UB Institute For Local Governance And Regional Growth Sets State of The Region Project

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- A new project to define and measure regional performance in the Buffalo-Niagara area is under way at the University at Buffalo Institute for Local Governance and Regional Growth.

The "State of the Region" project will develop a series of regional indicators to track changes over time, highlight patterns within the region and support comparisons with other areas. For each indicator, the project will not only measure performance, it also will propose goals for progress and develop strategies for reaching those goals.

The institute will compile and distribute State of the Region reports as a practical working reference that can be updated as new data become available. It also will issue an annual "regional progress report" in each subject area. As consensus develops around goals and action steps, the institute will promote efforts and partnerships to achieve specific regional goals.

Project plans call for formation of State of the Region task forces to define and measure performance indicators for 11 areas of regional significance: economy, education, environment, equity, government, health, human services, information/technology, planning, public safety and regional assets.

"The State of the Region project responds to the overwhelming need for regional accountability," noted John B. Sheffer, II, director of the Institute for Local Governance and Regional Growth. "This project will help us determine where we stand, where we want to be and how we can close any gaps."

Each 12- to 15-member task force, representing substantive expertise and a range of perspectives, will consult widely to develop measures, evaluate progress and propose goals and action steps.

Community leaders who are knowledgeable in the respective task-force fields have been recruited to head the groups. "It's a dream team," said Sheffer. "Eleven of the region's most

respected and engaged people are leading the task forces and, to a person, they're committed and enthusiastic."

o Education: Muriel A. Moore, president, Buffalo State College

o Environment: Errol E. Meidinger, director, UB Environment and Society Institute and UB professor of law

o Equity: Lana D. Benatovich, executive director, National Conference for Community and Justice, Western New York Region

o Health: Donald W. Rowe, public health director, Genesee County Department of Health

o Human Services: Robert M. Bennett, president, United Way of Buffalo and Erie County

o Information/Technology: David M. Straitiff, president, InfoTech Niagara and president and CEO, Syrinex Communications Corp.

o Public Safety: the Hon. Michael A. Battle, Erie County family court judge

o Regional Assets: Richard T. Reinhard, chief operating officer, Niagara Falls Redevelopment Corp.

Over the next few weeks, task-force leaders will work with the institute to select task-force members from the eight-county Western New York region and Southern Ontario.

The State of the Region project will be directed at the institute by Barry B. Boyer, UB professor of law, and Kathryn A. Foster, UB assistant professor of planning and director of research for the institute.

"The focus is on measures that matter to Western New Yorkers, like the percentage of Western New Yorkers without health insurance, the percentage of area high-school and college graduates taking jobs in the area or the number of acres of productive agricultural land converted to nonagricultural use," said Foster.

Boyer added that task forces will be asked to select "no more than eight to 10 indicators" per subject area. "The challenge is to find representative, reliable, results-oriented yardsticks that the region can use to measure and make progress," he said.

Sheffer noted that the State of the Region project will "begin in earnest" in October, as task-force leaders convene their groups. Initial results are expected in Spring 1999.

For more detailed project information, see the attached project description. Updates will be available on the institute Web site at .