Civic leaders in Kansas City, Omaha, Des Moines and St. Louis have formed a new group to tackle economic development issues that affect all four communities.

The Heartland Civic Collaborative will collaborate in four major areas: federal advocacy, transportation, life sciences and entrepreneurship. The project was announced Tuesday during an event at the Greater Des Moines Partnership.

The Heartland Civic Collaborative has been in development for a few years. Kansas City is represented in the alliance by the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City.

So what will the Heartland Civic Collaborative actually do?

For starters, organizers plan to create a “dashboard” for each community that measures its success at encouraging entrepreneurship. Kansas City will go first and create a model that Des Moines, Omaha and St. Louis can follow.

Organizers also want to create a common agenda when it comes to pursuing legislation and funding at the federal level, especially multiyear transportation funding. By getting all the region’s senators and representatives to work together, they hope to have greater success in Congress.

In life sciences, the Heartland Civic Collaborative will look for ways the region’s research institutions and bioscience companies can collaborate. And on Feb. 17, Kansas City will host a symposium on the region’s transportation future. William Clay Ford Jr., executive chairman of Ford, will deliver a keynote talk.