Knowledge Base: Glossary of Polco Terms

1. Polco Platform Modules & Features

Admin Platform The password-protected, role-based interface where government staff create content, view data, manage users, access AI assistants, and administer benchmark surveys. Accessible at polco.us/n/admin/login. Separate from the resident-facing platform.

Ask Polly AI (slide-out panel) A persistent AI chat panel accessible from the right edge of every page in the Admin Platform. Opens a conversation with Polly without navigating away from the current page. Ideal for quick data lookups while working in Track or reviewing survey results.

Assess The term for Polco's benchmark survey offering and the section of the platform where those surveys are accessed. Powered by NRC, Polco's research and thought leadership arm. In the admin navigation, Benchmark Surveys are listed under the Engagement section.

BYOD (Bring Your Own Data) A feature that allows organizations to upload local datasets — budget documents, strategic plans, local reports, GIS files — into the Polco platform. Once uploaded, Polly can analyze BYOD data alongside GPAL indicators, and the data can inform AI-assisted conversations and grant writing sessions.

Community Livability Snapshot (CLS) A visual matrix within Track that shows how a community performs across all livability domains simultaneously. Each domain is plotted based on two factors: quality (horizontal axis, measured by GPAL data) and importance (vertical axis, measured by resident survey responses). Domains are categorized as On Track, Needs Attention, or Possible Excess.

Comparison Group A set of peer communities selected for benchmarking purposes. Admins can compare their community's Track performance against national averages, communities of similar population size nationwide, their state, or communities of similar population size within their state. Custom comparison groups can also be configured.

Domain Index Score A weighted, benchmarked score assigned to each livability domain in Track, displayed on a scale of 0–100. The score combines multiple indicators within the domain and is calculated relative to peer communities, so a score of 60 means the community scores at roughly the 60th percentile compared to its comparison group.

Engagement Feed The personalized, scrolling list of content that residents see on the resident-facing platform. Populated with polls, surveys, content posts, simulations, and engagement pages published by the organizations a resident follows or that are geographically relevant to them.

Engage / Engagement Module The section of the Admin Platform where all public-facing content is created, managed, and distributed. Includes polls, surveys, content posts, live events, engagement pages, prioritizations, simulations, taxpayer receipts, benchmark surveys, the Resident Panel, Saved Data Points, Outreach, and the Polco Library.

GPAL (Government Performance Action Lab) The national data consortium and database that powers Polco's Track dashboards. Co-founded by Polco with Stanford University, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and ICMA. GPAL unifies 400+ public data sources — including Census, BLS, CDC, EPA, HUD, BEA, and FEMA — into a single structured system that provides benchmarked community performance indicators across 10+ livability domains. Previously known as Government Performance Action & Learning.

GPAL for Older Adults A specialized dataset within GPAL filtered to surface indicators most relevant to aging populations. Accessible as a toggle option on Track domain dashboards. Pairs with the CASOA benchmark survey for organizations serving older adult communities.

Polco Library A curated collection of pre-built survey templates, poll questions, and outreach copy within the Engagement module. Created by Polco's civic engagement team, the Library provides ready-to-use or easily customizable content across common local government topics (housing, transportation, parks, safety, budgeting, and more).

Polco Live See: Live Event

Profile (organization) An organization's public-facing identity on Polco, including its name, logo, cover image, description, and "Posted By" label. Configurable in Account → Profile. The profile is what residents see when they encounter the organization's content in the resident feed.

Publisher The term Polco uses internally to refer to an organization or entity that publishes content on the platform. When switching between organizations in the admin, the dialog is titled "Switch Publishers." Each publisher has a unique slug (URL identifier), publisher ID, and feature configuration.

Resident Panel The list of residents who have subscribed to an organization's Polco profile. Visible in the Engagement module, the Resident Panel shows subscriber growth over time, geographic distribution (mapped from voter registration records), and demographic breakdowns by age, gender, and race.

