Why Walla Walla Trends?
Our Goal: To Democratize Data
The Walla Walla Trends project seeks to improve local, public decision making by providing relevant data in an easily navigable website. The data are offered as neutral information for all parties involved in public policy issues.
More specifically the goals are:
To collect and share a broad spectrum of information to support informed decision making by individual community members, governmental policy makers, non-governmental organizations, businesses, researchers and the press. To benchmark Walla Walla Trends against Washington State trends or other comparable communities. To enable analysis of these trends. Our Approach
One of the challenges of developing the Walla Walla Trends site is that Walla Walla is not yet defined as a metropolitan statistic area (MSA). The absence of this designation limits the amount of reliable data available at the state and federal levels. In determining which data sets would be used, the following guidelines were followed:
Important to large numbers of the community Valid measurements defined by good science and social science Understandable to a lay audience Can be benchmarked to Washington State trends or similar sized communities Available repeatedly over time to allow trend analysis Accessible Sourced from credible sites Walla Walla Trends is Not
A community indicators site with the objective of ranking the most pressing needs within the Walla Walla Valley. While some community indicator sites make such ranking, Walla Walla Trends does not. The objective of Walla Walla Trends is to collect and publish relevant data on the Walla Walla Valley. We leave it up to the citizens to access and apply the information according to their individual value judgment. A community dashboard that gives a ranking to each data series as to its importance and whether the trend is positive or negative. A pre-determined set of data to promote certain views about the Walla Walla Valley. A Process, Not a Product
The Walla Walla Trends initiative is as much a process as a product. To provide the most relevant data, we need the reactions of all site users. Please take advantage of our feedback box to give us your thoughts and help to improve our offering.
Above all, we view Walla Walla Trends as a tool for all residents of Walla Walla County that will only improve over time.
Development Team
The Port of Walla Walla and Eastern Washington University's Institute of Public Policy and Economic Analysis partnered on this project. Funding was provided by the Port of Walla Walla and the Washington State Department of Community Trade & Economic Development.
The Port is the lead economic development agency in Walla Walla County. The Port's focus is on attracting new investment and jobs for the Walla Walla Valley. While the Port maintains an economic database on the Walla Walla Valley, the Port wanted to enhance the type of information collected and made available to Walla Walla County citizens. As a result, the Port has been a leading advocate and the principal funding source to develop the Walla Walla Trends site.
The Washington State Department of Community, Trade & Economic Development (CTED) is a cabinet level state agency. Its mission is to invest in Washington's communities, businesses and families to build a healthy and prosperous future. Each year, CTED provides the Port with economic development funds to foster economic development in Walla Walla County. The Port has earmarked a portion of these CTED funds to help start Walla Walla Trends.
The Website Development Team is a cooperative effort of two groups from Eastern Washington University (EWU): The Institute for Public Policy and Economic Analysis and the Center for Digital Media Design and Development. The team members in these two programs are responsible for the overall development of the Walla Walla Trends project.
The Institute for Public Policy and Economic Analysis (IPPEA)
Eastern Washington University's IPPEA was created in 2002 to provide data and analysis about a variety of socio-economic forces in the region, for use by communities and business as they plan their future. The institute was the lead member of the group which established the Walla Walla Trends site.
The IPPEA is a program within EWU's College of Business and Public Administration. The IPPEA gathered the statistical data and developed the content of this site. They have also created two other similar indicator websites for Chelan and Douglas Counties and Spokane County.
The IPPEA's Director is Dr. Patrick Jones. Sarah Reynolds is the Project Coordinator for IPPEA's Community Indicators Initiative. Her responsibilities include the Spokane Community Indicators as well as the projects for Spokane County and for Chelan and Douglas Counties. Mark Wagner is the Institute's Data Analyst. Mark is responsible for all of the statistical input and analysis on this site, as well as for the IPPEA's two other sites. Chari Evans and Marvin Lehman are the Institute's Student Economic Research Interns, and assist with the collection and analysis of the site's data.
The Center for Digital Media Design and Development
The Center for Digital Media Design and Development is a collaborative extension of the Departments of Computer Science and Engineering & Design. Development projects for campus and off-campus clients give students the opportunity to apply their skills in a real-world experience. Students are coordinated into on-going teams based on their skills, and are guided by a formal scope of work, concept development, style sheet, and structured goals, while under faculty supervision.
The Center is directed by Dr Linda Kieffer (509-359-7093) and Dr James Braukmann (509-359-2437).
The goal of a university is the graduation of its students; therefore, our team is constantly changing as our students graduate.
Design Team:
Heather Bakker, Current Designer - Heather is a Visual Communication Design major. When not designing, Heather teaches swimming and lifeguards at the EWU pool.
Rachel Clabaugh, Current Designer - Rachel is a Visual Communication Design major. Rachel volunteers at her church and other local organizations and enjoys spending time with her husband and family.
Kate Yates, Previous Designer - Kate graduated winter 2008 with a BA in Visual Communication Design. Kate also directed and coached the EWU Dance Force dance team while at Eastern.
Programming Team:
Kandy Moore, Student Project Manager and Current Programmer - Kandy graduated in June 2006 with a BA in Computer Science/ multimedia and Web programming option. She is currently a graduate student at Eastern and plans to complete her master's degree in summer 2009.
Melissa Mewhinney, Current Programmer - Melissa is a Computer Science/Multimedia Major. In her spare time, Melissa is an avid horsewoman.
Bryan Hilmer, Previous Programmer - Bryan graduated in June 2006 with a BA in Computer Science/multimedia and Web programming option. He is employed in the Seattle area as a web programmer.
