The Civic Intelligence Dashboard
Helping cities follow through with residents.
A nonpartisan tool cities can own. It brings resident requests from 311 and other channels into one view, helps departments coordinate, and closes the loop: it confirms the work is done and tells the resident who reported it.
Illustrative example. Sample City and its figures are fictional.
What the data show
Cities do the work. Public records rarely explain it.
We analyzed nearly 1.8 million public 311 records from 16 cities, October 2025 through September 2026.
Service records often leave the outcome unclear. Across about 1.6 million closed 311 requests, 82% had no explanation of what happened in the public data fields we examined. That doesn’t mean residents were never told or that the work wasn’t done. It means the public record can’t show it.
A new report can signal an unfinished conversation. In the median city, about 15% of eligible closed requests were followed within 30 days by another request of the same type nearby. These may reflect recurring conditions, duplicates, or unresolved problems. Residents’ feedback can help tell them apart.
Source: Cities Forward analysis of public 311 data. These figures describe what cities publish, not everything staff did or residents were told.
How it works
Five lanes, built on data the city already has
Each lane answers a question city staff already ask. The Dashboard sits on top of the systems a city already uses.
Listen
Brings resident reports from 311 and other channels into one view.
Analyze
Shows requests by department and neighborhood, how long they take, and where they stall.
Respond
Helps departments coordinate on the same issue, with a clear owner and a route for escalation.
Close the Loop
Tells the resident what happened and lets them confirm or dispute the result.
Activate
Layers civic health data, including community data from Murmuration, to show where neighborhood programs matter most.
Illustrative example
Close the loop
When the work is done, the resident hears back.
A closed ticket can mean a repair, a referral, a duplicate, or a problem staff couldn’t find. Residents deserve to know which.
- The resident who reported it hears back by text or phone.
- They can confirm the result or dispute it with a reply.
- If the work isn’t finished, the message says so and explains the next step.
- Neighbors get a city-branded update about work nearby, and the crews behind it get the credit.
The 2027 pilot
A three-city pilot, starting with work cities already do
Philanthropy covers the pilot. Cities contribute staff time and data access, not new service programs or new service funding.
Start with one issue
Each city chooses one service area to start, like potholes or dumped trash. We confirm what each status means and how staff verify the work.
Programs where they matter
Activate points to neighborhoods a city hears from least. Local partners run listening sessions, benefits enrollment help, block parties, and civic learning.
Cities learning together
Mayors and city staff compare what works across three virtual sessions and an in-person convening, then report back on the practices they tried.
What we’ll measure
We’ll publish what we find, including what doesn’t work.
Did residents hear back?
We’ll count attempted messages, deliveries, and replies separately, against a baseline set before the first message.
Do residents feel heard?
We’ll ask residents at the start and end whether they believe the city listens, follows through, and tells them the truth about what it can and cannot do.
Do cities use it?
How staff use the Dashboard, which closings residents confirm or dispute, and how quickly disputes are reviewed.
Will cities keep it?
Coordinator time, the real cost of each integration, procurement paths, and willingness to pay.
Build it with us
Want to know what residents hear after a request closes?
We’re talking with city leaders, funders, and community partners about the 2027 pilot.
The Civic Intelligence Dashboard
Helping cities follow through with residents.
The Civic Intelligence Dashboard is a nonpartisan tool cities can own. It brings resident requests from 311 and other channels into one view, helps departments coordinate on the same issue, and closes the loop: it confirms the work is done and tells the resident who reported it. It sits on top of the systems a city already uses, and it grows out of what we learned running programs with city halls since 2022.