One way citizens can become connected and inspired to create a better community is by orienting around data. Since our beginnings in 2001, SCOPE has devoted itself to bringing the community of Sarasota County together around data through:

• Annual community report cards
• People Count reports of census data, and
• Study group reports on various community challenges.

Through these efforts, Sarasotans have joined together to clarify and reflect upon local, present-day realities.  In these ways, our community has been able to better identify next steps and take action for positive change.

Over time, we have come to appreciate that there are some central questions that we need to take seriously if community data efforts are to make a real difference in the life of our community. We constantly need to be asking ourselves, as a community:

• Are we generating and gathering data about the things we most care about as a community?
• Are we considering various kinds of data?
• Are we examining data at the appropriate scale?
• Are we looking at the data at the appropriate frequency?
• Are we connecting data about community well-being to data about intentional efforts to bring about positive community change?
• Are we clear about who the “we” is when we ask ourselves these questions as a community?

In response to these questions, our approach to community data has been evolving. In May, 2011 we will convene the community to examine the ways we generate, gather, and exchange data in order to understand ourselves better as a community. We call this process “forming a Sarasota County data collaborative.” Read more about Community Data 2.0.

Is this something you care about too? Do you know of others who are devoting themselves to efforts along these lines? If so, please contact Allison Pinto, and check the SCOPE Blog for regular updates relating to the Community Data Initiative.