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The Information Group is the original initiative of The Providence Plan. Its work focuses on democratizing information – transitioning data from the spreadsheets and complex databases into maps, charts, and interactive tools that allow policymakers and residents to use it as a driver for community change.

Within Rhode Island, the Information Group is most widely known for the information and tools it provides online, free of charge.  Every week, hundreds of unique visitors come to our website to find information that empowers them to make smart, evidence‐ based decisions about their work in Rhode Island. The interactive maps, charts, and graphs that we offer are compiled from federal, state, and local statistics that make up ProvPlan’s “data warehouse” – the largest of its kind in Rhode Island. By integrating datasets from multiple sources, these tools provide a comprehensive snapshot of communities that could never be told by organizations working alone. For residents across the state, this is meaningful information that reflects the story of their homes and families. For decision makers, tools like our Community Profiles and layered maps point to unmet needs and highlight specific opportunities for economic and social investment.  

Among state and city agencies, ProvPlan’s InfoGroup is also known as a trusted partner and dynamic collaborator. Over the last 20 years, we have contracted with a number of government and nonprofit entities on a range of projects that have leveraged our capacity to accomplish interactive web development, GIS, data analysis, and technical training.

While the Information Group's earliest work was focused on issues related to the well‐being of residents in Providence, in recent years our data work has increasingly taken on a statewide focus. During a set of strategic discussions between Providence Plan board members and senior staff over the last several years, there was an emerging consensus that Rhode Island needed more independent organizations to provide data analysis and technical support to state and legislative leaders on issues that affect all of urban Rhode Island. It was agreed that The Providence Plan and our Information Group had both a mission and a capacity to fulfill such a role.  

Many of the products that have been generated as a result of our increasingly statewide focus are featured on this site, under the Interactive Data Portals and Current Work links.