Collaboration to Promote Use of Community Indicators: Communication Is Key

Abstract

To play a meaningful role in quality-of-life efforts, organizations managing indicators initiatives must collaborate with others. After summarizing evidence-based factors that influence the success of collaboration, the chapter highlights factors of greatest potential interest to community indicators initiatives: Mutual understanding and trust, members see the collaboration as in their self-interest, multiple layers of participation, appropriate cross-section of members, and open and frequent communication. These factors are then explored through a case study of the community indicators project that we operate, Minnesota Compass. Finally, we end by outlining a tactical approach to communications and outreach that reinforces collaboration—and helps to ensure the use of indicators toward the broader goal of increasing overall quality of life.