Institute of Water Research

www.iwr.msu.edu/sidma

If often takes time to measure and document the benefits of best management practices on the landscape. Social indicators, which examine changes in awareness, attitudes and behaviors, are an alternative approach to demonstrating progress toward water quality goals. They provide consistent measures of social change within a watershed and can be used by managers at local, state, and federal levels to estimate the impacts of their efforts and resources. The Social Indicator Data Management and Analysis (SIDMA) system organizes, analyzes, and visualizes social indicators, related to nonpoint source (NPS) management efforts through statistical and spatial relationships. This online project management aid, developed as part of the Social Indicators Planning and Evaluation System (SIPES) project, allows users to create easily create surveys with vetted questions, and analyze and compare results. To date, 550 SIDMA projects in 38 states are stored within the system.