By Juliana Tillema

How did 25 people decide that the four most important indicators of health in the Twin Cities are diabetes, obesity, health care coverage and mental health admissions? The answer: By working in cross-sector teams, acting decisively, knowing the data, and dividing the work. And that’s the story of Twin Cities Compass. A community indicators project designed to measure the quality of life in the Twin Cities region over time, Twin Cities Compass is the result of a partnership between Wilder Research and community leaders.

Based on their expertise, more than 400 leaders – experts from academia, government, foundations, nonprofits and business – were invited by Wilder to participate in teams of 25 to 50 people. Over the course of just two meetings, each team – or advisory group – came to consensus about the two to four best indicators for each of nine topic areas.

Measuring Up

The indicators, or key measures, are organized by broad topic and range from health to civic engagement to the economy to transportation. The key measures are designed to show where the community stands currently and what the important trends are in each topic area.

Many of the key measures can be examined by race, place, income, age and gender, and are presented in easy- to-understand graphs and charts on www.tccompass.org. The raw data are downloadable for further manipulation.

In addition, the “More Measures” sections of the website provide links to research on each broad topic, fostering deeper understanding of specific issues. Wilder plans to re-convene the teams periodically to make sure the indicators continue to reflect community priorities.

Next up, however, is Minnesota Compass, an indicators project measuring community well-being across the state and its regions, to be unveiled later this fall.

Getting to Yes

How did the advisory groups work together and reach consensus so efficiently? Each group knew it was limited to only two meetings and had a hard deadline for deciding on their indicators, says Susan Brower, Wilder research associate, whose work focuses on Twin Cities Compass.

Two key criteria for the indicators were that they be responsive to local policy changes within a relatively short time period and that the data for the measures be regularly collected in the same way, Brower explains.

In some cases, groups knew what data wasn’t available, and this helped them focus. In other cases, like health, the advisory group wanted indicators that would be representative of major trends. The intention behind the four health indicators was to describe overall population health, as well as provide data on important sub-populations and major conditions.

A Cornerstone for Understanding Community Needs

At a recent seminar hosted by Wilder called “Fact-Based Fundraising,” which featured Twin Cities Compass as a tool for grant writers, Carolyn H. Roby, vice president, Social Responsibility Group for Wells Fargo Foundation Minnesota, spoke about the importance of using high-quality data to make the case for funding:
“The meaningful application of relevant data from trusted sources can provide the edge required to influence an individual or institutional funder to contribute for the first time or increase a contribution.”

Local grantmakers, many of whom helped develop the Twin Cities Compass indicators, rely on the data as a guide for understanding and prioritizing community needs, Roby said.

Indeed, explains Neal Cuthbert, vice president of program, The McKnight Foundation, having an informed, community-driven data source – that is useful to grantmakers, advocates, public officials and community leaders alike – is key to working together as partners to solve pressing community problems.

Housing is one McKnight focus area that has heavily used data from Twin Cities Compass, says Cuthbert, to establish a robust framework for the work of the foundation and its nonprofit partners.
“Twin Cities Compass tracks trends on the number of cost-burdened households. That provides the context for the specific information McKnight is collecting on the total number of affordable homes available at the state and regional levels. Together the information helps us shape policy discussions around the need to preserve, build and maintain affordable housing units.”

Making Data Accessible

Twin Cities Compass isn’t only for grantmakers or data experts. Part of the core mission of the service is to make Wilder researchers available to community organizations and advocates for technical assistance on data questions.

In some cases, Brower says, researchers will respond to requests by conducting specialized analysis of the data sources that feed Twin Cities Compass. In other cases, they may point community members to high-quality data sources outside of Twin Cities Compass and provide instruction on how to use them.

In addition, Twin Cities Compass provides a host of other relevant research related to the well-being of our region’s individuals and communities. Each of the nine topic areas has an “Ideas at Work” section, with information about current initiatives and research-based strategies for tackling community challenges.

An online library for each section is regularly updated with new, relevant research reports, and an RSS feed keeps users informed of the latest resources. The public can also submit research and reports to the library, creating an ever-expanding repository of resources of import to the community. A monthly “For Discussion” column highlights the thoughts of community leaders who create and rely on the research found on Twin Cities Compass.

Capitalizing on the Best Talent

Since some decisions made in philanthropy seem to happen behind closed doors, says Cuthbert, a collaborative project like Twin Cities Compass is good for the sector, as well as the community. Having common points of reference helps everyone who hopes to affect change hold themselves publicly accountable, he says.

The advisers behind Twin Cities Compass aspire to extend the founding partnership of researchers and community leaders to include all in need of data to drive decision-making – from the data savvy to the data phobic. From accessible data to approachable researchers willing to provide technical assistance, a collaborative spirit informs the work of Twin Cities Compass.

“Twin Cities Compass is proud of its work convening a multi-partisan group of people who may not have worked together in the past and who may traditionally work in silos,” says Paul W. Mattessich, executive director, Wilder Research. “Twin Cities Compass and Minnesota Compass are ways for the community as a whole to capitalize on the best talent available across Minnesota. And that’s what effective partnerships are all about.”

To learn more about Twin Cities Compass, visit www.tccompass.org. GF


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