Georgia County Government - February 2009 - (Page 18)

Feature New Demographics Program Addresses County Planning Needs By Ann Allen Carl Vinson Institute of Government he Applied Demography Program (A DP), a new ser v ice of t he Universit y of Georg ia’s Ca rl Vinson Institute of Government, will provide Georgia state and local officials with timely population and employment projections that can be used to inform policy decisions ranging from aging to zoning. While no one possesses a crystal ball to foresee changes over the next 10 to 20 years, long-range planning and efforts to anticipate future scenarios are critical activities in today’s government environment. That is why the Vinson Institute has established in partnership with the Office of Planning and Budget (OPB) an applied demography program. Demographers are preparing projections with the help of statistical models fed by data on past trends that can help indicate future behavior, says Warren Brown, ADP director. “We are compiling information about births, deaths, migration and employment by sector to analyze details of change over the last 20 years. By combining local trends with forecasts of national, state and regional changes, the Institute is able to produce detailed projections of population and employment and deliver them in an expedient, useful T manner,” he explains. Policymakers and planners can utilize this information to be prepared to meet the needs and challenges of such changes. The very best projections combine technical expertise with local knowledge, and that is where county officials play a crucial role in the process. Michelle Nesmith, Association County Commissioners (ACCG) Research and Policy Development director, will serve on the advisory board that will help guide the work of the Applied Demography Program. In addition, counties are being asked on an individual basis to review preliminary population and employment projections – to be sent out electronically in February – and submit comments on the trends and assumptions noted. By the end of March, the Vinson Institute will publish revised total population and employment projections for public dissemination, along with training materials for counties and other stakeholders to help them understand how projections are made and how they can be used in strategic planning. Says ACCG Executive Director Jerry Griffin: “We are very excited about the efforts of the Vinson Institute to develop the Applied Demography Program. ‘We are very excited about the efforts of the Vinson Institute to develop the Applied Demography Program. County commissioners have to make wise planning decisions. Having access to, and an understanding of demographic changes in our communities is critical.’ – ACCG Executive Director Jerry Griffin 18 GEORGIA COUNTY GOVERNMENT County commissioners have to make wise planning decisions. Having access to and an understanding of demographic changes in our communities is critical.” The previous set of population projections for all counties in Georgia was prepared by OPB in 2005. The Applied Demography Program is being implemented by the Vinson Institute on request of OPB for a regularly updated, consistent, objective set of numbers useful for budget-planning purposes at all levels, explains Steve Wrigley, Institute director. “The Vinson Institute has always been committed to providing leaders with systematic, data-driven research to help them address increasingly complex public issues. We look forward to enhancing that assistance through this new program,” he says. The projections will be updated every two years and provide counties with more current data than they have had before for planning purposes, Brown notes. The Environmental Protection Division (EPD) of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources will incorporate the Applied Demography Program’s population and employment projections into its process for developing regional water plans throughout the state. “The demographic data and population projections are essential for determining long-term water supply needs,” says Carol Couch, EPD director. ■ Editor’s note: Check the Vinson Institute Web site (www.vinsoninstitute.org) for more information about the Applied Demography Program. http://www.vinsoninstitute.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Georgia County Government - February 2009

Georgia County Government - February 2009 Contents President’s Message County Matters ACCG Training Programs: A Foundation for Excellence in County Government ACCG Welcomes Newly Elected Commissioners Georgia’s Trauma System: The Emergency Management System Component Demographics Program Addresses County Planning Extension News: 4-H Camping Program Benefits Georgia Youth Research Corner: Promote Economic Development in Your Rural County County Parade Index of Advertisers

Georgia County Government - February 2009

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.