ExoOpp Mapping Tool: Taking a Snapshot of PHA’s Impact and Needs
When PHA first took on the challenge of eliminating the nation’s childhood obesity problem, our strategy was to secure a large number of commitments from a wide group of stakeholders, in order to maximize our impact. And that’s exactly what we did.
But with more than 200 partners beside us now, it’s time to hone our efforts to ensure we’re working as efficiently and effectively as possible. To get a clearer picture of the impact we’re having – and where we still need to work harder – we’ve partnered with the Institute for People Place and Possibility (IP3) and the University of Missouri Center for Applied Research and Engagement (CARES) to develop a tool that lets us analyze data related to poverty, obesity and vulnerable populations with regard to where our partners are focused.
ExoOpp is an innovative new tool that combines partner locations and key indicators to provide a comprehensive snapshot showcasing a community’s assets and challenges, providing us with demographic summaries, maps and data visualizations. Do our partners have stores/locations in areas with limited access to healthier foods? Or where there are higher rates of childhood obesity? These are the types of questions we can answer by analyzing this data.
PHA continues to refine and enhance how we utilize the ExoOpp mapping tool. Moving forward, PHA plans to utilize the platform to determine the percent of low-access areas our partners currently reach. That will allow us to determine the percent we still need to reach and then measure our progress towards that goal. Furthermore, PHA will be making a public-facing version to allow everyone to see the reach of PHA partners across the country or to drill down to their own neighborhoods.
With the ExoOpp mapping tool, PHA and its partners can now identify the most vulnerable neighborhoods – those with the greatest needs and fewest resources – helping us make quicker, smarter decisions about how to help America’s kids grow up healthier.