INFORMING SOCIETY The State of the USA

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INFORMING SOCIETYThe State of the USA
Community Indicators Consortium Third
International Conference Burlington,
Vermont December 1, 2005
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• 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

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Strengthen 21st Century Democracy By
Disseminating the USAs Vital Signs to Help
The American People Answer Essential
Questions - What key facts measure national
progress? - Whats going well and what isnt? -
Who is being affected and how? - Compared to
what? - Where might things head in the future?
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Overview

• What We Are Doing
• The Need and the Opportunity
• A Viable Solution
• How We Are Doing It
• Leadership and Involvement
• Strategy and Implementation
• Why It Will Make a Difference
• Impact and Value

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The Need and the Opportunity

• Factual information on conditions in the USA is
  so fragmented, inconsistent or overwhelming that
  its hard to know where we are, how we are doing
  and where we might be going.
• Large investments have produced much valuable
  data on the US, but they are not easy for most
  people to find and use.
• There is a pressing need for more independent,
  reliable, transparent and high-quality
  information sources.
• Important national and individual choices are too
  often framed, discussed and made based on
  inadequate, incomplete or biased information
  without a widely shared base of factual knowledge.

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Initial Audiences

• Civic leaders, nonprofit organizations and
  foundations.
• Editors, journalists and media organizations.
• Government policy makers at all levels of
  society.
• Business leaders and wholesale information
  providers.
• Interested and engaged citizens and interest
  groups.

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Example The United Kingdom

• System Type Comprehensive national system with a
  learning orientation
• Duration Initiated in 2001.
• Population Penetration Scalable from 30,000
  neighborhoods to the national level
• Indicator Areas Agriculture, Fishing,
  Forestry Commerce, Energy, Industry Crime
  Justice Economy Education Training Health
  Care Labour Market Natural Build Environment
  Public Sector Population Migration Social
  Welfare Transport, Travel, Tourism
• Applications Information used to better inform
  choices on 3B in national grants
• Indicator Sources Developed in cooperation with
  Oxford University
• Funding 60M pound investment from parliament
• ROI Should increase with other applications
  cumulative 0.5 improvement in targeting grants
  breaks even in 4 years

http//www.statistics.gov.uk/
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Example Australia

• ABS has a worldwide reputation for statistical
  excellence
• National comprehensive indicator system has been
  developed using a suite of human, social,
  natural, and financial capital indicators to
  assess progress
• ABSs first annual Measures of Australias
  Progress Report was published in 2002
• Indicators were developed in consultation with
  experts and a community of users
• Initiative has independent institutional funding
  and a data infrastructure in place
• Return-on-investment could increase with a more
  interactive, engaging Web-based solution

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)
http//www.abs.gov.au
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Now is the Time for a U.S. Key Indicator System

• Information infrastructures offer true economies
  of scale.
• Major new investments being made in data
  collection / availability.
• The practice of key indicator systems is
  developing quickly.
• The next generation of systems and products is
  ready to be built.
• There is a window of opportunity for
  international leadership.
• Marginal investments in dissemination have high
  potential payoffs.

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Example World Forum on Key Indicators

• Purpose Coordinated global community of practice
  to study the development and implications of
  national indicator systems
• Site Content Contains a Knowledge Base on
  National and International Experiences of
  existing and developing systems around the world
• Events First forum of its kind held in November
  2004 in Palermo, Italy OECD is currently
  planning its next event
• Institutional Sponsors Italian government
  ministries (e.g., Italian National Institute of
  Statistics) Participants 44 countries, 500
  representatives, OECD officials, over 100
  speakers and panelists, and over 3,000
  participants by live webcast

OECD World Forum
http//www.oecd.org/oecdworldforum
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A Viable Solution The State of the USA

• Provide a single source of the essential
  indicators of U.S. position and progress, with
  both a local relevance and global context.
• Develop a civic and scientific process to select
  and continually improve a State of the USA
  indicator set.
• Provide products and services to improve the
  understanding and decision-making of targeted
  audiences.
• Help make a lasting contribution to American
  democracy through an enduring public/private
  partnership.

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State of the USA Indicator Set Framework (v.0.8)
THE PEOPLE Health Shelter Education, science and
innovation Safety Children, Families and
Aging Communities Civic Engagement Democracy
Governance National Security Values Culture
THE ECONOMY Employment Consumption Productivity In
frastructure Money Finance Business and
markets Government The World Economy

• Quality of Life
• Growth
• Opportunity
• Liberty
• Diversity
• Mobility
• Poverty
• Sustainability
• Justice

THE ENVIRONMENT The American Landscape Soils,
Water and Air Animal and Plant Life Goods and
Services from the Environment
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State of the USA Web Site Features

• Serves needs of diverse agendas
• Covers multiple levels of society
• Constantly updated
• Always available, one-stop shop
• Interactive and engaging
• Rigorous quality assurance
• Allows self-customization
• Continually improves over time
• Highly transparent to all
• Multimedia approach

Comprehensive Selective Authoritative Accessible V
aluable
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Guiding Principles

• Open, inclusive and transparent process
• Content shaped by extensive dialogue and diverse
  perspectives
• Grounded in a broad-based public/private
  partnership
• Independent reporting of quality, reliable data
• Non-partisan, non-ideological, fair and balanced
• Assembly not collection, dissemination not
  interpretation
• Accessible, valuable and user-friendly products

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Overview

• What We Are Doing
• The Need and the Opportunity
• A Viable Solution
• How We Are Doing It
• Leadership and Involvement
• Strategy and Implementation
• Why It Will Make a Difference
• Impact and Value

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Leadership and Involvement

• High-caliber leadership group with a
  representative character
• Extensive involvement with diverse group of
  leading institutions in American society
• Substantial network of relationships with
  existing practitioners, stakeholders, and
  experts locally, nationally, and globally
• Incubated by The National Academies, in
  coordination with others at federal, state and
  local levels as well as with diverse demographic
  communities, professional and interest groups.

