•    helping United Way and our Peg partners develop the first set of indicators to track and measure poverty in our city

•    helping United Way tell the story of our new home on Main Street; for the first year we were in our new building, your inspiring words were on display in the windows to remind Winnipeggers we have so much to offer one another

•    sharing your thoughts on community social issues, values and poverty in Winnipeg, leading to widely-shared reports including Urban Reflections and Poverty In Sight

Your insight has meant a lot to United Way and our entire community. So much so that going forward, we will be incorporating the ideals of Urban Exchange – two-way dialogue and interactive conversation – into all of United Way’s programs and strategies.

In the coming months, the features you’re used to seeing on MyCityMySay.ca will be integrated into a new United Way website, including web polls, surveys and many more exciting new opportunities to get involved in making a difference. We’ll be sure to let you know as those changes are rolled out.

It’s important to us that you remain part of the conversation. In fact, we have a brand new survey that I hope you’ll be interested in. This survey will focus on social vitality – the energy of our city – and what you think are the best ways to measure our sense of belonging and inclusion, and how engaged we are in our community.

Your responses will help with the next evolution of Peg, a community indicator system that will track progress on economic, environment, cultural, social and other priorities in Winnipeg.

To get started, please click here.  If you’d prefer not to complete the survey, consider joining us on Facebook or Twitter to continue being a part of the conversation about our city.

Thanks for your feedback. Without you, there would be no way.

Sincerely,

Jill McLean
Community Involvement Manager
United Way of Winnipeg

Facebook and Twitter are great online spaces to keep up on United Way news and find out what’s happening among agency partners and volunteers in Winnipeg.

As an added bonus, Canadian Western Bank has generously offered to donate $1 to United Way for every new person who “likes” us on Facebook or “follows” us on Twitter (up to $5000)!

Click the icons below to find United Way online!

In a 2010 survey, many of your told us what you believe to be the key indicators of poverty, helping to inform the first 13 indicators used in the pilot version of Peg.

As a community indicator system, Peg gives Winnipeggers information that allows us to track our city’s well being and together take action to make Winnipeg even stronger. Peg uses a dynamic and interactive system to show data and statistics related to eight different theme areas, as well as the interconnection between the information. Together the themes and indicators provide information on social, economic and environmental trends.

One of the leading edge features of Peg is its use of stories. Peg is the first community indicator system to incorporate stories as well as data. Together, data and stories make up the head and heart of Peg. Together they provide a rounded picture of our community and an additional understanding of how we can work together.

The pilot version of Peg provides information on 13 indicators that touch on four of the eight themes. In addition to providing information on Winnipeg’s wellbeing, they also provide insight into the impact of poverty, a crosscutting issue. The indicators that you helped choose are accompanied by 20 stories – seven from individuals with lived experience and 13 from individuals with professional experience.

United Way would like to encourage all Urban Exchange panelists to check out Peg by visiting www.mypeg.ca/

We believe that Peg provides information on our city in an interesting and easy to access way. Once you have checked it out, we’d appreciate your feedback. Please send comments to info@mypeg.ca

United Way created a series of posters highlighting your responses about what you value in our city. Those posters were hung in the main floor atrium, the space specially dedicated to promoting dialogue and interaction between United Way and the community.

Also in the spirit of fostering dialogue and interaction, United Way commissioned Jacqueline Metz and Nancy Chew to create a public art installation for the building. Titled You, You & You, the artwork comprised of lights representing the Braille for “YOU,” is activated both automatically and by interaction with a cast aluminum talking stick that also triggers audio notes on the pentatonic scale. Inspired by the idea that together, we can make something great, the artwork invites passersby to see, listen and participate, and reflects United Way’s efforts to bring Winnipeggers together in meaningful ways.

United Way’s downtown home embodies Winnipeggers’ commitment to each other, our city, our environment and our future. It sits at the hub of an essential network of nearly 100 agency partners and programs, half of which are within a 15-minute walk – and represents a central space where Winnipeggers can connect and collaborate.

Showing Up, Speaking Out is a chance to:

• meet with fellow citizens
• discuss and respond to issues that affect our community
• work together to communicate ideas in public spaces through art

The project is curated by Milena Placentile (aceartinc.) and partners include MAWA (our neighbours across the street), Social Planning Council of Winnipeg, Art City, and many others.

