1. Define the geography before reading the numbers
North St. Paul is a municipality in Ramsey County. That distinction matters when you review a city target beside county or broader Minnesota coverage. A ranking or lead count is only useful when its geographic definition is clear. Ask whether a report refers to North St. Paul city, Ramsey County, another city, or statewide visibility. Do not treat the city’s population estimate as a forecast of inquiries or cases. Instead, use it to make the dashboard’s labels and filters precise. The public ROI Dashboard page describes tracking for service-and-city targets, along with source and case-type data. That combination can support a more disciplined conversation about what the firm is measuring, provided the parties agree on definitions first.
Recommended approach
At consultation, write down each geographic target and keep city, county, metropolitan-area and statewide measures separate. Require every decision note to identify the geography behind the number.
