Today’s Morning Buzz is brought to you by Ted Jackson from Arlington, VA, Co-Founder of ClearPoint Strategy, a strategic planning and execution software for local governments. Connect with Ted on LinkedIn.
- What I’m reading: “Material World” by Ed Conway
- What I’m watching: “Severance”
- What I’m listening to: Acquired Podcast
Manhattan, Kansas, fondly known as “The Little Apple,” is a city where the small-town charm of the Kansas Flint Hills meets modern progress.
Recognized as one of the Top 100 Places to Live in America (Livability), one of the Best Small Places for Business and Careers (Forbes), and boasting the No. 1 Town-Gown Relationship in the country (The Princeton Review), this vibrant city has built a reputation as a great place to live, work, and thrive. With its new Community Dashboard, Manhattan is raising the bar once again, fulfilling its commitment to transparency and strengthening the connection between the city and its residents.
This dashboard is the latest milestone in Manhattan’s mission to ensure its residents not only enjoy a high quality of life but also feel connected to the decisions and initiatives shaping their community. The online platform invites everyone to track progress, stay informed, and celebrate the city’s ongoing achievements — all with just a few clicks.
What Sparked the Dashboard’s Creation?
The seeds for the public-facing dashboard were planted during the city’s adoption of its 5-Year Strategic Plan in 2021-2022. In this plan, the city emphasized the need for regular and transparent communication about the city’s progress in achieving its strategic goals.
“We knew we needed a better system to make that happen,” shares Andrew Lawson, Manhattan’s Communications Manager and Public Information Officer, “which led us to partner with ClearPoint Strategy to first overhaul our reporting processes and initiative tracking in 2023, and that naturally evolved into the creation of our public dashboard.”
By providing clear, accessible updates on the city’s strategic priorities, they’ve made it easy for residents to stay informed and engaged.
What Residents Should Know
For Manhattan, the public dashboard is a window into how the city plans to enhance public service and demonstrate its commitment to continuous improvement. The platform shares progress being made across the city’s 47 action items, which are grouped within five transformative goals.
From modernizing city operations and enhancing infrastructure to fostering a connected government and driving economic growth, the dashboard highlights key initiatives with real-time updates and visual indicators. “We’re especially proud of the Sustainability tag, which highlights ten key action items on their own dedicated page, so our residents can know what we’re doing to bring a greener, more sustainable future to Manhattan.”
What’s Next for Manhattan
The dashboard’s debut is just the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Manhattan. A citywide marketing and education campaign will ensure residents know exactly how to make the most of the powerful tool. Behind the scenes, the city is fine-tuning workflows to keep the dashboard brimming with fresh, up-to-date information, transforming it into a living, breathing resource for the community.
Further, Manhattan envisions expanding its tech horizons with additional focused dashboards and a refreshed Strategic Plan slated for 2026-2027. These plans affirm an unwavering commitment to innovation and continuous improvement; the city’s journey toward transparency and community engagement has only just begun!