About the CDP
The Community Data Program (CDP) is a membership-based community development initiative open to any Canadian public, non-profit or community sector organization with a local service delivery or public policy mandate. The program facilitates access to the evidence needed to tell our stories and inform effective and responsive policy and program design and implementation. The CDP makes data accessible and useful for all members with training and capacity building resources. Through its vibrant network, the CDP facilitates and supports dialogue and the sharing of best practices in the use of community data. The CDP has emerged as a unique Canada-wide platform for generating information, convening and collaborating.
Created in the mid-1990s by the Canadian Council on Social Development (CCSD) to track poverty at the local level, the CDP now offers data products, analytical tools, and services that are unique in Canada and exclusive to CDP members. The CDP was transitioned from CCSD to the Canadian Community Economic Development Network (CCEDNet) in September 2019.
About CCEDNet
The Canadian Community Economic Development Network (CCEDNet) is a national association of organizations and people throughout Canada committed to strengthening communities by creating economic opportunities that enhance social and environmental conditions.
Rooting Development in Community
Our Values: The Canadian CED Network and its members are committed to the values of inclusion, diversity and equity. Our methods are participatory, democratic, innovative and entrepreneurial.
Our Vision: Sustainable and inclusive communities directing their own social, economic and environmental futures.
Our Mission: CCEDNet connects people and ideas for action to build local economies that strengthen communities and benefit everyone.
What services does the CDP offer?
Access to Data: Half the challenge is getting the data you need- CDP takes care of the hard part. Members benefit from direct access to over $1 million worth of relevant and credible community data products capturing trends and conditions related to hundreds of topics at the smallest geographies available across the country. The entire CDP data repository is available from a members-only online catalogue. The program has built a unique compendium of hundreds of data products from public and private sector data providers offering data at municipal and neighbourhood geographies.
Training & Capacity Building: Data can be intimidating. That’s why CDP’s services are designed for members with a range of skills and knowledge, from power data users to data novices. Services include customized training, email and phone support, access to web-based data access and analysis tools, and webinars connecting members to a Canada-wide network of like-minded community data users. The CDP team is committed to building the capacity of members to access and use data to tell their stories and make evidence-backed decisions.
Cross-Canada Networking: The CDP connects a growing and dynamic network of over 2,000 individuals, working in over 400 municipal and community sector organizations across the country. An annual meeting, newsletters, community data stories, and live and recorded webinar events all contribute to raising awareness about evidence-based social development.
To find out more about the program or get assistance accessing data, please contact our team. The Community Data Program Team is here to help you take advantage of the data and connections available through the program. We're always happy to lend a hand.
The CDP Team