Resident Platform The public-facing side of Polco where community members discover and respond to engagement content published by their local government. Accessible at polco.us/n/res or via any shared engagement link. Most content is available without registration; creating a free account unlocks additional features.

Saved Data Points Bookmarked indicators from Track dashboards that an admin has flagged for easy access. Saved data points can be referenced quickly for reports, presentations, grant applications, or content posts without navigating back through dashboards each time.

Slug A short, URL-safe text identifier for an organization's Polco profile. Used to construct the organization's shareable URL (e.g., polco.us/n/res/profile/rocklin). Slugs are assigned during account setup and are visible in Account → Profile settings.

Track Polco's community performance management and data visualization module, powered by GPAL. Track provides benchmarked dashboards across 10+ livability domains, allowing government leaders to understand how their community performs relative to peer communities, state averages, and national standards.

Track Domains The 10 major areas of community livability measured in Track. Each domain contains multiple indicators and produces a Domain Index Score. The domains are: Economy, Safety, Housing & Community Design, Health & Wellness, Education Arts & Culture, Mobility, Natural Environment, Parks & Recreation, Utilities, Finance, and Community Connection. Some accounts also include Community Representation.

2. AI Agents & Assistants

AI Session History A log of all past conversations with Polco AI assistants (Polly, Grace, etc.) accessible from the Polco AI section of the admin nav. Users can resume prior sessions or reference previous analysis without starting over.

Bobbi Polco's budget writing AI agent, currently in development. Bobbi will assist government teams in drafting budgets, supporting frameworks including Priority-Based Budgeting (PBB) and Zero-Based Budgeting (ZBB).

Clara Polco's permit application review AI agent. Clara is embedded on a government's public-facing website and is trained on applicable codes and permit requirements. It reviews resident permit applications, provides iterative feedback, and identifies deficiencies — dramatically reducing the email back-and-forth between applicants and staff. Applications arrive to staff significantly more complete.

Grace Polco's grant writing AI assistant. Grace supports every phase of the grant lifecycle: identifying relevant funding opportunities, drafting needs statements and program narratives, generating budget justifications, and writing executive summaries. Grace draws on GPAL community data to ground grant language in verified local statistics and is accessible via the Polco AI section of the admin nav.

Institutional Knowledge Agent (beta) An AI agent that helps government offices capture, organize, and make internal staff knowledge searchable and accessible. Designed to preserve institutional expertise that might otherwise leave with departing employees. Currently in beta.

Polco AI The umbrella term for Polco's suite of AI agents and assistants. Accessible via the top item in the admin navigation. Includes Polly, Grace, Clara, Bobbi (in development), and additional specialized agents. The persistent "Ask Polly AI" button on the right edge of every admin page provides quick access without full navigation.

Polly Polco's data and analytics AI assistant. Polly can answer complex questions about community performance data using GPAL indicators, interpret survey results, summarize Track metrics, help with grant research, draft reports, and more. Polly is accessible via the full Polco AI page or the slide-out "Ask Polly AI" panel on any admin screen. Users can also upload files (TXT, PDF, JSON, DOC, DOCX, PPTX — up to 20MB) for Polly to analyze alongside GPAL data.

RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) The underlying AI architecture that powers Polco's AI agents. RAG systems retrieve relevant context from structured knowledge bases (like GPAL data or institutional documents) before generating a response, making AI outputs grounded in verified information rather than relying purely on model training.

Resident Customer Service Agent (beta) An AI agent embedded on a government's public-facing website. Helps residents navigate the site, find information, and get answers to frequently asked questions — providing 24/7 self-service without requiring staff response. Currently in beta.

3. Benchmark Surveys & NRC

Benchmark Survey A professionally designed, statistically validated survey that compares a community's results against a national database of peer jurisdictions. Unlike custom surveys, benchmark surveys use standardized methodology and probability-based sampling to ensure results are representative and comparable across hundreds of communities.

CASOA (Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults™) A benchmark survey designed for adults aged 55 and older. Covers housing, transportation, healthcare, social services, recreation, and civic participation. Results help communities plan age-friendly programs, services, and infrastructure. Integrates with GPAL for Older Adults in Track dashboards.

