The Quality of Life (QOL) project for the San Diego Region represents a new, participatory approach to public services strategic planning, interagency coordination, and improved access by communities to regional data. The QOL concept is linked directly to the greater role and responsibility community collaboratives have in designing and improving social services to better meet the needs of their neighborhood constituents.

Currently, the QOL Project is being applied as a planning and evaluation support resource to the County of San Diego's, Alcohol and Drug Services (ADS) 'Prevention Framework'. In this context, QOL is proving to be a powerful, evidence-based system to measure the impact of grassroots delivery systems on risk and protective factors affecting the health and well-being of children, youth and families.

As a multi-tiered collaborative process, the QOL Model involves statistical analysis, including geographical data mapping, and annual benchmarking of key social, economic and community health indicators. This compilation of vital signs provides a picture of the health or 'quality of life' of individual communities, the County of San Diego as a composite of diverse service areas, and the U.S.- Mexico Border Region as a whole.

Sharing of information and scientific data among government and non-government agencies, universities and bi-national taskforces is being instituted as critical to the development of human capital, social and physical infrastructure investment, and integrated solutions to educational, health and public safety, and economic issues. This information will be kept current and made available to improve the clarity of the planning process at all levels and to track actual social and health changes over time.

Click the image at right, or here, to see a presentation about the QOL Model. To download the original PowerPoint presentation, click here.

TELESIS Corporation designed and launched the QOL Project in July 1997. This project's research foundation is derived from twenty-one years of Corporate health and technology experience. The QOL Project continues to grow through the dedicated involvement of the County's Alcohol and Drug Services, the San Diego Police Department, San Diego County Office of Education, the University of California San Diego's Department of Urban Planning, and numerous citizen's groups and community collaboratives. As a dynamic model for the 21st century, the Quality of Life Partnership is expanding continuously throughout the County and the U.S.-Mexico Border Region. It is our vision to keep the QOL Project open to all community stakeholders and to continue to cultivate exciting opportunities for innovative uses of the Model and information resources that will benefit everyone's 'quality of life.'