Project SIGNAL: A Dashboard for Supporting Community Confidence in Making Data-Driven Decisions

This article describes a community-facing dashboard and training program built to help local organizations make faster, better decisions during COVID-19. Project SIGNAL used neighborhood-level maps and plain language design to show where testing, vaccination, and other disparities were greatest, especially by race and ethnicity. The team paired the dashboard with hands-on training so community leaders could understand rates, trends, and resource gaps and use that information in their work. The dashboard was widely used, and training increased participants’ confidence in interpreting and applying public health data. The key lesson is that good tools work best when paired with training and clear action steps.