The city of Vancouver, Canada has recently introduced an online dashboard to keep its residents informed about select city services, along with the city’s progress on its overall goals and strategies.
VanDashboard measures performance data with 65 indicators in six categories:
- Core service delivery: waste collection, street cleanliness, community centers and pools, and public safety including police and fire and rescue services;
- Affordability and housing: ensuring that housing in the city supports people of all incomes;
- Climate change: protecting and enhancing the climate, ecology, natural resources, and connections to the natural environment;
- Economy and finances: creating an environment that promotes and strengthens local businesses while also attracting new ones;
- Equity and social issues: addressing significant social issues such as homelessness, poverty, racism, and addictions; and,
- Vibrant culture: promoting enriching experiences in arts venues and theaters, libraries, public spaces, and in many private venues.
Each category includes specific data, the status and trends of the metric, and any applicable targets that have been set. For example, under “core service delivery,” the medical incident response time has a target of 6:30 minutes, is currently meeting its target with an average time of 6:15 minutes, and has a desired trend of continuing to decrease this time.
VanDashboard users can review historical data for each metric and can sort and view the data as they wish. They can ask questions or provide their feedback via the contact button at the bottom of the VanDashboard landing page. The dashboard will be updated with new metrics over time, based on public feedback.