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GOAL 3: Create and Mam'Ntain a Centralized <br />.Information Base for Decision-making <br />Rationale <br />Data collection and analysis are critical to effective decision - making, and to becoming a more <br />sustainable community. More complete data is needed for policy- makers to better: <br />• determine the effectiveness of policies and programs; <br />• determine the limits of resources (land, water, air) to support growth in the county (see <br />Recommendation 2 under Goal S on page 34); <br />• determine the fiscal impacts of growth; and <br />• monitor sustainability indicators (see recommendation 1 under Goal 5 on page 34). <br />Much data and information are collected by various agencies and educational institutions, yet <br />there is no central office for compilation and distribution of this information. Lack of a central <br />database impedes the sharing of information, resulting in inefficiencies when different <br />departments and organizations duplicate data collection. Of equal importance is the fact that <br />some data may not be used at all if it is not readily accessible or people are not aware that it even <br />exists. <br />A central database would greatly facilitate use of collected data, and would ultimately result in a <br />savings of staff time for data collection and analysis. It would also provide a single reliable <br />source to guide the use and interpretation of data, and would help in evaluating what services are <br />needed and how effectively they are being provided. <br />This important shared task can help to build a stronger sense of cooperation and collaboration <br />among the jurisdictions of the county. A central source of data will also provide citizens with a <br />better understanding of the basis of governmental decision - making which, in turn, will foster <br />more citizen support and participation. <br />CEO <br />