Some details:

Most “flash artmaking” opportunities/workshops will be approximately 4 hours long, and will result in an artistic action presented in public space while other opportunities will develop over the course of the overall Showing Up, Speaking Out project.

This is a chance to get involved in community life and find new and creative ways of talking to each other about important issues.

All events are free and all people are welcome. No previous art making experinece is required.

You can visit the Get Involved page to . . . get involved.

Three Things You Might Not Know About The New United Way Space:

No annual campaign dollars were used for the project

• Construction was funded entirely through Province of Manitoba & Government of Canada stimulus grants – CentreVenture and the City of Winnipeg supported the project, too
• What wasn’t covered by grants was made up for by a small group of long-time United Way supporters

It’s cost efficient

• The building represents cost-savings to United Way based on comparable leasing options.

• The new building was designed to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards, lowering operating costs AND helping the environment.

It’s about community

• The main floor is home to a community learning centre where groups can get together to work on the issues that are most important to the people of Winnipeg
• New not-for-profits and social entrepreneurs will have access to “incubation space” that will help them do innovative work until they’re ready to branch out on their own

If you have any questions about United Way’s new space, please call us at 477-5360. We’ll look forward to hearing from you!

In this issue, we will:

• Share the results from our most recent survey
• Highlight comments from Noelle DePape, a long-time Urban Exchange participant, and
• Tell you about a Boys and Girls Clubs program called Community Schools Investigators (CSI)

Click here to download the pdf version or read it online.

As always, please feel free to let us know what you think by emailing us or leaving a comment below.

For our most recent survey, Urban Exchange teamed up with Peg – a group of organizations who are developing a community indicators system that will track progress on social, economic, environmental and other issues here in Winnipeg.
To start with, Peg is focusing on indicators that it can use to measure poverty in Winnipeg.

What’s an indicator? Blood pressure and heart rate are basic indicators of your general health. Gas mileage and tire wear are basic indicators that show how your vehicle is doing. Indicators of poverty in a city might include things like average household income, unemployment rates, or the number of people who have access to affordable child care.

More than 500 people responded to our one question survey, which asked participants to pick seven indicators from a list of fourteen possible indicators of poverty. These are things that can be measured – and might help us understand how we’re doing to address poverty as a community.

What topped the list? Affordable housing and ability to afford the basics were at the top of most respondents’ minds, followed by income, education, employment and health measures. The chart below shows the breakdown of your responses:

The volunteers on the Urban Exchange Working Group would like to send out a big THANK YOU to everyone who shared their thoughts on this topic.

You can expect Peg to be up and running this fall – check it out for yourself and follow the progress that we as a community are making in Winnipeg. We’ll be sure to post a link as soon as Peg is ready.

Peg is a community indicator system that will track progress on economic, environment, cultural, social and other priorities in Winnipeg. United Way in partnership with the Institute for Sustainable Development, the Province of Manitoba, the City of Winnipeg, Health in Common and approximately 60 other partners from diverse sectors are committed to the development of Peg.

Peg will show:
- the current state of the community,
- what course the community is on, and
- how far it is from its vision for the future with respect to the indicators

This information will be accessible to community members, stakeholders, government officials and other interested parties to be used as a report card on how well we, as a community, are doing our job to make Winnipeg a better place for everyone to live.

While there are many different types of issues that can be looked at in the city, initially Peg will focus on poverty in Winnipeg. Right now, Peg is in the process of narrowing its list of poverty indicators from over 300 in number to a set of ten or less.

Enter: Urban Exchange.

Urban Exchange is a dynamic, two-way conversation between United Way and Winnipeggers about topics that are important to the community. The partnership between Peg and Urban Exchange was a natural fit. In the past year Urban Exchange participants have been asked to respond to several surveys and questions related to their perceptions of poverty in Winnipeg.

The information that we collect from this survey will be combined with information from various areas of focus and used to narrow and confirm the set of indicators that will be used on Peg. You can expect to see the results of this consultation in Fall of 2010.

We hope that you will take the time to tell us what you think of the proposed list of indicators. How well do they measure poverty? The survey should take you less than five minutes. There are no right or wrong answers. Please remember that your responses will be kept separate from any identifying information to protect your confidentiality.

To take the survey, please click here

Interested in finding out more about Peg? Click here

But what is Peg all about? Why do we need it? When will it be launched?

You’ll find the answers to these and other important questions below.

Q: What is Peg?

