Media Clipping – Thursday, November 30, 2001, Kentville Advertiser

GPI survey to begin measuring community well-being

What is the GPI? And what will it reveal to area residents about their communities?

These questions will be answered by a comprehensive survey of 2,000 randomly selected households across Kings County. The next phase of the survey has begun, with a member of the research team contacting each household. They are asking for permission to arrange appointments to discuss survey questions and explain how to complete the survey package.

GPI stands for Genuine Progress Index. This project attempts to measure the peace, security, and well-being of the area. Residents are surveyed on their feelings of safety, incidence of crime, livelihood security, volunteer efforts, health, quality of life, social supports, time use, and other socio-cconomic determinans of peace, security and community strength.

These GPI indicators provide a more accurate measure and reflect local and regional factors compared with the national measures of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). These measures will also be influential in the process of developing and/or revising standards, policies, and regulations for socio-economic and environmental programs in Nova Scotia and possibly other areas of Canada.

The model for this project in Nova Scotia was developed over a two year period by GPI Atlantic, together with representatives of more than 40 Kings County community organizations as well as volunteer members of several Kings Community Economic Development Agency committees.

Initial survey results will be blish benchmarks for future measurements of community well-being. Future surveys would provide comparative information for assessing progress and making needed adjustments.

A local management team spearheaded by Project Manager Cindy Trudel of Gaspereau, assisted by a team of coordinators and researchers, will be reaching out to residents for feedback and completed surveys. Sheffield Mills resident Richard Hennigar, a project advocate and treasurer for the Kings Citizens for Community Development, a major project sponsor, feels completing the surveys is an excellent way to contribute to the well-being of your community.

Other sponsors have included the Central and Eastern Kings Community Health Boards, Kentville Rotary Club, Kings Community Economic Development Agency, the National Crime Prevention Centre, the Canadian Population Health Initiative and the Canadian Rural Partnership/Rural Secretariat, as well as Human Resources Development Canada.

For additional information regarding the survey, contact Project manager Cindy Trudel at 680-0943 or Richard Hennigar at 582-3044.

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