BENCHMARKING CENTRAL OHIO:The Design and Implementation of a Successful Community Benchmarking Project

NNIP Meeting, Columbus

June 20, 2013

What is Community Benchmarking?

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

BENCHMARKING CENTRAL OHIO

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

SIX GUIDING PRINCIPLES

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

PROJECT ADVISORY GROUP

Use Census MSAs for comparison

Peer communities and aspirational cities

15 Comparison metro areas from a list of 35:

Indianapolis Jacksonville Kansas City Louisville Milwaukee

Austin Charlotte Chicago Cincinnati Cleveland

Minneapolis Nashville Portland Raleigh San Diego

GEOGRAPHY

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

INDICATORS

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 Foundation’s Vital Signs 2013: Benchmarking Metro Milwaukee

In the works: Benchmarking Central Ohio 2013

EVOLUTION OF THE REPORT