NBS (National Business Survey™) A benchmark survey capturing feedback from local business owners and leaders about the economic climate, workforce conditions, infrastructure quality, and policy support in their community. Helps governments understand and respond to the needs of their business community, with national benchmarking.

NCS (National Community Survey™) Polco's flagship benchmark survey for general community livability. Measures resident satisfaction and perceptions across key domains including safety, economy, mobility, housing, health, and inclusivity. Uses both probability-based sampling (for scientific rigor) and open participation (for breadth). Results benchmark against hundreds of jurisdictions nationwide and integrate directly into Track dashboards to provide the resident sentiment layer alongside GPAL's objective indicators.

NCS-S / NCS Snapshot A streamlined, faster-to-deploy version of the National Community Survey. Covers core livability questions with a shorter completion time, making it accessible for communities that want benchmarked resident feedback without the full NCS administration timeline.

NCS-RTG (NCS Ready-To-Go) A digitally delivered, accelerated version of the National Community Survey available to Enterprise plan customers. Allows for faster deployment without some of the traditional mailed-invitation setup, while still producing nationally benchmarked results.

NES (National Employee Survey™) A benchmark survey that measures local government employee engagement, job satisfaction, organizational culture, and workplace climate. Identifies drivers of retention and morale, and benchmarks results against peer government employers nationwide.

NES-LE (National Employee Survey — Law Enforcement) A specialized version of the National Employee Survey designed for law enforcement personnel. Measures morale, job satisfaction, communication, leadership trust, and workplace culture within police and sheriff departments, with national benchmarking specific to law enforcement.

NLES (National Law Enforcement Survey™) A benchmark survey measuring resident perceptions of public safety and law enforcement effectiveness. Distinct from the NES-LE (which surveys staff), the NLES captures the community's perspective on policing quality, trust, and responsiveness.

NRC (National Research Center) Polco's research and thought leadership arm. NRC was acquired by Polco in 2019 and brings 30+ years of expertise in designing, administering, and benchmarking community surveys. NRC maintains the largest resident opinion benchmark database in the United States and is the team behind all of Polco's nationally validated surveys (NCS, NBS, CASOA, NES, NLES, NES-LE). NRC is fully integrated into Polco — not a separate partner.

Probability-Based Sampling The scientific method used in NRC benchmark surveys to ensure results represent the full community population, not just willing respondents. Involves selecting a random sample from the jurisdiction and using invitation-based participation rather than self-selection, ensuring statistical validity and representativeness.

RTG (Ready-To-Go) A faster-deployment version of certain benchmark surveys (e.g., NCS-RTG, NES-RTG). Designed for organizations that want validated, benchmarked results without the full traditional administration timeline.

4. Data, Analytics & Track

ACS (American Community Survey) The U.S. Census Bureau's ongoing statistical survey that collects detailed information about the American population on topics like income, housing, education, and employment. One of the primary sources for GPAL indicators in Track.

ADT (Average Daily Traffic) A traffic volume metric used in the Mobility domain to measure the average number of vehicles passing a point per day. Used to assess road usage, congestion, and infrastructure planning needs.

Air Quality Index (AQI) A standardized scale for reporting daily air quality. Used in the Natural Environment domain. The AQI specifically measures PM2.5 (fine particulate matter) in Polco's Track indicators.

Auto-Weighting A feature that statistically adjusts survey response data to better reflect the demographic composition of the actual community population. Available on Pro plans (limited) and Enterprise plans (full). Reduces the impact of over- or under-representation of certain demographic groups in open-participation surveys.

BEA (Bureau of Economic Analysis) A federal agency providing official macroeconomic and industry statistics. A GPAL data source for economic indicators in Track.

BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) The U.S. federal agency that measures labor market activity, working conditions, and price changes. Primary source for employment and workforce indicators in Track's Economy domain.

BRIC (Baseline Resilience Indicators for Communities) A composite index developed by researchers to evaluate community resilience across environmental, social, economic, and infrastructure dimensions. Used as a source for built environment and resilience indicators in Track.

CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Federal agency providing public health data. A primary GPAL data source for health and wellness indicators in Track, including life expectancy, chronic disease rates, and behavioral health metrics.

CDC BRFSS (Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System) A CDC health survey system used for wellness and behavior-related indicators, including data on physical activity, smoking, obesity, and preventive health behaviors.

Census / U.S. Census Bureau The federal agency responsible for the decennial population census and the American Community Survey. One of the most widely used GPAL data sources across multiple Track domains.

Community Disparity A specialized view within Track that surfaces equity and access gaps across population groups within a community. Helps leaders understand disparities in income, education, health, housing access, and other livability factors across demographic segments.

Data to Display Filter A dropdown filter on Track domain dashboards that allows admins to toggle between GPAL (standard community data) and GPAL for Older Adults (indicators filtered for aging population relevance).

Domain See: Track Domains

EIA (Energy Information Administration) A federal agency providing energy data including electricity consumption, utility costs, and energy access metrics. Used in Track's Utilities domain.

EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) Federal agency providing environmental quality data including air quality, water quality, and environmental compliance. A primary GPAL data source for the Natural Environment domain.

FBI UCR (Federal Bureau of Investigation — Uniform Crime Reporting) A national crime data collection program compiled by the FBI from law enforcement agencies nationwide. Primary source for crime indicators in Track's Safety domain.

FCC (Federal Communications Commission) Provides data on broadband access and internet availability. Used in Track indicators measuring digital infrastructure and connectivity.

FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) Federal agency providing disaster risk and resilience data. Used in GPAL for hazard vulnerability indicators in the Natural Environment domain.

FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standards) Standardized numeric codes assigned by the U.S. federal government to uniquely identify geographic areas — states, counties, cities, school districts, and congressional districts. Polco uses FIPS codes as the primary geographic key to match, join, and benchmark data across Track dashboards, GPAL indicators, survey results, and BYOD uploads. Every publisher profile has a FIPS code (Track Identifier) assigned in the backend.

Gini Coefficient A measure of income inequality ranging from 0 (perfect equality) to 1 (maximum inequality). Used in Track's Economy domain. Lower values indicate more equitable income distribution.

GPAL for Older Adults See: GPAL for Older Adults (listed under Platform Modules)

HUD (Department of Housing and Urban Development) Federal agency providing housing data including Fair Market Rents, homelessness counts, and affordable housing metrics. A key GPAL source for Track's Housing & Community Design domain.

Indicator A specific, measurable data point within a Track domain used to assess community performance. Examples include monthly unemployment rate, violent crime rate, life expectancy, or median household income. Each domain contains multiple indicators, and a subset of indicators feeds the weighted Domain Index Score.

Livability Domain See: Track Domains

NFIRS (National Fire Incident Reporting System) A federal database tracking fire incidents reported by local fire departments. Used in Track's Safety domain for fire incident data.

NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) Federal agency providing vehicle crash and traffic fatality data. Used in Track's Mobility domain for fatal crash indicators.

PM2.5 (Particulate Matter 2.5) Fine airborne particulate matter measuring 2.5 microns or smaller — a key air quality indicator. Used in Track's Natural Environment domain. Lower values indicate cleaner air.

Resident Sentiment Data reflecting community members' perceptions and opinions, typically gathered through benchmark surveys like the NCS or CASOA. In Track, resident sentiment indicators display alongside GPAL's objective data indicators, providing the community's own perspective on livability factors like safety, parks quality, and economic opportunity.

Show Data For Filter A dropdown filter on Track domain dashboards that selects which community or comparison group to display data for — either the admin's own community or a configured peer comparison group.

USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) Federal agency providing food access, agricultural, and nutrition data. Used in Track's Housing domain for food desert indicators (specifically the USDA Food Access Research Atlas).

USGS (United States Geological Survey) Federal agency providing geographic and natural resource data. Used in GPAL for environmental and natural hazard indicators.