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Current KNII Organizational StructureDevelopment
Phase
National Coordinating Committee
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Steering Committee

• Ron Blackwell, Chief Economist, AFL-CIO
• Derek Bok, 300th Anniversary Professor, President
  Emeritus, Harvard University
• Donald Borut, Executive Director, National League
  of Cities
• Richard Cavanagh, President, The Conference Board
• William Clark, Harvey Brooks Professor of
  International Science, Public Policy and Human
  Development, Environment and Natural Resources
  Program, Harvard University
• Michael Delli Carpini, Dean, The Annenberg
  School, University of Pennsylvania
• William J. Dennis, Senior Research Fellow,
  National Federation of Independent Business -
  Educational Foundation
• Harvey Fineberg, President, Institute of
  Medicine, The National Academies (Chair)
• Robert Groves, Director, Survey Research Center,
  University of Michigan
• Christopher Hoenig, KNII Executive Committee
  Chair, Vice-President of Strategy, IBM BCS
• Suellen Keiner, Vice President for Academy
  Programs, National Academy of Public
  Administration
• Patricia McGinnis, President CEO, The Council
  for Excellence in Government
• Kenneth Prewitt, Carnegie Professor of Public
  Affairs, Columbia University
• Jane Ross, Director, Center for Economic,
  Governance, and International Studies, The
  National Academies
• Corrine Yu, Director of Education, Leadership
  Conference on Civil Rights/Leadership Conference
  on Civil Rights Education Fund

Current membership. Does not include
Government Observers
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National Coordinating Committee Role

• To Help Shape the Direction of the KNII by
  Representing and Serving as a Bridge to American
  Society

• Provide guidance and feedback
• Facilitate outreach and stimulate engagement
• Promote awareness and education
• Participate in KNII activities

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National Coordinating Committee

• BLS, Census, BEA, HHS
• GAO
• National Academies, CNSTAT
• National Academy of Public Adm.
• National League of Cities, ICMA
• CICS, ARS, NNIP, NICS
• AFL-CIO
• Leadership Council on Civil Rights
• Heritage Foundation
• Harvard, MIT, CMU, USC
• The Conference Board
• National Council of State Leg.
• Council of State Governments

• NASACT
• National Science Foundation
• Brookings Institution
• OMB, CEQ
• Center for Public Integrity
• Union of Concerned Journalists
• Natl Association of Counties
• National Consumers League
• The Private Sector Council
• Council for Excellence in Govt.
• National Governors Association
• NAAAP

Selected members for illustrative purposes only
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Strategy and Implementation

• Build an approach based on key success factors
  from other systems and make adjustments for a
  U.S. national solution.
• Build institutional foundation with leading
  information brands in U.S. society,
  coordinating with all levels of government.
• Focus on achieving best possible balance of
  relevance, value, credibility and legitimacy.
• Create viable economic model through combination
  of endowment, membership and value-added
  services.

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Roadmap for KNII Implementation
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Goals for CY 2005

• Create version 1.0 State of the USA indicator
  Set
• Develop advanced pilot of indicator set for
  Safety
• Demonstrate prototype web and print-based
  products
• Understand required technical architecture and
  infrastructure
• Lay institutional foundations

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Overview

• What We Are Doing
• The Need and the Opportunity
• A Viable Solution
• How We Are Doing It
• Leadership and Involvement
• Strategy and Implementation
• Why It Will Make a Difference
• Impact and Value

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Impact and Value

• Broader audience understanding of changing
  conditions
• Improved base of shared factual knowledge
• Enriched civic dialogue
• More informed choices
• Enhanced collaboration and problem solving

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Impact and Value Illustrations

• Non-Profits and Governments Better strategies
  resource allocation choices on investments in
  complex issues (e.g. short and long-range fiscal
  challenges, health care, education)
• Media New information and tools that improve
  productivity and depth of reporting on
  cross-cutting issues (e.g. energy and resource
  sustainability, regional issues)
• Business Better insight into broad societal
  patterns and trends for planning, investment and
  product/service creation(e.g. socio-economic
  trends by geographic and demographic groups)
• Citizens and Interest Groups Increased
  confidence and better understanding of issues and
  how they are affecting their interests(e.g.
  health care and the economy, international
  economics jobs)

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Contact Information for Follow-Up

• Harvey Fineberg, President, Institute of
  MedicineThe National Academies Chairman, KNII
  Steering Committee 202.334.3300 or
  fineberg_at_nas.edu
• Christopher Hoenig, Vice-President of Strategy,
  IBM Business Consulting Services 202.265.1468 or
  christopherhoenig_at_earthlink.net
• Jane Ross, Project Director, The National
  Academies 202.334.2092 or jross_at_nas.edu