26 Reasons Why We Need Community Indicators

I came across a terrific justification for a community to maintain a set of indicators based upon data that has been collected under scientific rigor.

You see, we humans are prone to cognitive bias. Because we have brains that work the way they do, we can make the wrong choices believing they are the best of all possible ones. As this site explains, what we think is right, might well be wrong.

Because we are human, we seem to need objective references points to avoid what we humans naturally do. This says nothing about any individual's intentions, beliefs, or political affiliation.

It's very human for any leader to listen to his gut. But we're wise if we maintain some validating data to confirm what the living entrails suggest. Community Indicators are that kind of data.

Two Declarative Sentences

"All change rests on the full, albeit temporary acceptance of the way things are." Virginia Satir

Walla Walla City Council Member Barbara Clark sent an email yesterday afternoon, asking for two declarative sentences describing how the Port-sponsored Community Indicator Initiative is different from what Riding The Wave is doing.

Here's my response:

"The Port's initiative is about implementing an inclusive process for putting on public display, data representing the way it is (and has been). As I understand it, RTW is about using that data to change the way it is."

Proposal

Early this morning, Amy and I completed our proposal to the Port. As always, the level of scrutiny we subjected this initiative to was both extensive and inadequate. No amount of looking today will ever give anyone a clear view of tomorrow, much less a few months from now. Yet an initial inquiry can uncover patterns, what I call viscosity and velocity. How steep is the climb? How fast is anyone likely to make it to the top?

We concluded from our last two weeks' investigation that we can add value, given some conditions and explicit agreements. What these conditions and agreements are, I'll save for after the Port has reviewed our proposal. One of our options was to just forgetaboutit. It's important to consider not doing something before stopping becomes too difficult to do.

Every initiative starts as a bright idea. Bright ideas are bright, shiny, and wholly unmanageable. The purpose of the proposal process is to consider deeply what this bright idea might be, and what it might become. We refer to this work as 'designing the project.' Many projects are not explicitly designed, but emerge, bright and shiny at the beginning, into a world they are wholly unprepared to cope with. When these efforts get the sniffles, they fall apart.

A well-designed initiative does not lean upon 'flat earth, benevolent God' assumptions. Instead, it acknowledges the world as it is and considers how to cope with that world, rather than trying to flatten the topography or pleading for divine intervention. So, we looked at similar initiatives here. How they worked and how they didn't, and proposed a strategy designed to work here.

Every good proposal complicates, and often utterly changes, the originating bright idea. Then both the proposer and the proposee encounter a dedication test. Can I stomach these complications? If so, the initiative might succeed. In not, it can reasonably anticipate encountering one damned thing after another disrupting the flow.

When I stand at the base of a pinnacle, I want to see the view from the top. I might overlook the inevitably dangerous route that must take me there. I know that none of my proposals ever delight my sponsor. He wants his bright, shiny idea, not the smashed finger, scraped knee, and sunburned forehead we should both reasonably expect from a challenging climb. Will we delight in the view from the top even after the harrowing climb? Best that we ask that question before we begin.

What Data Does The Port Maintain Now?

We've had a lot of questions about what data the Port maintains now. Here's a link to the Port's economic data page. If you have some time, you can look through the separate files.

Port Economic Data link here

What will be different after the Community Indicators Site is up? Look at a sample page from Spokane's site here. See the difference for yourself.

1. The same old data will be displayed more accessibly. God Bless Adobe Acrobat, but damn the download time. Currently, each data series has to be separately selected, downloaded, and opened in Reader (or, heaven forbid, your browser's Reader emulation). This makes clunky look streamlined! The replacement presentation will allow rapid browsing, and downloading only if you choose to use the data for something more, as well as easier updating.
2. Currently, once you download a .pdf file from this page, you have essentially a virtual paper page. Can't load the data into a spreadsheet for further analysis. The Community Indicator Initiative site will allow downloading into spreadsheet format for further manipulation.
3. The Port will have out-sourced a routine update of their data to a process designed and focused upon maintaining the data. This will off-load work from staff better focused upon economic development.
4. Notice how the Port's page focuses upon economic data. The CII site will include quality of life data not directly related to the Port's interest. Like this.

For an analysis of what data chosen by the Spokane CII effort might be presented on a Walla Walla CI site, see this spreadsheet. It also shows what of that data the Port currently tracks. Link here

This seems like a giant step forward. Please check it out for yourself. Make comments.

Green Light!

Long, busy day Wednesday.

Still wrestling with how this initiative might happen here.

Made a lot of phone calls. Spoke with Larry Duthie, Publisher of the Walla Walla Union Bulletin, who apologetically chewed on me a bit for apparently replicating what he understood Riding The Wave is already doing. I explained that the issue was not quite as simple as that. We've been talking with Riding The Wave principals since our earliest inquiries, and remain in touch.

