In reply to the query about civic indicators, there are a range of
examples internationally and it is great to see in australia some real
thinking around this here. The difficulty i see is choosing indicators
that are reflective of our ability to act at a local level rather than
civic indicators that may reflect the impact of state or federal policy
inputs. In australia, for example, housing affordability is more a
reflection of poor state and federal policies for us, so there are less
community level indicators that are necessarily useful to measure that
can prompt us to act. 

At ICLEI Oceania, we have just developed an inventory that outlines what
data is useful to measure to manage alcohol-related harms at the place
level (i.e. municipal/local government level).

We have included some "social determinants" relevant to this specific
subject, and over time plan to replicate the approach for other key
areas of health, until we have a common set of determinants-level
indicators for safe and health cities/regional centres/rural towns.

Our indicators at the community level have been selected based on
datasets that are amenable to local action, so for alcohol responses for
example, we looked through the "place-based determinants" of alcohol and
identified diversity of businesses operating in the night-time economy,
late night pubic transport access, alcohol outlet density, etc as key
indicators at the community level.

We have also applied an equity lens to this work so that we know when we
should analyse the data about these "determinants" by area-level
disadvantage and when by sub-populations facing the greatest inequity.

There is a bit more information here:
http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=9214

Happy to discuss the methodology further, i am now using a similar
method for whole-of-community rather than just through a
municipal/place-based "determinants" filter.
m.
-- 
Mark Boyd
Director - Cities for Safe and Healthy Communities
ICLEI Oceania

Level 5, 267 Collins Street, Melbourne 3000

Ph: 03 9660 2224
Mob: 0403 204 394
Web: www.iclei.org/oceania/cshc


On Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:31 -0500, "Ken Coulter"
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Morning all,
> 
> Is anyone aware of civic indicators (i.e. quality of life indicators) 
> programs maintained at the community level that uses SDOH as the "filter" 
> for determining indicator selection?
> 
> We've been using "sustainability indicators" for years in our quality of 
> life studies,showing the interplay between the economy, society and 
> environment. We feel it's critical that we shift our focus for indicator 
> selection and data collection to encompass SDOH...which I believe will
> not 
> require much of a shift in the values that underpin our efforts.
> 
> Ken Coulter
> Executive Director
> Community Quality Institute
> Sault Ste. Marie ON
> 
> To leave, manage or join list:
> https://listserv.yorku.ca/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=sdoh&A=1

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