Walk Score A third-party metric measuring how walkable a neighborhood or community is based on proximity to amenities. Used in Track's Mobility and Housing domains as a built environment indicator.

5. Engagement Tools & Content Types

Budget Simulation An interactive tool where residents allocate funding across government service categories while staying within a balanced budget. As residents adjust spending, they see the real-time trade-offs — helping them understand fiscal constraints and providing government leaders with quantitative community input on budget priorities.

Conditional Logic (Conditional Survey Logic) A survey feature that shows or hides questions based on a respondent's previous answers. For example, showing a follow-up question only to residents who selected "Dissatisfied" on a prior question. Available on Enterprise plans.

Content Post An information-focused content type in the Engagement module. Content posts can include text, images, videos, links, and embedded Track data points. Used for project updates, result summaries, educational content, event promotion, and general community communication. Published content posts appear in the resident feed.

Engagement Page (Project Page) A centralized hub that organizes all engagement activities, content, and updates related to a specific initiative. Engagement pages can contain polls, surveys, simulations, content posts, live events, and prioritizations. Residents can follow an engagement page to receive updates as the project evolves. Also referred to as a Project Page.

Housing Simulation An interactive tool where residents explore housing policy trade-offs — adjusting variables like density, zoning, and affordability to see how changes affect housing availability and community outcomes. Helps governments gather informed resident input on complex housing decisions.

Live Event (Polco Live) A real-time engagement tool designed for use during in-person meetings, virtual town halls, or community events. Participants respond to polls and questions on their own mobile devices, with results appearing instantly for the facilitator. No app required — fully browser-based. Supports anonymous or verified participation.

Manage Access A visibility setting applied to individual polls and surveys during the publishing process. Options include Public (visible in the resident feed to anyone) or Only People with the Link (not listed publicly; accessible only via direct URL). Used for targeted or internal-only engagement.

Meeting Mode A presentation-oriented display mode for Live Events that projects real-time results in a format suitable for large screens during public meetings or workshops.

Outreach A section within the Engagement module providing tools to distribute engagement content. Includes the organization's shareable profile URL, a custom short URL, and email list management tools for sending targeted invitations to specific resident groups.

Point Allocation A survey question type that asks respondents to distribute a fixed number of points (typically 10) among a set of options, revealing relative preferences. Used in Prioritization activities and strategic planning surveys.

Poll A short, focused engagement activity typically containing one or a small number of questions. Designed for quick pulse checks and rapid community input. Results are available in real time. Residents can add a single comment per poll question, and comments can be liked by others.

Poll Set A grouped collection of related poll questions presented together. Used when gathering input on multiple related issues in a single engagement activity.

Polco Library See: Polco Library (listed under Platform Modules)

Prioritization An engagement activity where participants rank, score, or allocate points among a list of options — such as potential capital projects, service priorities, or policy goals. Supports point-allocation, slider, and ranked-choice formats. Results aggregate to show which items the community values most.

Project Page See: Engagement Page

QR Code A scannable code generated by Polco that links directly to a specific survey, poll, engagement page, or profile. Used to distribute engagement opportunities at in-person events, on printed materials, or on signage.

Saved Data Points See: Saved Data Points (listed under Platform Modules)

Section Header A survey element used to divide a long survey into labeled sections. Can include a title, descriptive text, and embedded images to provide context or instructions between question groups.

Survey A multi-question feedback instrument supporting a wide range of question types: multiple choice, free text, rating scales, grid/matrix questions, point allocation, and more. Used for in-depth community needs assessments, strategic planning input, and formal feedback collection. Can be customized with branding, section headers, and conditional logic (Enterprise).

Taxpayer Receipt An interactive tool that generates a personalized breakdown of how a resident's local tax dollars are allocated across government services (e.g., public safety, parks, infrastructure, libraries). Promotes budget transparency and helps residents understand the value of public services.

Transactional Survey A survey mode designed for real-time, kiosk-style use. After a respondent submits, the survey automatically resets to a blank form for the next participant. Used at public service counters, community events, or shared devices.

