7 THINGS

That May Be

From Your City’s

Community Dashboard

MISSING

T r anspar ency has become a higher priority for local go vernments as r esidents incr easingly e xpect open access to information about their community’s str ategic goals, updates on pr ojects, and wher e tax dollars ar e being spent. While many cities ar e making efforts to meet these e xpectations by publishing public dashboar ds, too often these tools fall short of clearly communicating key information or building public trust. A dashboar d isn’t just about sharing data—it’s about pr esenting it in a way that’s accessible, understandable, and meaningful to r esidents. If your city has a dashboar d, you might think the effort spent building and maintaining it is enough. But if r esidents ar en’t engaging or the dashboar d isn’t delivering r esults, it’ s worth asking: “What’s missing?”

7 THINGS THA T MA Y BE MISSING FROM Y OUR CITY’S COMMUNITY D ASHBO ARD

1. DO Y OU HA VE CLEAR DEFINITIONS AND CONTEXT?

F irst and for emost, for a public dashboar d to work, you need clear definitions and conte xt for the information pr esented. Definitions pr o vide the foundation for understanding the data by e xplaining what each metric means, why it matters, and ho w it’s calculated. Without this conte xt, r esidents may misunderstand the information or feel o verwhelmed, which can er ode trust and engagement. Ask yourself, “Why is it important for r esidents to understand this metric?” and “What additional conte xt can we pr o vide to mak e the data meaningful?” Answering these questions will help you cr eate definitions that ensur e e veryone is on the same page.

These definitions should be concise, jargon-fr ee, and tr anspar ent, avoiding any ambiguity that could lead to confusion. Engage city staff and r esidents in r e vie wing these definitions to ensur e the y ar e clear and accessible to a br oad audience. Once established, communicate why this clarity matters—it builds trust and ensur es your dashboar d is truly serving its purpose. Without clear definitions and conte xt, a public dashboar d is lik e a map with no legend—it leaves users lost and unable to navigate effectively . If your dashboar d lacks this clarity , it may be time to r e visit your appr oach.

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2. HA VE Y OU EST ABLISHED CLEAR PERFORMANCE T ARGETS?

S etting key performance tar gets is critical for a public dashboar d’s success. These tar gets r epr esent wher e you ar e no w ve rsus wher e you aim to be, pr o viding a clear benchmark for pr ogr ess. For e xample, if your city curr ently has a 75% r ecycling r ate and your goal is 90%, that target gives r esidents a tangible understanding of your pr ogr ess to war d envir onmental sustainability . Similarly , if your dashboar d tr acks crime r ates, specifying a goal—such as r educing burglaries by 20%—pr o vides conte xt for the data.

Performance targets help r esidents see the “why” behind the metrics and cr eate a narr ative ar ound your city’ s priorities and efforts. Ho we ver, less is mor e when it comes to public dashboar ds. Not all performance data needs to be included; instead, focus on the most impactful targets that align with your city’ s str ategic goals and r esonate with r esidents. Without clear and well-communicated targets, the data becomes a collection of numbers with no sense of dir ection. If your dashboar d lacks these benchmarks, it’s time to r e visit your appr oach and define the goals that matter most.

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3.HAVE Y OU EST ABLISHED A C ONSISTENT UPDATE FREQUENCY?

quarterly , or annual financial performance ensur es r esidents kno w when to e xpect ne w information. Without a clear and r eliable update schedule, r esidents may question the validity of the data, r educing trust in your dashboar d. Consider the natur e of the data and its importance to r esidents. High-priority metrics, lik e crime or budget updates, may need mor e fr equent updates than others. If you can look at your dashboar d and confidently say , “The data her e r eflects our city’ s curr ent status and priorities,” you’r e on the right tr ack. If not, it’s time to r e visit your update cadence.

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A consistent data update frequency is essential for a public dashboar d to be effective and trustworthy . It ensur es that the information r esidents see is accur ate and r ele vant, building confidence in your city’s tr anspar ency efforts. This means agr eeing on ho w often key data points will be updated and clearly communicating this schedule to the public. Just as str ategic themes guide the focus of a city’s goals, a consistent update fr equency guides the rhythm of your dashboar d’s effectivene ss. For instance, committing to updating safety metrics monthly , pr oject pr ogr ess

