Call for Submissions

2023 Invest in What Works State Standard of Excellence: Call for Submissions

Results for America’s Invest in What Works State Standard of Excellence (State Standard of Excellence) showcases data-driven, evidence-based practices, policies, programs, and systems used by state governments to invest taxpayer dollars in what works.

The 2023 Invest in What Works State Standard of Excellence is an opportunity for states to earn national recognition for their efforts to improve results for residents and to assess their on-going capacity for leveraging data and evidence in budget, policy, and management decisions. It also provides a roadmap for how states can strengthen their building and using of evidence and data.

In April 2023, Results for America launched the 2023 State Standard of Excellence submission process. This year, Results for America invites all states to participate by sharing updates and new additions to the slightly revised 2023 criteria:

1. Evaluation Leadership. The government has a designated leader and/or team responsible for coordinating evaluation policy and use of findings (e.g., Chief Evaluation Officer).
2. Data Leadership. The government has a designated leader and/or dedicated team responsible for coordinating the governance, collection, sharing, and analysis of data (e.g., Chief Data Officer).
3. Investment in Capacity to Learn What Works. The government invests at least 1% of program funds in evaluations [and evidence building] and uses evaluation findings to advance the agency’s mission.
4. Evaluation Policy and Learning. The government has an evaluation policy and a learning agenda to support the building and use of evidence.
5. Data Policy and Practices. The government has documented, user-friendly policies and practices to expedite internal and external data sharing, linkage and access.
6. Investing in What Works through Grants and Contracts. The government defines and prioritizes evidence of effectiveness in grant programs or contracts in order to achieve equitable outcomes.
7. Investing in What Works through Direct Services. The government directly administers evidence-based interventions (i.e. government employees deliver interventions) in order to achieve equitable outcomes.
8. Investing in What Works through Budgeting. The government has a budget policy that prioritizes evidence of effectiveness in order to achieve equitable outcomes.
9. Performance Management. The government uses performance management practices to improve the operational decision-making process and create a culture of accountability in order to achieve equitable outcomes.
10. Results-Driven Contracting. The government uses strategies to structure, evaluate, and actively manage contracts strategically, using data to help leverage procurement as a tool to achieve equitable outcomes.
11. Community Participation. The government has practices for proactively engaging and empowering residents and community partners to inform policy development, program design and delivery processes with an emphasis on historically underserved communities.
12. Identifying Key Outcomes and Tracking Progress. The government has a strategic plan or priorities with measurable goals to achieve equitable outcomes that were informed by underserved communities and the government tracks progress on these key outcomes.

States will have an opportunity to review final content before it is released in the 2023 State Standard of Excellence, which will be launched in fall 2023.

Instructions and guidelines can be found here. Please contact Results for America’s state government team at [email protected] if you would like to learn more about the State Standard of Excellence program.