Are You Fixing the Wrong Problems in Your City?
Every city survey tells a story—but are you sure you’re reading it right?
Too often, leaders chase the lowest scores from their resident satisfaction survey. It feels logical… until you realize those “lows” may not actually matter to residents. You end up repainting the gazebo while everyone’s still dodging potholes.
That’s where the real challenge begins: how do you know which issues are truly important to your community?
Introducing the Action Map
This simple chart—an Action Map—shows city leaders exactly where to focus. And while Action Maps may be new to community research, they’re not new. They’ve been quietly powering decisions for years in industries where getting it right matters: healthcare, utilities, and even Fortune 500 companies.
Now, they’re finally being applied to local government, where resources are scarce, opinions are loud, and leaders need clarity they can trust.
Here’s how it works:
- Items in the upper-right quadrant are the city’s strengths. They are both important, and the city performs well.
- Items in the bottom-right are opportunities for improvement. This is the best place to invest to improve city satisfaction.
For years, this approach has guided billion-dollar decisions in industries where precision matters. We’ve adapted it for cities—so you can direct resources where they’ll have the greatest impact.
A Proven, Smarter Approach
At True North, we bring a tool that’s new to local government but tested in some of the toughest decision-making environments: the modeled importance score.
Instead of focusing only on surface-level scores, we identify what’s statistically tied to overall satisfaction with the community. The importance scores are “modeled” scores. The higher the score, the more impact it has on residents’ satisfaction.
For years, this approach has guided billion-dollar decisions in industries where precision matters. We’ve adapted it for cities—so you can direct resources where they’ll have the greatest impact.
The Bottom Line
The strongest survey results give you confidence. With the right analysis, they become a solid foundation for decisions your community can trust:
- You know where to invest.
- You can defend your choices.
- You can confidently explain why this project, not that one.
Action Maps may be new to community research, but they’re not new to decision-making. They’ve been tested, trusted, and proven in industries where precision matters—and now they can help your city do more with less.
