Peg: A community indicators system for Winnipeggers

Working to improve community well-being

We are living in a unique time where ideas about open government and greater inclusiveness are combined via social technologies to effect real, different and meaningful change in communities around the world. Peg is a step in this direction for the city of Winnipeg in Manitoba Canada; it places detailed, accurate information on the state and determinants of their well-being in the hands of Winnipeggers to enhance community involvement and cross-sectoral attention to pressing community issues.

To achieve positive, measurable change, decision-making must be informed by credible data and relevant indicators. It is also important that as the community evolves, so too should the indicators. Continuous improvement and up-to-date data will contribute to the agility and responsiveness of all Winnipeggers and Winnipeg as a whole.

What is Peg?

Peg is a community indicator system (CIS) that has been developed for Winnipeg by Winnipeggers, lead by a community-wide consortium of partners spearheaded by IISD and the United Way of Winnipeg.

Peg's mission is to build the knowledge and capacity of Winnipeggers to work together to achieve and sustain the well-being of current and future generations.

To achieve its mission, Peg engages Winnipeggers in an ongoing process that:

How Peg Works

Once complete, Peg will help identify and, on an ongoing basis, track indicators that relate to the economic, environmental, cultural and social well-being of the people of Winnipeg. To understand what indicators need to be tracked, Peg will continually engage Winnipeggers to assess what they most value in their community and select the indicators that best reflect those values as progress is measured over time.

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Peg includes and presents data for each indicator through charts and maps on an ongoing basis through its web portal, along with stories from the community about how the issues underlying the indicators are reflected in the lives of Winnipeggers. The audience of Peg includes individuals, community groups and organizations in all sectors that can use the information to guide decision-making and collective action to achieve progress that reflects their values and aspirations.

The First Steps

In order to cut through the inherently complexity of community well-being and sustainability issues, Peg is taking a start small and learn-by-doing approach to advance CIS in Winnipeg through a demonstration project focusing on the cross-cutting issue of poverty.

The demonstration phase includes three key elements: defining the overall framework for the community indicators system, developing the web-based infrastructure underneath it and developing a pilot set of indicators focusing on the cross-cutting issue of poverty. The results of Peg's pilot phase focused on poverty indicators and the Peg website will be launched in fall 2010.

Peg's Partners

To deliver Peg, IISD is partnered with the United Way of Winnipeg, the Province of Manitoba, the City of Winnipeg, Health in Common, and a cross section of community interests and members to build the demonstration phase of the project.

A community-driven governance structure is critical to ensure Peg remains relevant, transparent and accountable to Winnipeggers.

imagePeg is governed by a Steering Committee, co-chaired by IISD and the United Way of Winnipeg, which will oversee the system over time. The Steering Committee includes a broad cross section of Winnipeggers, including several funders. The mandate of the committee is to ensure: the integrity of the system over time relative to all elements of the operating model (including indicator/data credibility); the business plan and associated work plans are fully implemented and results reported to funders; and the system is evaluated and continuously improved.

Peg also works with an Engagement Group – a broad-based group of Winnipeggers which will serve as a testing ground for ideas, direction and policy. The Engagement Group ensures that Peg is (and remains) relevant.

Various formal and informal technical groups have been formed to support the full development of each theme area within the Peg system and to ensure the technology supporting the system is maintained and enhanced over time.

The History behind Peg

Peg builds on IISD's first phase of work with the United Way of Winnipeg which was concluded in 2005. In that phase, dozens of Winnipeggers came to workshops and planning groups to consider the feasibility of and solidify the need for a community indicators system. Peg also builds on a joint initiative with the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs to develop Sustainability Indicators for Winnipeg's Urban First Nations Community.

The Future for Peg

IISD and the United Way of Winnipeg are developing a Business Plan for Peg in parallel with the demonstration project. The plan outlines Peg's current status, a governance structure, a three-year work plan, and a three-year budget and funding strategy.

For more information, please contact Christa Rust, Project Manager and CSIN Coordinator, IISD's Measurement & Assessment Program.