9. Evaluation Leadership & Governance

A 2019 Alabama law created the Alabama Commission on the Evaluation of Services, which catalogs and evaluates public services statewide. The commission, composed of state legislators and Governor’s Office staff, determines the effectiveness of public services in order to make informed funding recommendations for state leaders.

The Colorado Governor’s Office of State Planning and Budgeting (OSPB) and its director lead the use of data and evidence in the state’s budget process through the review of agency budget requests based upon their level of evidence and evaluation to inform priority policy and budget decisions. This office engages with the University of Denver’s Colorado Evaluation and Action Lab as well as the Colorado Evidence-Based Policy Collaborative composed of state agency representatives and community organizations. The office also administers a $500,000 annual fund for program evaluation and implementation grants, which provides competitive funding for agencies to undertake evaluation and implementation science projects. OSPB continuously engages with the legislative branch to determine how evidence can be better utilized in the budget process.

With the large influx of the America Rescue Plan Act (ARP), OSPB has applied the evidence continuum as a cornerstone of its decision making process to ensure the strongest outcomes for residents. The Governor’s Office is evaluating all ARP-funded programs against the evidence continuum and includes information on evidence-based practices in all federal reports.

Various California state agencies have leaders and governance structures that support evaluation, including: Deputy Secretary of Evaluation, appointed in 2022, at the Labor and Workforce Development Agency; Director of Research, Policy and Legislation at the California Workforce Development Board, who leads workforce evaluation activities undertaken by the State plan and policy team; the Evaluation and Surveillance Section at the California Tobacco Control Program that oversees various tobacco-related health evaluations; Research Office and Chief of Research at the Board of State and Community Corrections which support the use of data, evaluation and evidence; and the Chief of Research at the California Air Resources Board (CARB), whose division conducts in-house research and funds external studies that inform health-based air quality standards, reducing air pollution exposures, and protecting California from impacts of climate change. This is accomplished through a diverse portfolio of projects that evaluate CARB’s air quality and climate programs and regulatory efforts. CARB also hosts a Research Screening Committee who reviews and provides recommendations on research proposals and final reports.

Pursuant to Section 10 of HB 5506, the Office of Policy and Management (OPM) is creating an Evaluation and Impact unit, with support from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF). The unit will be responsible for coordinating evaluation and impact for investments through ARPA, working closely with state agencies, subrecipients and applied researchers and evaluators. OPM has developed an Evidence and Evaluation guide and the new unit will help to develop evaluation plans and to coordinate access to state data resources and will focus on providing ‘hands-on’ support and guidance to recipients of funds and assist in collecting and synthesizing evidence for reporting and communications. In addition, OPM has published data on ARPA and CRF allocations to the open data portal and will continue to develop online resources for these in 2022.

The Connecticut State Department of Education’s Office of Performance is led by a Chief Performance Officer, who is responsible for using data, evaluation, research, and technology to improve student outcomes. The Chief Performance Officer maintains the department’s data collection, assessment, information technology, reporting, research, and accountability activities, including the management of its performance dashboard, EdSight. The office also hosts an annual Performance Matters Forum, which focuses on performance, continuous improvement, research, and evaluation topics.

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of Planning and Research is led by a Chief Strategy and Research Officer who is responsible for improving the use of data and research findings to influence policy and program decision-making. The Chief Strategy and Research Officer monitors progress towards the department’s goal of preparing all students for success after high school, along with the other five priorities detailed in the department’s strategic plan. The position oversees all activities related to research, performance management, research partnerships, and strategic planning.

Minnesota Management and Budget has a Chief Data and Evaluation Officer with the authority, staff, and budget to conduct experimental and quasi-experimental impact evaluations, as well as advise the Governor and legislature on the evidence of effectiveness of publicly funded services. Minnesota also has an Impact Evaluation unit composed of research scientists, analysts, and administrators who are tasked with producing high quality evidence about the efficacy and impact of state-funded programs. This unit created a data committee composed of leadership and staff from the Department of Human Services to advise on current and future evaluations.

The Mississippi Department of Education’s Office of Research and Development is led by a director charged with using data and research to improve student outcomes across the state. Guided by a Dynamic Research Framework, the Office of Research and Development uses a longitudinal data system to evaluate the effectiveness of programs in areas such as early learning.

North Carolina is deepening efforts and investment in evaluation leadership and governance. In 2021, the North Carolina Office of Strategic Partnerships (OSP) established the state’s first Evidence Advisor position to maximize investment in evidence-based policies and programs (see Q&A with North Carolina’s first Evidence Advisor). OSP is collaborating with state agencies to identify programs that, based on available evidence, could be scaled or adjusted, and to identify and prioritize opportunities to grow the evidence base by initiating randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of promising programs or policies. Examples include projects with the Governor’s Crime Commission to integrate the use of evidence and logic models into its grant application and grantmaking processes, and with the state Department of Commerce and North Carolina Community College System Office to complete a process evaluation of the Finish Line Grant Program (see “Recommended Practices for Local Partnerships Administering Finish Line Grants”).

The Director of the Ohio Department of Education’s Office of Research, Evaluation and Advanced Analytics enables educational leaders across the state to recognize, gather, analyze, evaluate, and leverage data in problem-solving to improve student outcomes. Initiatives such as Empowered by Evidence and Ohio’s Evidence-Based Clearinghouse are designed to foster “a culture of continuous learning… [and to] create the framework and processes needed for actionable research.” The department has partnered with the Ohio Education Research Center to share education data across the state.

Washington has the infrastructure to support program evaluation and reporting. While most states have external auditing functions, it is notable that Washington has several internal facing entities: The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee (legislative branch), State Auditor’s Office Performance Audit section (separately elected), and the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (nonpartisan research on behalf of the legislature) provide evaluation services. The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services’ Research and Data Analysis (RDA) division conducts evaluations for state partner agencies using a unique integrated client database. The Department of Children, Youth and Families Office of Innovation, Alignment, and Accountability, the Office of Financial Management’s Washington Data and Research Office, and the Education Research and Data Center, are other examples in addition to DSHS-RDA where executive branch agencies are staffed with substantial evaluation and analytic staff.