Social Indicators Overview Making a difference... and knowing it
Outline of conversation: What are indicators? Why should we care? What can they tell us? Who's part of the global movement? How can we make data more exciting? Where can we find out more? When will this guy stop talking?
“If we could first know where we are and whither we are tending, we could better judge what to do, and how to do it …” – Abraham Lincoln
“In some ways, the best news for Jacksonville is the [Quality of Life Progress] Report itself. The very premise of the report, and of JCCI, is the belief in Jacksonville as a community where the problems of some are the responsibility of everyone.” –The Florida Times-Union
“What gets measured, gets done.” – Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton
What is an Indicator? describes A number which describes a condition tells a story A measurement that tells a story Data that inspire action
Understanding numbers Bit = basic unit of measurement of information Byte = Sequence of 8 bits Kilobyte = 1,024 bytes Megabyte = 1,024 kilobytes Gigabyte = 1,024 megabytes Terabyte = 1,024 gigabytes Petabyte = 1,024 terabytes Exabyte = 1,024 petabytes, or 185,620,362,241,702,000,000 bytes We created 161 exabytes of data last year. That’s more than the number of stars in 2 BILLION galaxies.
Planning councils use indicators to: address community issues assess community initiatives shape policy and resource decisions raise community awareness
The Social Indicators Initiative is designed to: provide tools to address issues share impacts of initiatives shape policy and resource decisions raise national awareness
Social Indicators Initiative outcomes: Forums and Conferences 2002 “From the Bottom Up” report Leading Social Indicators report 2006 Social Indicators report update
Format National trendline State variances Local trend-bending initiatives Data, links, and additional information
Example: Juvenile Arrests National trend: downward
Story: Northern California Council for the Community Keeping Youth Safe: A Report on Violence Prevention Community collaboration Increased after-school programming Job training Community involvement
Story: Northern California Council for the Community Local trend: downward, faster
Story: Community Council of Greater Dallas Dallas County Youth Development Program Community Vision 85,000 hours after-school prevention services Community involvement
Story: Community Council of Greater Dallas Local trend: now below U.S. average
Example: Mother Education National trend: slightly downward
Story: Community Services Planning Council, Sacramento California Teenage Pregnancy Community Health Plan Teen Pregnancy Prevention Committee Collaboration among high schools, teen parent programs, after school program providers, hospitals, educators
Story: Community Services Planning Council, Sacramento California Local trend: downward, faster
Story: Center for Community Solutions, Cleveland Ohio LEAP (Learning, Earning, and Parenting program) DePaul Young Parent Program GRADS (Graduation, reality, and Dual- Skills program)
Story: Center for Community Solutions, Cleveland Ohio Cleveland trend: Reverse trendline
Story: Center for Community Solutions, Cleveland Ohio County trend: Below national average
Implications Move conversation beyond outcome measures to effectiveness and efficiency
Making data more exciting: Housing prices
Making data more exciting: Housing prices
Data Display Tools: Gapminder Many Eyes Swivel
Data Display Tools: Gapminder Many Eyes Swivel
Data Display Tools: Gapminder Many Eyes Swivel
Data Display Tools: Gapminder Many Eyes Swivel
“Knowledge is in every country the surest basis of public happiness. In one in which the measures of government receive their impressions so immediately from the sense of the community as in ours it is proportionably essential.” -- George Washington
For the latest in indicators news, check communityindicators.blogspot.com
Leading Social Indicators Measuring what’s important Making a difference and knowing it Thank you.