NICS: National Infrastructure for Community Statistics (2PRS)
Welcome to the web page for the National Infrastructure for Community Statistics (NICS). NICS is a proposed nationwide web-based utility that facilitates access by public and private decision-makers to detailed, current community-level statistics from thousands of local, state, federal, and commercial data sources. The ability to access and analyze detailed, up-to-date sets of survey and administrative data for small areas facilitates greater understanding of community socioeconomic and geophysical conditions, trends and opportunities; more effective program and investment decisions; improved measurement of program and investment impacts; and the creation of local and national indicators efforts. In this way, community statistics have the power to inform public debate, support better public and private choices, and empower communities to adapt to accelerating socioeconomic change. (2PRT)
Organizing this effort is the NICS Community of Practice, a group of over one hundred individuals from government, nonprofit, and industry realms with a strong interest in working collaboratively on the design, development, and operation of NICS, facilitating a nationwide network of NICS participants,and increasing the capacities of organizations to participate in NICS as data providers, intermediaries, and users. (5NT)
For more information go to the new website for the NICS CoP: www.nicsweb.org. (33U5)
News & Announcements (5O3)
CoP Meetings (2IRI)
- Metadata and NICS: Joys, Sorrows, and Payoffs- November 2, 2005 The Brookings Institution, Washington, D.C. (2YZ7)
- CoP Research Symposium "The Emerging Tool Kit for NICS" - June 30, 2005 at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington, DC. (2SA9)
- Moving from Learning to Action: Developing the NICS Business Plan - April 12, 2005 at the Brookings Institution, Washington, DC. (2PRV)
- Learning Phase Workshops (2PXP)
- Workshop on Local Organizations, September 27, 2004 (2PRO)
- Workshop on State Organizations, November 17, 2004 (2PRP)
- Workshop on Federal Organizations, January 6, 2005 (2PRQ)
- Workshop on National Non-Profit and Commerical Organzations, February 16, 2005 (2PRR)
- Directory of all Meetings [Links to October 7, August 12, July 1, and May 27th Meetings forthcoming] (60C)
Community of Practice Participants (6HH)
- Directory of NICS CoP Participants (PDF-143kb) (2IP0)
Discussion Forum Archives (5NW)
- [nics-forum@colab.cim3.net] NICS Mailing-list Discussion Archives (2PLM)
- Accessible at: http://colab.cim3.net/forum/nics-forum/ (2PLB)
Shared Documents Storage Area (5NX)
- File-Sharing Workspace & Document Archives (2LSZ)
- [Directions on how to upload to this space]. Alternatively, you may email your document to Lisa Morales with directions to "upload to NICS shared file space". (5YA)
External Resources (5NY)
- OMB A-11 Circular (PDF document) (5OO)
Charter of the NICS Community of Practice (5NV)
- The NICS CoP Charter was first drafted on May 27, 2004. The linked document was drafted for NICS CoP member discussion at the August 12, 2004 meeting, revised in light of comments on August 17, 2004. (5Y8)
Contact Us (2LT0)
This web site is a wiki--a read and write web site that is a unique tool that enables collaboration among the NICS CoP. You can learn more about what is a wiki, this wiki - the colab.Cim3.net wiki-- or learn how to edit pages. (5W1)