At a virtual event co-hosted by the National Governors Association today, Results for America highlighted North Carolina as a leading state in using evidence and data to deliver better results for North Carolinians.
Results for America, a national nonprofit that promotes evidence-based policymaking, released the 2021 Invest in What Works State Standard of Excellence, an annual report that assesses how states across the country are building and using data and evidence to drive budget, policy, and management decisions.
North Carolina was one of eight Leading States that were recognized for using evidence and data to protect the health and safety of their residents, accelerate their states’ economic recovery, advance equity, and increase the impact of state investments.
“In North Carolina, our data-driven investments and policies have supported our communities and benefited our economy greatly,” said North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper. “The recent bipartisan state budget and billions of dollars in federal recovery funding reinforce the need for a strong commitment to using data and evidence to improve decision making and to maximize the investment of taxpayers."
“The events of the last year and half have driven home how important it is to have the capacity to apply data and evidence to respond effectively to crisis,” said State Budget Director Charlie Perusse. “I am proud of the effort we have invested in North Carolina to build that capacity and look forward to seeing the long-term fruits of that effort as our state moves from response to recovery.”
The state is poised to strengthen its data and evidence commitment with funding for new program analyst positions, including an analyst at the Office of State Budget and Management (OSBM) dedicated to helping agencies develop data collection and measurement plans to achieve agency goals and objectives. OSBM will also be overseeing new Evidence Based Evaluation Grants state agencies can apply for to help them evaluate program outcomes.
“For government leaders across the country, the COVID-19 pandemic underscored the importance of using evidence and data to meet the urgent needs of residents,” said Michele Jolin, CEO and Co-Founder of Results for America. “The 2021 State Standard of Excellence shows how many governors and other state leaders are now taking a data-driven, evidence-based approach to accelerating their state’s economic recovery, advancing racial equity, and driving dollars toward the most effective solutions.”
For more information about how states are building their data and evidence capacity, visit Results for America’s 2021 Invest in What Works State Standard of Excellence.