USA Secondary Cities Need Improved Measurement Approaches
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Survey of Planning, Public Works and Policy Makers Flags Measurement Need
Toronto, July 12, 2022 – A recent survey of over 200 municipal leaders in the United States provides strong insight into the challenges of using data in a meaningful way. CivicPulse, a US-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting local government leaders through open data and research, surveyed planning, public works and policymakers at a time when the need for data to drive change is becoming increasingly recognized.
For data to be useful in making decisions, leaders and decision-makers need to be able to access comprehensive information in a timely, usable way. If data is missing or isn’t absolutely understandable to municipal leadership, evidence-driven decision-making is not possible. Many municipalities face challenges in establishing a framework, acquiring the data and using it effectively.
Values are number of respondents out of 210. Respondents could choose more than one answer.
“Increasingly, the health and wellbeing of the world’s people depend upon the effectiveness of their city,” says Don Simmonds, Chief Executive Officer of CitiIQ. “Municipal leaders face immense challenges and benefit greatly when comprehensive, comparable data can guide their decisions.”
This need has compelled CitiIQ to create a unique “out of the box” measurement framework for an entire city. It enables the adoption of a comparable standard within 2 weeks and delivers quarterly updates on an ongoing basis. CitiIQ obtains the data, applies its algorithm for normalization and scoring and provides a cloud-based dashboard and set of presentation tools.
Accurate and consistent data collection is critical for optimal growth and development of USA cities and measuring the effectiveness of new investments in infrastructure. Local, regional, national, and international investor confidence is significantly increased where progress over time can be reliably measured and reported. Mid-size cities and towns need to institute accurate data measures to resource their needs, fundamental to building capacity for growth and it is imperative that they adopt a consistent scoring system to accelerate an effective data culture.
Elected officials and policy leaders in USA municipalities also place a high value on being able to compare themselves with other municipalities of a similar population. Gains or losses in performance (economic, social, environmental) are most notable where municipalities are seen as peers.
Frequent and accessible data for local governments and their citizens supports more effective decision-making. The CitiIQ dashboard can become a common point of reference across the complex interactions of society. Data also plays an increasingly vital role as the currency of equity and support for vulnerable populations. CitiIQ provides a point of reference for the values of solidarity, responsibility, transparency, and service that characterize intermediary cities.
The key benefits of subscribing to the CitiIQ measurement system are:
Low Cost
Global Standard
Comprehensive
Converts raw data to scores out of 100
Comparable to other cities
Quarterly updating and trending
Scoring as a service (not requiring staff)
Online dashboard (no software development)
Satisfies financier reporting requirements
Compatible with other measures (i.e., SDG’s)