for Seniors.

Gruenewald, P. J. et. al, 1997. Measuring Community Indicators; A Systems Approach to Drug and Alcohol Problems. Applied Social Research Methods Series, Volume 45. Sage Publications.

Join Together, 1997. A Community Substance Abuse Indicators Handbook. [Available from Join Together at 617-437-1500].

The Pasadena/Altadena Health Partnership, 1998. Summary of Pasadena & Altadena Community Health Assessments, 1992-1998 [Available from the City of Pasadena, Public Health Department at 626-744-6061].

Tyler Norris Associates, Redefining Progress and Sustainable Seattle, 1997. The Community Indicators Handbook [ Available from Redefining Progress at 415-781-1191].

Urban Institute, 1996. Democratizing Information: First Year Report of the National Neighborhood Indicators Project. Washington D.C. [Available from the Urban Institute at 202-833-7200].

© Public Health Institute, Center for Civic Partnerships 2007

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