NNIP and Community Indicator Projects

As members of NNIP, all local partner organizations recurrently collect and organize a variety of local administrative datasets at the address or neighborhood level, and then work with others to use the data towards a variety of goals.  Examples of such work include one-time in-depth analysis of a pressing community issue, ongoing analytic support for action coalitions, or technical assistance to government agencies. They may also publish neighborhood profiles with a variety of indicators selected in-house to make the data available to users.

About one-third of the partners also use data to inform community action through community indicator projects (see list below).  Community indicator projects:

• Use a deliberative process to select indicators that relate to community goals across a range of issues
• Update the indicators recurrently (most often annual or bi-annual)
• Sponsor a periodic review by stakeholders on how the community is doing
• Often include narrative explaining the importance of the indicator
• Are sometimes accompanied by more in-depth reports on highlighting an issue area
• Are sometimes tied to explicit action plans to “move the needle” on certain indicators

In 2013, the Urban Institute developed  annotated directory of local indicators as a resource by cataloging several leading community indicators efforts.  The purpose of the catalog was to identify local-level livability indicators and data sources that can be used to monitor dimensions of livability in communities undertaking creative placemaking efforts, but would be broadly applicable to quality of life efforts. The catalog can be accessed on the NEA project website.

Many NNIP partners are also active participants in the Community Indicators Consortium, which is an open learning network and global community of practice among persons interested or engaged in the field of indicators development and application

List of Indicators Projects Involving NNIP Partners