Waterloo achieves platinum ISO standard, joins global network of cities in performance measurement
(Visit the following link to view the original release on the City of Waterloo's website)
September 14, 2020
The City of Waterloo has achieved the highest certification – platinum – from the World Council on City Data (WCCD) for ISO 37120: Sustainable cities and communities – Indicators for city services and quality of life.
This international standard includes 104 indicators to measure and compare inclusive, sustainable, economically attractive and prosperous cities globally. The WCCD’s platinum certification level refers to Waterloo reporting on over 90 of the possible 104 indicators, committing to the most thorough comparison of performance to a global network of cities.
“Waterloo is a great city that is always improving. Now with our ISO certification, we can compare Waterloo to 100 other cities around the world. They will learn from us, and we’ll learn from them to build a better quality of life for all our citizens. I’m proud of our staff for achieving platinum; it means we’re measuring and trying to improve on as many things as possible for our community,” said Mayor Dave Jaworsky.
The certification will be presented virtually to Council on September 21 by the WCCD as part of the "Data for Canadian Cities Project", supported by the Federal Ministry of Infrastructure and Communities. As part of a funded agreement with the Government of Canada, the WCCD worked with 15 municipalities, including Waterloo and Kitchener, to help them become certified. With this achievement, Waterloo joins WCCD’s Canadian network of 30 cities, which includes the City of Cambridge, and a global network of 100 cities in over 30 countries. As the project moves into years two and three, the focus will shift to how participating municipalities can use the data available to advance, while sharing their unique expertise to help other participants improve services and quality of life.
"The City of Waterloo has a well-deserved reputation as a centre of innovation across Canada and globally. Through this WCCD ISO 37120 Platinum Certification, the WCCD is pleased to recognize Waterloo's commitment to harnessing data to drive sustainable economic development and citizen-focused, evidence-based decision making for quality of life advancements," stated WCCD President & CEO, Dr. Patricia McCarney. "It is a pleasure to be able to congratulate Mayor Jaworsky, council members and the incredibly dedicated staff on this truly auspicious achievement. On behalf of the WCCD, I look forward to working with you all as you continue to build a smarter, more resilient, sustainable, prosperous and inclusive future."
"All communities, large and small, need good data to plan and build modern public infrastructure,” said the federal Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, Catherine McKenna. “Meeting global data standards is critical. Through the Data for Canadian Cities Project, in partnership with the World Council on City Data, we've been helping municipal leaders in a number of communities across Canada do just that. I am delighted that Waterloo has obtained the ISO standard for municipal data, this will help the City plan projects with quality data and will help guide evidence-based decision-making. Canada's infrastructure plan invests in thousands of projects, creates jobs across the country and builds stronger communities."
Having achieved this certification, the city will take the next few months to examine the data. As part of the strategic plan update later this year, staff will update Council and the community on how the city compares against others on the ISO 37120 indicators, and how this will help measure our performance going forward.
Media contact
Cari Howard
Manager, Corporate Communications
cari.howard@waterloo.ca
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