(February 18, 2016 – New York City, NY) – The Intelligent Community Forum (ICF), which hosts the annual Intelligent Community of the Year Awards, will launch a new, free community evaluation system called the Intelligent Community Index. It will provide any participating community with detailed feedback on its progress toward becoming an Intelligent Community. The Index questionnaire can be accessed and completed starting today on ICF's website.

As with the Intelligent Community Awards program, there is no fee or cost to participate in the Intelligent Community Index. Communities submitting the questionnaire will receive a detailed report comparing their performance to ICF’s global data set, and be automatically entered into the next cycle of the Intelligent Community Forum’s Awards program. Columbus, Ohio (USA) is the current Intelligent Community of the Year.

ICF will publish reports on the data periodically, beginning with its first report in the last quarter of 2016. The reports will help shape national and regional policies on urban and rural development, as well as validate the efforts of community leaders to build a better future. The reports will be available through ICF and its two Institutes for the Study of the Intelligent Community in Dublin, Ohio and Starkville, Mississippi, as well as through ICF Canada and ICF's global Foundation.

The new program is the culmination of work by the New York-based think tank, which has spent 15 years developing evidence-based, objective metrics to assess the goals and achievements of Intelligent Communities for its famous international awards program. The goal of the Index is to provide communities everywhere – cities, towns and regions, both urban and rural – with practical, real-world guidance on becoming an Intelligent Community, and an objective method for measuring progress.

“Since 1995 our goal has been to help communities build prosperous and inclusive economies in what we call the ‘Broadband Economy,’” said ICF co-founder Robert Bell. “In addition to sharing inspiring stories of global community renewal in our books and publications, our research analysts have found ways to effectively measure a community’s goals, achievements and results. We think it is a quantum leap for anyone looking to provide metrics for their investments.”

The ICF approach corrects for difference in population, wealth and location to provide real-time data “snapshots” of the actual positioning of a place relative to its aspirations. It is guided by the six criteria used by ICF to assess communities for its awards program.

More information can be found at www.intelligentcommunity.org.

For more information or with questions about the IC Index contact ICF Director of Operations Matthew Owen at [email protected] or call +1 646-291-6166 (x105). ICF can be found on Twitter at @newcommunities, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/IntelligentCommunityForum

About Intelligent Community Forum
The Intelligent Community Forum (www.intelligentcommunity.org), headquartered in New York, is a global movement of more than 145 cities, towns and regions. As an international think tank and Foundation, ICF studies and promotes the best practices of the world's Intelligent Communities as they adapt to the new demands and seize the opportunities presented by information and communications technology (ICT). To help cities and towns build prosperous economies, solve social problems and enrich local cultures, the Intelligent Community Forum conducts research, hosts global events, publishes books, and produces its high-profile annual international awards program. The Forum has two Institutes in North America dedicated to the study of the movement, with more institutes planned.

Global leaders, thinkers, and media observers follow and participate in the ongoing global dialogue initiated by the Intelligent Community Forum. In 2012 ICF was invited to participate at the Nobel Peace Prize conference in Oslo and in 2014, its model and work was recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, which, according to the American government, was "aimed at creating a more flexible and responsive system of workforce development to meet the needs of employers looking to fill 21st century jobs.” The Forum’s Foundation has an association made up of 145 designated Intelligent Communities worldwide, which is represented by mayors and key civic leaders. For more information, go to www.icf-foundation.org. For more details on the Intelligent Community Forum’s recent publications and programs, www.intelligentcommunity.org.

Intelligent Community Forum Contacts
Matthew Owen
Director of Operations, Intelligent Community Forum
Phone: 001-646-291-6166 x105 – Skype: matthew.owen.aai
Email: [email protected]

Louis Zacharilla
Co-Founder, Intelligent Community Forum
Phone: (M) 001-917-715-0711 (O) 001-212-249-0624
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @LouICF