Creating and Using Community Report Cards

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Creating and Using Community Report Cards
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What is a community report card?

• A community report card
• Is a tool for reporting progress or lack of
  progress toward a community goal
• can serve to document and direct the progress
  toward that goal
• only brings a message.  The people who issue and
  receive it must be the actual agents of change.

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Why might you create a community report card?

• People understand it.
• Selection of a few key issues or categories helps
  focus attention for problem solving.
• Report cards effectively communicate a general
  message, yet allow for more specific levels of
  detail. 

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You might create a community report card

• To communicate the facts of a situation to your
  own group or a wider audience.
• To interpret the facts.
• To raise awareness of an issue in the general
  public or more specific audiences.
• To define goals.

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You might create a community report card (cont.)

• To prompt action.
• To influence policy.
• To help make a case for a new initiative.
• To be accountable to those you serve.
• To hold others accountable.

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What are the common elements of community report
card?

• A statement of purpose
• The report card itself
• Explanations of chosen indicators and benchmarks
• An objective measuring system that can show
  progress toward stated goals (dont overlook
  reporting the good news.)

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How do you create a community report card?

• Decide what your purpose is in producing a report
  card. Form a working group to determine what you
  want to communicate, to whom, and for what
  reason.
• Set a timeline for your project that relates to
  your goals.
• Determine the essential actors and actions.
• Identify indicators related to your goals.

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How do you create a community report card? (cont.)

• Identify benchmarks for each indicator that are
  meaningful and measurable.
• Determine your grading scale and system.
• Compile the data for your indicators and
  benchmarks, then translate into a grade based on
  your predetermined system.
• Produce the report card (print and/or electronic).

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How do you use a community report card?

• Publicize and distribute the report card.
• Tell people what they can do.
• Continue to call attention to the important
  grades and the actions you want them to prompt.
• Update the report card.