Community Benchmarks Program

The mission of the CBP is to support local governments and nonprofits through the use of comparative measures to improve performance and accountability as part of a continuous improvement effort.

The three-credit course is offered each semester to upper-level undergraduates. Participating students are trained in the use of benchmarking to improve local government performance while collecting and analyzing data.

If you are interested in submitting a research proposal, please contact Carol Dwyer.

To view past reports, click here. 

About The Program

In June of 1996, The Maxwell School at Syracuse University formally established the Community Benchmarks Program (CBP) through a grant $579,000 grant awarded by the Alfred P. Sloan, Jr. Foundation. The CBP is part of the Alan K. Campbell Public Affairs Institute. Former Maxwell Dean John Palmer institutionalized the program in 2000, enabling the CBP to continue as part of the ongoing undergraduate research and educational activities of the Public Affairs Program.