Download How We Are Doing It

INFORMING SOCIETY
The State of the USA
Measuring Society’s Progress
Bellagio, Italy
March 21, 2005
“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
Strengthen 21st Century Society By …
Disseminating the USA’s “Vital Signs”
to Help The American People
Answer Essential Questions
- What key facts measure national progress?
- What’s going well and what isn’t?
- Who is being affected and how?
- Compared to what?
- Where might things head in the future?
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
The Need and the Opportunity
 Factual information on conditions in the USA is so fragmented,
inconsistent or overwhelming that it’s 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.
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.
 Students, educators and researchers
 Interested and engaged citizens and interest groups.
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.
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.
State of the USA Indicator Set (v.0.9)
•Quality of Life
•Growth
•Opportunity
•Liberty
•Diversity
•Mobility
•Poverty
•Sustainability
•Justice
ECONOMY
SOCIETY
Production, Productivity, National Wealth
Individuals, Families, and Households
Employment and Labor Markets
Business
Financial Markets
Prices and Inflation
Government and Non-Profits
The World Economy
Children
Older Americans
Communities and Civic Engagement
Democracy and Governance
Education
Health Care
Research and Innovation
Safety
National Security
ENVIRONMENT
Landscape
Soil, Water and Air
Animals, Plants and Ecosystemse
Goods and Services
State of the USA Indicator Set (v.0.9) - Samples
•Quality of Life
•Growth
•Opportunity
•Liberty
•Diversity
•Mobility
•Poverty
•Sustainability
•Justice
THE ECONOMY
THE PEOPLE
•Real gross GDP
•Corporate profit
•Productivity - Output per hour
•Civilian unemployment
•Real disposable personal income
•Inflation (CPI)
•US Trade deficit/surplus
•US Federal budget deficit/surplus
•Federal funds rate
•Poverty rate
•Population distribution/density
•Educational proficiency
•Family literacy rates
•Disability adjusted life expectancy
•Voluntary associations
•Self-reported trust and fear
•Graduation rates
•Research expenditure/GDP
•Violent crime rates
•Time usage distribution
•Food and shelter security
THE ENVIRONMENT
•Ecosystem extent
•Urban proximity to land uses
•Chemical contamination
•Movement of nitrogen
•Mean temperature/precipitation
•Changes in stream flows
•Total species diversity
•Biological community condition
•Food, fiber, water withdrawals
•Energy and mineral supply mix
“National” Indicators in Context
National
International
State, Regional,
and Local
Key Balancing Factors for The State of the USA
Political
Legitimacy
Audience
Relevance
Scientific
Credibility
State of the USA – Web Portal Features
Comprehensive
Selective
Authoritative
Accessible
Valuable










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
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
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
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.
Current KNII Organizational Structure
Development Phase
Board of Governors
Steering Committee
National Coordinating
Committee
Executive Committee
Content
Development
Product/Service
Development
Institutional
Development
Steering Committee*
 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, Vice-President of Strategy, IBM Business Consulting Services
 Patricia McGinnis, President & CEO, The Council for Excellence in Government
 Marvin Langston, Senior Vice-President, SAIC
 Ron Blackwell, Chief Economist, AFL-CIO
 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
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
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
Nat’l Association of Counties
National Consumer’s League
The Private Sector Council
Council for Excellence in Govt.
National Governor’s Association
NAAAP
*Selected members for illustrative purposes only
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.
Our Journey to “The State of the USA”
Plan
2003-2004
Develop
2005-2006
Today
Produce
2007-2008
Grow
2009-2010
Progress to Date (Jan. 2003 – Mar. 2006)










Attracted diverse, talented leadership team
Assembled a broad-based coalition
Engaged with Governments at all levels
Serious Congressional interest
Developed organizational structure and strategic plan
Gained substantial financial and in-kind support
Conducted workshops on critical path issues
Established strategic partnerships
Produced State of the USA indicator set (version 0.9)
Produced demonstrations of State of the USA web portal
Roadmap for KNII Implementation
Development(‘05-6)
Production (‘07-8)
Growth (‘09-10)
Goal
Demonstrate viability of idea,
establish position, and lay
foundations for medium-term
Rollout high value and quality
State of the USA products and
services, LT foundations
Grow resource and user base
for full sustainability and lasting
value / impact
Actions
Versions 1-2 of indicator set
Versions 1-2 of products
Create institutional foundation
Build leadership team
Develop outreach program
Create production capacity
Rollout products/services
Succeed with initial audiences
Demonstrate adaptability
Expand user base
Improve product value
Refine capabilities
Create long-term capital
structure
Results
Create robust world class
indicator set, process, team,
products, network, services
and organization as a
foundation for large scale
production.
Create first State of the USA
products and services that
resonate with and engage
audiences – provoking new
and serious dialogues on
major national / global issues.
Create long-term sustainable
institution to consistently
present quality information that
enhances civic choices and
problem solving.
Lessons Learned and Continuing Challenges










Setting strategic priorities and expectations
Developing a viable indicator set design process
Getting the right people with the right commitment
Maintaining appropriate scope
Continually enhancing diversity and balance
Importance of user-based product design
The significance of evolving technologies
The key role of National Academies as incubator
Defining and differentiating the KNII
Alternatives for long-term sustainability
Fundamental Creative Tensions









Short vs. long-term issues
What’s vs. Why’s
Research vs. indicators
New vs. existing indicators
Creative possibilities vs. pragmatic applications
Input to decisions vs. making decisions
Simplicity vs. robustness
Stating questions vs. using available data
What we can do now vs. what we can do later
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
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
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)
Contact Information for Follow-Up
 Harvey Fineberg, President, Institute of Medicine;
The National Academies; Chairman, KNII Steering Committee;
202.334.3300 or [email protected]
 Christopher Hoenig, Vice-President of Strategy,
IBM Business Consulting Services; Executive Director, KNII
202.265.1468 or [email protected]
 Jane Ross, Project Director, The National Academies;
202.334.2092 or [email protected]