BUILDING AND MAINTAINING ANINFORMATION BASE FOR LOCAL

PLANNING,AND GOAL FORMULATION PROCESS

Building and maintaining an information base for local planning and goal formulation

process is essential in order for communities to make informed decisions and effectively manage

their resources. The information base should be comprised of accurate and up to date

demographic, economic, environmental, transportation, public safety, housing, and health care

data, as well as data about the existing socio-economic infrastructure. This information should be

collected through local surveys and other methods, and analyzed to identify local needs and

trends.

In addition to collecting data and documenting trends, detailed standards should be

created in order to guide the local planning and goal formulation process. These standards should

include goals for the community in terms of the quality of life, safety, and health as well as

economic development, and should be specific and measurable. The standards should be

developed from the lowest level up, taking into account the input of stakeholders from every

level of the community.

Once these standards are developed, an information base should be created and

maintained to monitor progress towards the goals, and to evaluate the outcomes of the local

planning and goal formulation processes. This information base should include visual

representations such as charts, maps, and graphics of the data, as well as a detailed evaluation of

existing programs, policies, and resources.

 By collecting and analyzing comprehensive local data, developing standards, and

monitoring and evaluating outcomes, communities will be better equipped to make informed

decisions about local planning and goal formulation processes. This, in turn, will lead to more

effective management of resources and an overall improvement in the quality of life for the

citizens.