By Thomas Miller, President, National Research Center, Inc.

Earlier this month National Research Center, Inc. (NRC) attended the Center for Priority Based Budgeting Conference in Denver. We came away with some messages reinforcing the importance of collecting and using citizen feedback among other data and sharing information with the public.

We realize our recent article, originally published on our website, contains useful messages for other audiences looking to enhance their success in leadership with data and budgeting.

Message: Pay attention to opinion data: Keynote speaker Mark Funkhouser, former mayor of Kansas City and publisher of Governing magazine, revealed how leaders should first consider the results from opinion data. He said that when executive staff or elected officials receive citizen survey results that identify areas the public finds need improvement, best practice should NOT be to conclude that residents simply don’t understand the wonderful work the local government is doing; best practice should NOT be to aim only at educating the uninformed. (This attitude may be perceived by the public as arrogant.) Instead, leaders should read their survey results as opportunities to do better by improving services, partnerships, or policies.

Message: Use data; don’t just collect it: The conference reaffirmed the importance of using data effectively. It’s not enough to collect data just for the sake of having it. Data must be interpreted and used for the community’s benefit. Brian Elms from Denver Peak Academy noted that math should be simplified and jargon minimized when communicating data-informed decisions to a non-technical audience. When analyzed, interpreted, and explained well, data is the best tool to identify problems and implement lasting change.

Message: Transparency, transparency, transparency: CPBB Conference host and co-founder Jon Johnson emphasized the need for transparency in government budgeting. He stressed that communicating specifics with the public fosters trust. “Show the people what the money is for,” he said. Transparency can answer tough questions in advance and demonstrate that valid reasons lie behind budget decisions. Whether with working capital, general savings, emergency funds or something else, transparency allows government organizations and the public to work together.

The Center for Priority Based Budgeting (CPBB) conference engaged more than 100 community officials in critical discussions of budgeting, leadership, and the data-driven future. Dubbed an “unconference,” it featured innovators in local government who pioneer best practices in data-based initiatives. As a company that collects, analyzes, and provides the data needed to drive communities forward, NRC was pleased to attend and gather these messages to share.