This is the Connecticut Progress Council's first report, which lays out a guide for building a better future for the people of our state. Council members have defined that future by shaping a vision, crafting goals and setting targets to mark our progress. The benchmarks and their specific targets for the next twenty years allow us to see the progress we make toward reaching our goals.

The 300 benchmarks are organized in five sections: families and communities, education, health, the economy, and the environment. (Only the environment is available at this site - please contact the Office of Policy and Management for futher information about this docuemnt.)

Benchmarks emphasize measuring outcomes rather than activities. In this way, we know whether or not our strategies, plans and activities are working. If we are reaching our targets, all is well; if we are not, we need to rethink our strategies and involve the public, community leaders, and government officials in producing better ways.

Choosing measures for each goal has been a difficult task. We have sought to identify reliable and valid indicators. We have also sought to use some measures which allow our citizens to compare Connecticut with other states. We are eager to improve upon them and welcome suggestions.

Setting targets has also not been easy. The Progress Council has deliberately tried to set targets that are both challenging and realistic. We have made tough choices and hope to engage more people in this process of choosing and managing our course toward our desired future.

Setting benchmarks and their targets is never fully complete. For a number of benchmarks we have not set targets or yet found a practical measure. This year we will fill in as many missing bits of information as we can. At the same time, we expect to refine the benchmarks in response to suggestions from private citizens, legislators and other public officials. The Endnotes section of this report presents the definition, purpose and data source of the environmental benchmark.

Prior to the five benchmark sections, we present goals and the most critical benchmarks. Following the goals, we present benchmarks that we feel should get the most immediate attention. Making substantial progress toward these "urgent" benchmarks over the next five years is essential for reaching our long-term goals and vision.