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NLIS 5
September 16, 202
(Executive Council)
Innovative Web-based system
monitors well-being
A new Web-based information system that
is already earning high marks for its easy access and its focus on social
and economic well-being was launched today in Stephenville.
Community Accounts of the Strategic Social
Plan (SSP) is a first for the country and is already earning praise from
policy makers in other jurisdictions. It was introduced today by Gerald
Smith, lead Minister for the Strategic Social Plan, and Minister of Health
and Community Services, and Judy Foote, Minister of Education and chair of
the Social Policy Committee of Cabinet.
"This is one of the most exciting pieces
of work to come out of the Strategic Social Plan," said Minister Smith.
"To have such a wealth of information available at your fingertips
makes it one-of-a-kind. This is information that will help us know ourselves
better and give us the detailed information we need to design more effective
programs and policies."
Community Accounts is accessible through the
internet and brings together information on a broad range of topics such as
income, education, health and employment. What makes it unique is its easy
access, and the range of information available about communities, regions
and the province as a whole. It�s information that can give a picture of
the social, economic and demographic well-being.
For example, the system provides information
on the rate of home ownership across the province, and the number of
students enrolled in Newfoundland and Labrador. Information at the community
level on stays in hospital is also available.
Development of Community Accounts comes from
the commitment to measure social progress that government made in 1998, when
it launched the SSP. The unique site will be an important tool in the first
ever social progress and audit report to be completed in 2003.
"Community Accounts will also be a great
resource as we move ahead with our Strategic Health Plan," said
Minister Smith. "For example, we will be able to use the health
accounts to assist us in tracking relevant health information about
communities, and plan accordingly."
Community Accounts reflects the SSP�s
emphasis on developing policy based on sound, relevant data, a process that
is often referred to as evidence-based
decision-making.
"While this is an excellent resource for
government policy-makers, it will have many other uses as well,"
Minister Foote said. "Community organizations, researchers, students
and all members of the public can access information which helps identify a
community�s strengths and needs and provides a picture of the social
landscape in one�s own backyard and beyond. We will all have access to the
same information, which will no doubt enhance our discussions on important
issues."
Community Accounts has been in development
for the past couple of years, and is now accessible through the internet at:
www.communityaccounts.ca
Media contact: Marcia Porter, Communications,
(709) 729-0175
Backgrounder - Community
Accounts of the Strategic Social Plan
- Development of the Community Accounts is
part of the commitment that government made to measure social progress
in the province when it launched the Strategic Social Plan in 1998.
- Community Accounts represents a
partnership effort that involved the Strategic Social Plan, The Premier�s
Council on Social Development, The Newfoundland Statistics Agency and
Dr. Doug May of the economics department at Memorial University.
- Partners worked together to develop
Community Accounts, which is a Web-based system that makes a wide range
of information on topics including health, education, income, and
employment easily accessible through one site.
- Community Accounts is a tool for
monitoring the social, economic and demographic well-being of
communities, regions and the province as a whole.
- Community Accounts will be used in the
province�s first ever social progress and audit report slated for
completion in 2003.
- Community Accounts is receiving national
and international attention because it makes data and indicators
available and easily accessible for communities, regions and the
province as a whole.
- The system has a wide variety of tables
and illustrations organized by topic and geographic regions.
- Other features let you compare information
at the regional and community level, and help you analyze and interpret
data.
- SSP steering committees across the
province use Community Accounts to give them a picture of things
happening at the community and regional level. The information helps
them choose their development priorities, and plan accordingly.
- Everyone can use Community Accounts,
whether you are a policy maker, a researcher, an educator, a student, or
an active member of your community.
- All you need is a computer with internet
access. All you have to do is click www.communityaccounts.ca
Backgrounder - Strategic
Social Plan (SSP)
- The Strategic Social Plan (SSP) was
launched in 1998 after extensive consultations across the province. The
plan focuses on improving long term opportunities for people by better
linking economic and social development, and by improving delivery of
services at the local level.
- The Premier�s Council on Social
Development advises on implementation of the Strategic Social Plan.
- The SSP is being implemented within
government, and across the province.
- Within government the SSP encourages
collaboration, consultation and partnerships across departments, and
with communities. Some recent initiatives that reflect these SSP values
include:
- The Early Childhood Development
Initiative, developed by two departments in consultation with
community
- The Violence Prevention Initiative
involves several government departments working with local steering
committees
- There are six SSP regions across the
province: Northeast Avalon, Avalon, Eastern, Central, Cormack-Grenfell,
and Labrador.
- Each region has a steering committee that
meets to identify and focus on long-term regional development issues and
priorities. Issues could include health, improving the success of
students in post-secondary education, literacy and supporting the
leadership role of volunteers in communities.
- Partners on the committees include
regional boards of health, education (including post-secondary
institutions) and economic development, as well as representatives from
the federal, provincial and municipal governments and other agency
partners. In Labrador, the Innu, the Inuit and the Metis Nation
participate on the committee.
- Some of the ways that regional steering
committees work to implement the SSP in their regions include:
- Planning and consulting with the
community
- Facilitating partnerships that, for
example, provide training to community volunteers, and identity
strategies to improve the transition to post-secondary education
- Organizing regional volunteer
conferences that bring volunteers together to network, learn new
skills and celebrate volunteering
- Organizing forums that help build
community capacity by developing leadership skills at the local level
2002 09
16
1:15 p.m.
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