Presenting community-level data in an "outcomes and indicators" framework: Lessons from Vermont's experience

Vermont's Agency of Human Services, in partnership with other state Departments and with regional collaboratives, has adopted an "outcomes" or "results" approach to measuring progress toward agreed-upon goals. Each of the outcomes is measured by several key indicators. The Community Profiles, now in their fourth year of publication, embody this framework for 60 regions of the state The outcomes and indicators span the area of maternal and child health, school readiness and success, youth behavior, economic vitality, and safety and welfare. In most cares, multi-year trend data are graphically presented, so communities can measure their progress over time Producing the Community Profiles raised many challenging technical political, and practical issues. The issues included defining "community"; integrating disparate datasets; addressing statistical concerns; and choosing an accessible format The article highlights these issues and suggests some "lessons" that may be useful to others embarking on similar projects.