Pioneer recommends that the state create benchmarks for city performance in education, economic development, public safety and fiscal management. That data could then inform the state’s strategic plan for revitalizing the cities. Pioneer is now committed to collecting that data for the 14 cities currently participating in our Middle Cities Initiative to help the state and cities better measure local performance. Data can be found at: masscitystats.org

A sample of Pioneer’s research on benchmarking include:

Municipal Benchmarks for Massachusetts Middle Cities [PDF file]
A Look at Financial Management
Author(s): Stephen Lisauskas

Municipal Benchmarks for Massachusetts Middle Cities [PDF file]
A Look at Economic Growth
Author(s): Ezra Haber Glenn, AICP

Municipal Benchmarks for Massachusetts Middle Cities [PDF file]
A Look at Educational Achievement
Author(s): Dr. Robert D. Gaudet

Closing Springfield’s Achievement Gap:
Innovative Ways to Use MCAS Data to Drive School Reform
Author(s): Dr. Kathleen Madigan, Theodor Rebarber, and Dr. Bruce Bean

Driving the New Urban Agenda [PDF file]
Desired Outcomes for the Middle Cities Initiative
Author(s): Jim Stergios and Maria Ortiz Perez

Learning from Springfield [PDF file]
An Asset Management Approach to Tax Title Collection
Author(s): David Panagore

Learning from Springfield [PDF file]
Lessons in Effective Fiscal Management
Author(s): Steve Poftak

New Business Creation and The Urban Economy [PDF file]
Author(s): John H. Friar

Extending the Stat Model Across the Commonwealth [PDF file]
Roe Paper No. 18 2007
Author(s): Somerville SomerStat Program

For further information or to join our mailing list, please contact Joshua Archambault, Project Manager for Middle Cities via email or (617) 723-2277.