Larry was concerned with exactly what we have been concerned about. That this Port-sponsored initiative not replicate, complicate, or fragment what Riding The Wave is already doing. Amen. This is an opportunity that, if properly positioned and well-managed, might amplify what RTW and others are already doing and aspiring to do. That's what we're aiming for!

Larry confided that UB Editor Rick Doyle had something that sounds like this initiative on his special projects list, so I emailed him about that. (He replied early this morning to say that he thought his idea was a little different, but that he'd passed my inquiry on to his business reporters.)

Riding The Wave's new board was meeting while I chatted with Larry, and later, Cathy Schaeffer, Watershed Planning Director for Walla Walla County's Watershed Planning Department and principal with the Riding The Wave group, called to explain that Riding The Wave's Board was, as we'd heard Tuesday, still forming and not yet constituted to get actively involved with this initiative, though individuals would certainly want to be involved. After a healthy and lengthy cross examination, where we heard ourselves starting to speak more clearly about what this initiative might be, Cathy agreed to carry a message back to RTW's Board, asking for their sanction and support. We want any question, like Larry's, to be easily resolved. "RTW is behind this 100%." We hope to be able to say that following their next meeting, next Wednesday.

I spoke with Rev. Doug Barram, who had just returned from a Commitment To Community Board meeting, where, surprise-surprise, the Port's CI Initiative was discussed. Doug, who describes himself as "an on the street" kind of guy, suggested I speak with someone more policy-minded on the CTC board. I connected with Liz McDevitt - Executive Director of the United Way in Walla Walla. She explained that at the prior CTC meeting, concerns were raised about the inclusiveness of the CI Initiative, and CTC had been preparing to complain. But after Tuesday's meeting, which Liz attended, it appeared that the process would include others besides just the economic indicator-interested. Liz says that the United Way will be very active in identifying indicators.

(Teri Barila, another RTW principal and CTC board member, returned my call just now and told her take on the story. She counsels that we carefully position this initiative so that the public understands we are not stealing RTW's ground.)

Late morning, Dr. Jones from EWU sent an email, suggesting his team visit next Thursday. I fussed about this request for a couple of hours, not feeling ready yet. I finally called Jim Kuntz, who is out of town, explained the situation and asked if he would be free Thursday. He agreed to Amy and I coordinating the EWU visit as an extension of our charter, so I started calling people who might be interested in visiting with this group. (Send me a note if you'd like to be involved.) They'll arrive at 10:30, meet at one in the Port's small conference room, and are agreeable to staying through the dinner hour.

Spent time on the phone with Randal Son of Many Waters , who might know more about community indicators than anyone else in the valley. We discussed existing networks and how those might be invited into indicator discussions.

I spoke with Jeffrey Townsend of Fancy Logo about the color palatte for the cloned website.

Also sent a note to Robert Rittenhouse of Walla Walla 2020 , inviting them into the conversation.

---- ---- --- ----

Okay, the initiative is coming into focus. Our sense that this would have to be broadly community-based has been validated. (I know we haven't finished our conversations yet. If we haven't spoken with YOU, and we should, contact us.) RTW can't convene the groups for the indicator conversations. This initiative will seek broad participation. We want every organization's seal of approval! We can get the process in place with the speculation that a local steward will emerge, as will the funding to support that stewardship.

Today, we will finalize our detailed proposal for how True North might add real value to this initiative. I'd better get working on that.

Ride the Wave

Yesterday's Ride the Wave group meeting was useful for us. It provided an opportunity for us to tell the story of this proposal and engage in a dialogue with some clearly interested people. Lots of good questions and helpful comments.

One question was, "Could the Ride the Wave group be the steward of the Community Indicators Initiative here?" No one could definitely say because the board is reconstituting. And the new board would need to decide. That process will take time. Michael Davidson, President and CEO of Tourism Walla Walla, was enthusiastic about the site. Dr VanAusdle, President of WWCC, suggested that a few key indicators just get posted immediately.

We were looking for a steward, concerned about governance. Before we give birth to it, we will be well-served to consider the responsibilities parenthood brings. And I'm informed by the Spokane CII, which found its own way without grand strategy or clear objectives. This seems to be the nature of emergent processes. They start where ever they start. They roam where they roam. Later, after an obvious success has been achieved, it's easy to conclude that grand strategy or clear objectives guided the success. Not! Not with emergent processes.

It might not matter how this initiative starts, who initially stewards it, what colors the freaking site palatte projects. Maybe this initiative just needs to ditch the inertia of rest in favor of the inertia of motion, believing that momentum will present opportunities as well as difficulties. Perhaps that will provide the perfect context for the real steward to appear. Once the baby's falling, someone's going to try to catch it. Or not.