A: Peg is Winnipeg’s community indicator system. Peg will track key indicators on the most important economic, environmental, social and cultural issues in our community. Individuals, groups, and organizations in all sectors can use the information to increase their knowledge, inform decisions, and guide action to achieve short- and long-term progress.

Q: Why do we need Peg?

A. Many people, organizations and government departments work very hard on issues that are important in our community. We work together on issues like poverty, the environment, and our business climate. But how do we know if we’re making progress as a community?

Peg puts a stake in the ground and tracks our progress over time on key indicators. When trends are not favourable or progress is slow, Peg encourages people and organizations to get involved to make a difference.

Q. Why is United Way interested in Peg?

A: When we work together, amazing things can happen. United Way is committed to working with volunteers, sector leaders and a wide range of partners toward positive social change in Winnipeg.
By tracking some key indicators on the issues most important to us, we can get a sense of whether or not we’re making progress as a community. We can celebrate our successes. And we can identify areas needing attention. In those areas, we can focus our collective efforts to turn things around. Peg will help inform decision making and will encourage collaboration on key issues.

Q: When will Peg be launched?

A: Peg will be launched this fall (2010).

Q: What exactly will be launched?

Peg is a pilot project and will be developed in phases. In the fall, we plan to launch the first phase – a system for the indicators and a first set of indicators. In the fall, you will see a website that will track indicators in 8 theme areas. And the website will include 7-10 indicators in the area of poverty. Over time, more indicators will be added to cover all dimensions of our community.

Q: What are the benefits of a community indicator system?

A: There are many community indicators system that exist in the USA. A study by United States Government General Accountability Office (2004) found that comprehensive key indicator systems:
• enhance collaboration to address public issues,
• provide tools to encourage progress,
• help inform decision making,
• improve research, and
• increase public knowledge about key economic,
environmental, and social and cultural issues

Over time, Peg will be a valuable and common resource for the community.

Q: Who is involved in Peg?

A: Since 2003, United Way has been working with the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) to make the Peg a reality. As partners, the two organizations contribute unique and complementary strengths.

IISD contributes an international reputation and the knowledge, skill, and experience it has gained working with community groups and governments on indicators systems in countries around the world. United Way contributes experience in bringing people together.
A wide range of groups are involved with Peg including, for example, all three levels of government, Health in Common, the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, the Manitoba Center for Health Policy/University of Manitoba, the University of Winnipeg, the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, the Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources, The Canadian Economic Development Network, the Winnipeg Poverty Reduction Council, along with participants from over 60 other groups and organizations.

Q: Who is funding Peg?

A: Peg is funded by several partners who all see the value of a community indicator system. The Provincial government, the City of Winnipeg, Health in Common and United Way have all contributed dollars to the first phase of the Peg.

Q: Why is it important to have Winnipegger’s engaged in Peg?

A: Peg currently has over 60 stakeholders engaged. These stakeholders form three committees:
1. The Steering Committee provides oversight of the entire pilot project.
2. The Engagement Group provides input into the development of the overall system and framework. This group is very large and brings perspectives from all aspects of our community.
3. The Indicators Working Group defines the indicators and identifies data sources for our first set of indicators – in the area of poverty.
All three committees meet regularly and provide important input to the project.

Q: How are indicators selected?

A: The Indicators Working Group developed a set of criteria to assist in selecting the indicators for the pilot – and beyond.

While initially the Working Group reviewed approximately 100 indicators, they were able to develop a short-list of about 36 indicators. We are now in the process of distilling these 36 possible indicators down to 7-10 pilot indicators.

To do that, we are seeking input and advice from a range of individuals and groups, including Urban Exchange panelists. We have talked with experts at the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, among others. They have helped us define the actual measures and where we may get the data.

We are currently in the process of consulting with folks who live in poverty and with groups like the Winnipeg Poverty Reduction Council. We are also interested in the thoughts of UrbEx panelists.

With input from all of these sources, the Indicators Working Group will select a final set of 7-10 indicators in the area of poverty. Data will then be collected and analyzed.

Q: Who will use the information from Peg?

A: Peg will provide reliable, credible information on key indicators. The site will be used by a range of individuals and organizations. For example, students of all ages might use the site for research projects. Not-for-profit organizations might use the site to gather information to assist in applying for grants. Government departments might use the site to collect data about the community. Business owners might use the site to assess trends impacting their customers or to define where they may like to get involved. These are just a few examples of how Peg’s information can be used.

Click here to take the survey.