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 During the St. Louis National Stewardship Forum, a group of about twenty attendees met to discuss the formation of an affinity group around indicator initiatives. Two major objectives guided the meeting: (1) to determine whether there was enough interest in the formation of an affinity group, and (2) to determine the focus and purpose of the affinity group. It was clear that there was enough interest in its formation. Discussions around the second objective centered on four questions:
1. What are the interests around indicators?
- Making data citizen-friendly
- Measuring the important things—deciding what information to collect
- Dealing with disparity issues and measures
- Identifying a shared set of indicators across regional, municipal, and neighborhood levels
- More information on the visioning process and process framework
- Converting data into action—how are organizations using data to set an agenda?
- Getting message out in real stories—making it understandable
2. What can the Alliance do?
- Best practice stories—on the development of indicator initiatives, uses of indicators, how to engage citizenry, etc.
- Inventory of indicator projects—purpose, indicators covered, budget, staffing, etc.
- Assessment of existing data sets—federal, state, local
- Have Alliance develop shared tools
- Have Alliance develop framework for “scaleable” indicator initiatives
- Have Alliance develop a matrix of models—alternative ways to go
3. What are the benefits of indicators?
- Understanding the potential impact of indicator initiatives
- Indicators as tools—how do we use them?
- Indicators with a user focus
4. What can an Affinity Group do?
- Networking
- Share tools and procedures
- Joint research and development
The Indicator Affinity Group is in its formative stages. If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or are interested in participating, please contact us at info@regionalstewardship.org.
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