6. User Roles, Access & Account Terms

Admin Account An account with login credentials that grants access to the Polco Admin Platform. Each admin is assigned a role (Manager, Publisher, Collaborator, or Viewer) that determines their permissions.

Collaborator An admin role with create and edit access but no publishing rights. Collaborators can draft content and view results but cannot publish anything publicly or manage admin accounts. Suited for staff who prepare content for review before it goes live.

Feature Flag An internal setting that enables or disables a specific platform feature for an organization's account. Feature flags are managed by Polco staff based on subscription tier and custom agreements. Examples include AI_ASSISTANT, AUTOMATIC_WEIGHTING, AGE_BREAKDOWN, and ADMIN_SEATS.

Feature Update Expiration Date The date through which a set of feature flags or subscription-tier features are active for an organization's account. Used by Polco to manage subscription periods.

Manager The highest admin role. Managers have full access — they can create, edit, publish, and delete content; view and download all results; and manage the organization's admin team (add, remove, and change roles). The first admin on any Polco account is assigned Manager by default.

Publisher (role) An admin role with full content creation and publishing rights, but no user management or deletion rights. Publishers can create, edit, publish, and share content and view and download results. Cannot delete content or add/remove other admin users.

Role The permission level assigned to each admin user, determining what they can see and do within the platform. The four roles are Manager, Publisher, Collaborator, and Viewer.

Seat An active admin account slot that counts against an organization's admin seat limit. Viewer seats are unlimited. Manager, Publisher, and Collaborator accounts each consume one of the 10 default shared seats. Additional seats can be requested from Polco.

Slug See: Slug (listed under Platform Modules)

SSO (Single Sign-On) An authentication method that allows users to log in to multiple systems using one set of credentials. Polco supports SSO for admin access in enterprise configurations.

Superadmin An internal Polco staff role with access to backend configuration tools not visible to regular admin users. Superadmins can approve new registrations, manage publisher profiles, adjust feature limits, configure feature flags, and access internal dashboards. This role is not available to Polco customers.

Viewer The most restricted admin role. Viewers can view and share any content and results but cannot create, edit, publish, or delete anything. Viewer seats are unlimited and do not count against the shared seat total.

7. Partner Organizations & External Bodies

ASU (Arizona State University) A GPAL consortium academic partner. Contributes research expertise and data science capabilities to the GPAL framework.

COWS (Center on Wisconsin Strategy) A University of Wisconsin research center and GPAL contributor, providing labor market and economic development research expertise.

Envisio A strategic planning software company and Polco integration partner. Supports government strategic plan management alongside Polco's engagement and data tools.

GFOA (Government Finance Officers Association) A national organization representing government finance professionals. A Polco partner organization and an endorser of Polco's platform. Relevant to Polco's budget simulation and financial transparency tools.

ICMA (International City/County Management Association) The professional association for local government managers and administrators. A founding GPAL consortium partner and Polco endorser. ICMA's partnership helped validate and expand GPAL's national scope.

NLC (National League of Cities) A national organization representing city governments and elected officials. A Polco partner and endorser.

NRC (National Research Center) See: NRC (listed under Benchmark Surveys)

Stanford (Hoover Institution) A Polco GPAL consortium partner. The Hoover Institution at Stanford University contributes research methodology and data science expertise to the GPAL framework.

UW Madison (University of Wisconsin–Madison) A GPAL consortium academic partner. Contributes data science and public policy research through the COWS center.

8. Government, Policy & Public Sector Terms

ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Federal legislation prohibiting discrimination against individuals with disabilities. Polco's resident-facing platform is built to WCAG 2.1 AA standards in support of ADA accessibility goals.

ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) Federal legislation providing COVID-19 relief funding to state and local governments. Many Polco customers used engagement and simulation tools to gather public input on ARPA spending decisions, a common grant compliance requirement.

CAFR (Comprehensive Annual Financial Report) A detailed set of financial statements and supplementary information for a government entity. Referenced in grant writing and financial reporting contexts within Grace.

CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) A federal HUD grant program providing funds for community development activities including housing, infrastructure, and economic development. A common grant type supported by Grace.

CIP (Capital Improvement Program) A multi-year government spending plan for major infrastructure and facility projects. Often the subject of resident engagement and prioritization activities in Polco.

Civic Engagement The process of involving community members in government decision-making and public affairs. Polco's platform is built around enabling meaningful, representative civic engagement at scale.

CO (Certificate of Occupancy) A local government document certifying that a building meets code requirements and is approved for use. Referenced in the context of Clara's permit review capabilities.

DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) A framework for ensuring fair representation and opportunity across diverse populations. Community Disparity in Track and Polco's engagement tools are frequently used to support DEI-related government initiatives.

DOT (Department of Transportation) Federal and state agencies providing transportation planning, infrastructure, and traffic data. A GPAL data source for Mobility domain indicators.

EDA (Economic Development Administration) A federal agency within the Department of Commerce that promotes economic development. A source of grant funding relevant to Grace's grant writing support.

GIS (Geographic Information System) Software and systems used to capture, store, analyze, and visualize geographic and spatial data. FIPS codes connect Polco's data to GIS systems. GIS boundary shapefiles are used in NRC survey sampling to define jurisdiction boundaries.

HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act) Federal legislation protecting the privacy and security of health information. Referenced in healthcare-related engagement and data contexts.

LIHTC (Low-Income Housing Tax Credit) A federal tax incentive program for affordable housing development. Relevant to Track's Housing domain indicators and Grace grant writing for housing-focused grants.

MPO (Metropolitan Planning Organization) A federally mandated, policy-making body responsible for transportation planning in urbanized areas. MPO data is used in Polco's Mobility domain indicators.

Needs Attention A classification in the Community Livability Snapshot indicating that a domain is rated as high-importance by residents but relatively lower quality compared to benchmarks. Domains in this category are typically prioritized for strategic investment.

NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) A term for community opposition to local development or infrastructure projects. Polco's housing simulations and engagement tools are specifically designed to help governments navigate NIMBY dynamics by educating residents on trade-offs before opposition solidifies.

NLC See: NLC (listed under Partner Organizations)

On Track A classification in the Community Livability Snapshot indicating that a domain performs at relatively high quality and is rated as relatively high-importance by residents. Suggests current investment levels and performance are appropriate.

OMB (Office of Management and Budget) The executive branch agency responsible for the federal budget. Referenced in grant compliance and budget reporting contexts.

PBB (Priority-Based Budgeting) A budgeting methodology where government spending is explicitly linked to community priorities and program results. Bobbi, Polco's budget writing AI in development, will support PBB frameworks.

PM2.5 See: PM2.5 (listed under Data & Analytics)

Possible Excess A classification in the Community Livability Snapshot indicating that a domain performs at relatively high quality but is rated as lower-importance by residents. May indicate an opportunity to reallocate resources toward higher-priority areas.

ROW (Right-of-Way) The legal right to pass through a specific area, particularly for transportation infrastructure. Referenced in transportation planning contexts within Polco.

TIF (Tax Increment Financing) A public financing method where future tax revenue gains from a development area are used to fund current improvements. Referenced in economic development and housing contexts.

TPL (Trust for Public Land) A nonprofit organization that works to protect land for public use, including parks. Referenced in the context of Parks & Recreation domain indicators.

UCR (Uniform Crime Reporting) See: FBI UCR

VA (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs) Federal agency serving veterans. Referenced in community services and older adults contexts.

WCAG 2.1 AA (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) The internationally recognized standard for digital accessibility. Polco's resident-facing platform is built to WCAG 2.1 AA standards, ensuring content is accessible to people with visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive disabilities.

ZBB (Zero-Based Budgeting) A budgeting methodology where every expense must be justified for each new budget period, starting from a "zero base." Bobbi, Polco's budget writing AI in development, will support ZBB frameworks alongside PBB.

Glossary of Polco Terms