Popular reporting: North Vancouver's efforts to re-engage the public.

• Author: Sewell, David

As financial reporting requirements become increasingly complex, many local governments are using popular reporting formats to present their financial and performance data in a manner that will be accessible and valuable to key stakeholders. Disseminating this kind of readily available and easily understood information helps residents participate in civic activities and make informed decisions.

To engage its citizens in the vision of district officials and to present key elements of the district's financial position and performance, the District of North Vancouver created a flash-animated interactive Web presentation. This Web site potentially reaches an audience district officials would not otherwise make contact with and ensures that citizens can easily obtain financial information that is presented in a straightforward manner. The site also offers opportunities for immediate feedback and interaction, encouraging public involvement in the political process and awareness of the district's financial position.

WHAT IT IS AND HOW IT HELPS

A popular report is different from a comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR). Mandated requirements increasingly dictate the form and substance of CAFRs, and the data in those documents are usually presented at a high level of detail. This level of complexity can be confusing to a general audience that isn't familiar with accounting and financial reporting. There is a difference between data and information, and to be useful--to rise to the level of information--raw data need to be organized, processed, and interpreted into a meaningful format that enhances understanding.

Popular reports can be used to synthesize the ever-increasing amount of data available to the public and present it to citizens who need or desire a summarized overview of a government's financial activities. Easily accessible information that is interesting and useful can help the public connect with the process of local governance. Ideally, these reports will also help create interest in local government and its operations and motivate them to learn more.

The information in a popular report should be concise and straightforward, and presented in an attractive, easy-to-follow format that gains and holds the reader's interest. The report can be made available in a variety of formats, depending on the intended readership. It can be posted on the government's Web site, or printed and provided to libraries and professional offices, although the spread of high-speed Internet connections has caused online reporting to gain in popularity over traditional print formats. Whatever format is chosen, graphics are especially useful in adding visual interest and enhancing the transfer of knowledge.

Providing accessible, user-friendly information creates a feedback cycle (see Exhibit 1). Reporting performance in a manner that makes it valuable to the target audience is a keystone in a government's efforts to engender support from the community, including citizens, industry;, and other levels of government. This support then manifests itself in both public satisfaction (always favorable from a political perspective),which strengthens community support for the district's projects, and additional...