New International Effort Seeks to Expand Use of Data and Evidence by Governments to Improve Lives Around the World
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Results for America (RFA) today officially launched Results for All, a global initiative focused on supporting the use of data and evidence by governments to improve lives around the world. This international effort seeks to promote a dialogue and exchange of ideas about the mechanisms – specific policies, processes and practices – governments are putting in place to advance evidence-informed governance.
“In addressing challenges such as poverty, inadequate access to healthcare services, limited education opportunities and inefficient energy distribution, citizens across the globe can benefit from their governments using data and evidence to make better decisions,” said Michele Jolin, CEO and Co-founder of Results for America. “Results for All is expanding this movement internationally and ensuring that the best ideas in what works are spread far and wide.”
Results for All, which began its initial operations last winter, is bringing together policymakers, practitioners and experts from countries to learn from each other and share practical tools and actionable information to support the use of data and evidence in policy, funding and management decisions. In its first international convening, the initiative is partnering with Nesta’s Alliance for Useful Evidence to host Evidence Works 2016: A Global Forum for Government on September 29-30 in London, England. Participants from more than 40 countries from Africa, Asia, Latin America, North America, Europe and Australasia will be participating in the inaugural event. Key insights and materials coming out of the forum will be featured on Results for All’s new blog, “Evidence in Action,” which will serve as a platform for an ongoing global information exchange.
Results for All is also preparing a landscape study documenting the range of mechanisms that governments around the world are putting in place to support the use of data and evidence. Through literature reviews, expert interviews, survey outreach and select country visits, the study will identify the specific policies, programs and systems that governments at all levels are implementing, with particular focus on low- and middle-income countries. The study will be released in 2017.
Results for All is being supported by The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
About Results for America
Results for America is improving outcomes for young people, their families and communities by shifting public resources toward practices, policies, and programs that use evidence and data to improve quality and get better results. In a climate of constrained resources and mounting demands, we know that public funds must increasingly be invested in “what works.”
In November, 2014, Results for America published Moneyball for Government, the national bestselling book that brings together a group of bipartisan leaders and makes the case for government at all levels to inform public policy and funding decisions by using the best possible data, evidence and evaluation about what works. In January, 2016, RFA published the second edition of Moneyball for Government featuring a new bipartisan chapter about the importance of using data and evidence to drive U.S. foreign assistance. Go to www.results4america.org for more information about Results for America.