Seal of Approval

Amy and I visited Dr. Patrick Jones and Dr. Dr. Linda Kieffer at Eastern Washington University yesterday to better understand how the Spokane Community Indicator Initiative (SCII) and its website works. We found their process and their site as pure as, well the adjacent glob of Schmaltz! (Seriously, this is my highest seal of approval!) Very nice work!!

There are some slippery complications with Walla Walla replicating what the SCII has been doing.

First, notice that I didn't say, "what the SCII has done." I chose this form because SCII isn't done yet, and, frankly never expects to be done. Starting a community indicator website is one of those forever events that might require only a small step to get inside, but has no exit. Their website calls what they are doing "a process, not a product." It's a fine process. With fine results. We should enter knowing there's no exit.

Second, the SCII was, and still is, an emergent effort. It started by accident. Continued through voluntary choice. Expanded through fortunate circumstance. Seemed to attract the support and funding it needed. And resulted in a satisfying result. The process by which that result was achieved isn't repeatable. This is no criticism, but an acknowledgment of how it was, and is. SCII is a happy marriage of convenience, but marriages of convenience are not anything like a certain ticket to paradise. How will our emergent process appear here?

Third, SCII has a champion in the person of Dr. Jones. This isn't a job assignment for him, but a resonance of his personal interests, passion, and professional skill. This means he doesn't count the hours, begrudge the difficulties, or sweat the complications. For him, doing this process is being who he is. Having such a champion is communicable and convenient. Others are inspired by someone so engaged. Effort is not contingent upon funding or scheduling. Stuff just gets done. How will stuff just get done here?

Fourth, SCII is fortunate to be working in such close association with Eastern Washington University. The website design and construction work was done by a grad student, with minimal supervision. The data detective work was (and is) accomplished by Mark Wagner, a data analyst on Dr. Jones' Institute for Public Policy and Economic Analysis staff, with grad student assistance. Lisa Capoccia, program coordinator on the IPPEA staff, facilitated meetings, coordinated contacting participants, and resolved a thousand complications. The focus groups and website development work was supported by what ultimately became a six figure grant. Part of the convergence this process experiences is the convergence between EWU's strategic objectives, IPPEA's passionate director and capable staff, EWU's Center for Digital Media Design and Development, and a supportive funding source. What will Walla Walla's process be like? Who will be our staff?

Fifth, the SCII process is fairly tightly coupled. The relationships are mind-reading close. This means that Dr. Jones can intuit meaning from focus group intention and, working with his staff, translate that into acceptable results. I'm wondering how, in the absence of Dr. Jones, meaning will be interpreted here.

Sixth, IPPEA is really offering two things to Walla Walla.

1. data detective services. We provide the question, for instance, how is the population distributed here? They search for sources and choose the most authoritative source, then feedback the resulting data series.
   
2. if the series is found acceptable, they format it and load it into the site. (This is a fairly simple process and requires no intervention from the Computer Science staff.)
   

What do we provide? We choose what questions are important and describe why they are important to us. (This description gets loaded onto the website, too.) Who will say what questions are important here? Who will verify that a given data series is acceptable? Who will write up the explanations?

I could go on. The challenge here is to create, not replicate, an emergent, self-sustaining, long-lived process for initiating and maintaining a community indicators website. The initiating activities will, as with all emergent processes, deeply influence the later life of the process. This means that the initial implementation of the site cannot be accomplished by out-of-long-term-context subcontractors without incurring some long-term reconfiguration costs, but seems to need a deeply caring steward. Someone willing, even anxious, to make this effort a part of their life's work.

The process is relationship sensitive. The trust elicited in the sessions to decide what's important will be leverageable only if the relationships continue. Switching in and out will hamper the long-term viability.

The Port has proposed funding the initial creation of the site and agreed to funding EWU's site hosting and data maintenance fees, but the funding for the staff required to maintain the process here is missing. This isn't a full time job, but it is a long-term commitment. Not something that a volunteer committee, for instance, can likely satisfy.

This opportunity seems to present a larger opportunity for Walla Walla to decide that a Community Indicators process is an essential part of life here, and to fund the full ramifications of that decision with a passionate director and adequate staff. Otherwise, I'd classify this as an alluring bright idea with few long-term prospects.

The site architecture is excellent. Dr. Kiefer's insistence that her students engage in real-world development work with real clients has resulted in a world-class website. I have no reservations about utilizing this technology to display indicators here. We brought Tom Heavey, formerly the IT guy for Spokane's Hoopfest and now an IT manager at Avista (Spokane's electric utility), and one of the architects of Spokane's Hot Zone, to our meeting with Dr. Kiefer. He found the website architecture appropriately conservative, exceptionally well designed, and robust.

Likewise the data detective services. These are world-class. I have no reservations in recommending these both for their resourcefullness and for the quality of their results. They know what they are doing and do it very well.