4. IS Y OUR D ASHBO ARD AD A C OMPLIANT?

nsuring AD A compliance is a critical step in cr eating an effective public dashboar d. Just as str ategic objectives br eak do wn a vision into actionable steps, AD A compliance br eaks do wn barriers, making your dashboar d accessible to e veryone, including individuals with disabilities. Without this, a large segment of your audience may find it difficult or impossible to engage with the dashboar d. For public dashboar ds, AD A compliance means incorpor ating featur es lik e scr een r eader compatibility , high-contr ast color schemes, k e yboar d navigation, and te xt alternatives for images and charts. The goal is to mak e the dashboar d user-friendly for all residents, r egar dle ss of their abilities. For e xample, instead of r elying solely on color-coded metrics, pr o vide clear te xt

labels or patterns that communicate the same information. Additionally , ensur e all data visualizations ar e accompanied by detailed descriptions or captions. AD A compliance should be specific and measur able, much lik e str ategic objectives. Conduct r egular accessibility audits, gather feedback fr om diverse user gr oups, and ensur e your design choices align with AD A guidelines. Without these efforts, your dashboard won’t truly r e fle ct your city’s commitment to tr anspar ency and inclusivity . If you haven’t prioritized AD A compliance, no w is the time to start—it’s not just the right thing to do; it’s essential for building trust and ensuring equal access for all.

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5. IS Y OUR D ASHBO ARD MOBILE-FRIENDL Y?

I n or der to further meet you dashboard’s accessibility needs, it’s important to ensur e the design is mobile-friendly .

simple, clear visuals that load quickly on mobile networks. Without these elements, r esidents may struggle to access k e y information, r educing the dashboar d’s effectiveness. By investing in mobile-friendly design, you mak e your dashboar d mor e inclusive and ensur e that r esidents can easily engage with it, whether the y’ r e at home or on the go. This commitment to accessibility supports the openness and tr anspar ency cities strive for, allo wing e veryone to stay informed about pr ogr ess and decisions that matter to their community .

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a r esponsive mobile design ensur es y our dashboar d r eaches as many r esidents as possible. Many r esidents access dashboar ds on their phones or tablets, and if the design isn’t optimized for these de vices, it can discour age use and limit engagement. A mobile-friendly dashboar d should adapt seamlessly to differ ent scr een sizes , maintain r eadability , and ensur e charts and gr aphs ar e easy to inter act with on smaller de vices. For e xample, use r esponsive layouts, touch-friendly navigation, and

6. DO Y OU HA VE INITIA TIVES OR MILEST ONES ?

I nitiative s ar e key action pr ogr ams m ade to help you achie ve your obje ctives or close the gap between your mea sur es, perfo rm ance, and tar get s. Initiatives and milestones ar e critical components of an effective public dashboar d, as the y sho wcase the actionable steps your city is taking to achie ve its goals. Initiatives r epr esent key pr ojects or pr ogr ams designed to close gaps in performance, while milestones tr ack significant pr ogr ess points within these initiatives. Together, the y pr o vide r esidents with a clear pictur e of ho w the city is working to achie ve its objectives.

Unlik e high-le vel objectives, initiatives ar e specific, time-bound, and r esour ce-driven, with clear o wnership and budgets. For e xample, a city might launch an initiative to impr o ve public tr ansportation, with milestones such as completing a feasibility study , acquiring funding, and launching ne w bus r outes. Milestones help tr ack progr ess and k eep initiatives on sche dule , sho wing r esidents tangible e vidence of pr ogr ess.

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See some of our favorite e xamples of community dashboar ds.

7. IS Y OUR D ASHBO ARD C ONSISTENT WITH Y OUR CITY’S BRANDING?

successful public dashboar d isn’t just about data—it’s also about connecting r esidents to the city’ s br and identity , mission, and vision. A dashboar d that aligns with the city’s br anding fosters a sense of cohesion and trust with the community . Y our dashboar d should r eflect the city’s unique colors, logo, typogr aphy , and o ver all style. This consistency not only r einfor ces the city’s identity but also helps r esidents feel connected to the mission and vision behind the dashboar d’s purpose. For e xample, if your city’s br anding emphasizes sustainability or inno vation, ensur e the

dashboar d’s design, tone, and featur ed metrics align with those values. Br anding also contributes to clarity and pr ofessionalism, making the dashboar d feel lik e an official and trustworthy sour ce of information. A well-br anded dashboar d r eminds r esidents that it’ s part of a larger effort to serve the community’s needs and goals. If your dashboar d isn’t visually and thematically aligned with your city’s br anding, no w is the time to r ethink your design and ensur e it communicates the city’ s identity and vision effectively .

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SO , WHA T’ S MISS ING?

In or der to see you r city community dashbord eﬀectively build trust and transparency, you can ’t let anythin g fall by t he wayside. No w t hat you kno w what should go into yo ur str ategic plan, be pr oactive about it. If that r equir es you to mak e some ch anges, do n ’t be afr aid to do it. Because, in the futur e, you’ll be happ y you did. So ask yourself, what’ s missing fr om my public dashboard? W e ’d lo ve to partner with you to help build a dashboar d your community will use and lo ve. Schedule a call to learn mor e!

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