Benchmarking Central Ohio: The Design and Implementation of a Successful Community Benchmarking Project

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Benchmarking Central OhioThe Design and
Implementation of a Successful Community
Benchmarking Project

• NNIP Meeting, Columbus
• June 20, 2013

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What is Community Benchmarking?
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Benchmarking Central Ohio

• 2005 Columbus Partnership convened a meeting of
  local stakeholders discuss the need for, and
  feasibility of, a Columbus benchmarking project
• CRP asked to design and implement this project
• 2006 Multiple funders (philanthropic, corporate,
  and public) agree to support the project
• Columbus Partnership identified several guiding
  principles for the project

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Six Guiding Principles

1. Benchmark against both similar and best-in-class
   communities
2. Select indicators from a broad framework, with a
   focus on economic competitiveness
3. Get advice from local experts
4. Use easily accessible, recent data
5. Produce a product that is useful to a wide
   audience
6. Provide regular updates

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Project Advisory Group

• Local stakeholders and experts in key topic areas
• Select comparison communities and geographies
• Select indicators and data sources
• Provide feedback on the draft report
• Discuss ways to broaden the community
  conversation

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Geography

• Use Census MSAs for comparison
• Peer communities and aspirational cities
• 15 Comparison metro areas from a list of 35

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Indicators

• 54 primary indicators from a list of over 100
• Divided into topic areas
• Population Vitality population, diversity, age,
  households
• Economic Strength business, economy, workforce
• Personal Prosperity income, poverty, housing
• Lifelong Learning language, education,
  libraries, research
• Community Wellbeing health, civic engagement,
  transportation, culture, environment

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Evolution of the Report

• Most recent report Benchmarking Central Ohio
  2011
• Fourth edition (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011)
• Columbus Partnership, The Columbus Foundation
• 76 primary indicators
• 5-years of historical trend data for Columbus
• Primary indicator data for the 100 largest metro
  areas
• First spin-off report Greater Milwaukee
  Foundations Vital Signs 2013 Benchmarking
  Metro Milwaukee
• In the works Benchmarking Central Ohio 2013

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