Using Indicators to Engage Citizens:
The Oregon Progress Board Experience
Jeffrey Tryens
Civil Society Session
OECD Statistics, Knowledge & Policy
Conference
OECD World Forum “Statistics, Knowledge and Policy”, Palermo, 10-13 November 2004
2
Strategic Planning in Oregon
Oregon's Strategic Plan
-Oregon Shines
-Drafted in 1989
-Updated every eight years
-Encompasses the entire state
 Oregon Progress Board
-Monitors implementation of plan
-Chaired by the Governor
-Created -1990/reauthorized -1997

The focus is on the Oregon Benchmarks.
Results Not Effort
How Benchmarks Are Developed




Benchmarks are reviewed biennially by the
Progress Board.
Anyone can suggest a change.
Since 1989, Over 8,000 Oregonians have
been involved in the process.
Benchmarks must meet certain criteria....
An Oregon Benchmark should:

Link to an Oregon Shines' goal

Emphasize results, not effort

Be measurable

Be policy relevant

Be understandable

Be comparable to a standard

Be economical to gather
Oregon Uses of the Benchmarks
1. Identify What Matters
2. Articulate a Vision for the Future
3. Encourage Collaboration
4. Assess Progress
5. Improve Government Performance
Oregon Uses of the Benchmarks
1. Identify What Matters
Use #1:
Identify What Matters

Benchmarks have been in place for 14 years.

About 25% of Oregon adults have heard of
the Oregon Benchmarks.

Virtually no criticism of the measures per se.

Benchmarks are identified in many policy
arenas as guide posts.
Oregon Experience – Works well.
Oregon Uses of the Benchmarks
1. Identify What Matters
2. Articulate a Vision for the Future
The Elements of Oregon Shines
 Economy:
Quality jobs for all
Oregonians
 People:
Safe, caring and
engaged communities
 Environment: Healthy, sustainable
surroundings
Use #2:
Articulate a Vision

Many benchmarks flow out of Oregon Shines.

Vision informs benchmark targets.

To many, the benchmarks are the vision.

Most leaders know little of the details of
Oregon Shines.
Oregon Experience – Worth doing.
Oregon Uses of the Benchmarks
1. Identify What Matters
2. Articulate a Vision for the Future
3. Encourage Collaboration
Benchmarks have been part of many
collaborations in Oregon.
Partners for Children and Families
K – 12 Education Reform
Early Immunization Initiative
Key Industries Initiative
Central Oregon Health Council
Oregon Option
Juvenile Crime Reduction Strategy
Collaboration was credited for a county’s
dramatic drop in teen pregnancy.
Teen Pregnancies per 1,000
State
County
25
20
15
10
5
0
90
91
Oregon Health Division
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
00
01
02
However recent data, post-collaboration,
shows similar results.
Teen Pregnancies per 1,000
State
County
25
20
15
10
5
0
90
91
Oregon Health Division
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
00
01
02
EXAMPLE
Juvenile Crime
Prevention
Initiative
Juvenile Crime Prevention
Juvenile Arrests
Behavior
Runaways
Training
school
commitments
Arrests
Vandalism
Peer
Association
Friends who:
have been
suspended
carry a gun
smoke
have stolen a
vehicle
dropped out of
school
use drugs
have been
arrested
drink alcohol
Alcohol &
Drug Use
Academic
Achievement
Alcohol
Absenteeism
Drug
HS
use
use
Tobacco use
graduation
School
mobility
Drop out
Truancy
Disciplinary
problems
Test scores
88 Agency Performance Measures
Family
Environment
Child
abuse
SCF cases
Foster care
placement
Family
management
discipline
conflict
history
support for
conventional
activity
Use #4:
Encourage Collaboration

“Benchmarks are magnets for collaboration!”

Getting disparate people to work toward a
common result is powerful.

Setting up the collaboration is hard;
holding each other accountable is……..

Benchmarks are important for collaboration but
necessary.
Oregon Experience – Some success.
Oregon Uses of the Benchmarks
1. Identify What Matters
2. Articulate a Vision for the Future
3. Encourage Collaboration
4. Assess Progress
Benchmark Performance Reports are the
Progress Board’s bread and butter.
Answers the question - Are we making progress?
– Published
biennially
– Provides data,
targets, and
analysis on all
benchmarks
– Looks at both longterm trends and
target attainment
Use #4:
Assess Progress

One of the Board’s key roles is assessing
progress based on benchmark trends.

Major papers usually give the report good
coverage.

Finding an appropriate setting in the legislature
for review has been difficult.

Assessments only occasionally figure
prominently in budget or policy decisions.
Oregon Experience – Good, but underutilized.
Oregon Uses of the Benchmarks
1. Identify What Matters
2. Articulate a Vision for the Future
3. Assess Progress
4. Encourage Collaboration
5. Improve Government Performance
Any organization, public or private, has only
partial influence over Benchmarks.
Oregon’s
Progress
Benchmarks
External Influences
Organization’s
Performance
Performance
Measures
So we “link” benchmarks to
agency output measures …
Is society
benefiting?
High Level
Outcomes
(Benchmarks)
Are strategies
working?
Intermediate
Outcomes
Is work
happening?
Outputs
EXAMPLE
Pre-K
Expansion
Creating a Measurement System:
A Linked Set of Pre-K Measures
High Level
Outcome
Intermediate
Outcome
Output
% of children coming
to school "ready to
learn"
% of eligible children who
completed the program
% of family needs
assessments completed
Use #5:
Improve Government Performance

This is the state’s primary focus for using
benchmarks, today.

All agencies have performance measures linked
to benchmarks, more or less.

Without this function, the Progress Board would
no longer receive state funding.

Benchmarks require agency staff to look beyond
their day-to-day worlds.
Oregon Experience – Most promising!
What has the Oregon Shines’ process
accomplished in Oregon?
 Oregon Shines’ economic strategy is established.
 The level of discourse about the state’s future has
been raised.
 Benchmarks are the top level quality of life
measures for the state.
 State government is more aligned toward
outcomes.
 Better outcomes - ????
What have we learned?

Involve leadership.

Strive for simple and clear.

Link goals and measures.

Start from where you are.

Be inclusive.

Be relentless.

Be realistic.

Just having the data is not enough.
www.econ.state.or.us/opb
• Oregon Shines II
• Oregon State of the Environment Report
• 10 Ideas for Improving Oregon State Government
• Oregon Business Plan: How is Oregon Doing?
• Performance Measure Guidelines for State
Agencies
• 2003 Benchmark Performance Report
• 2002 County Benchmark Data Book
• Achieving Better Health Outcomes: The Oregon
Benchmark Experience