Keeping Current: How Data Can Help Enhance Public Safety

Center for Accountability & Performance (Webinar: Wed., Sept. 14, 1 p.m. ET)

This webinar is a case study that focuses on the way Durham, North Carolina, has used its 911 data to guide its strategic alignment, deployment and evaluation of resources for public safety. 

Is Judging Principals by Test Scores a Mistake?

Barrett Greene, Inc.

We were struck by a working paper, published by the Annenberg Institute at Brown University (to which we were alerted in an article in Education Week) that questions the value of linking school principals success to test scores.

Evaluating the Impact of Services Provided by Community-Based Organizations

San Francisco City/County Services Auditor

The audit had as its objective to evaluate the frameworks departments use to measure the impact of services provided by community-based organizations (CBOs) based on departmental practices and leading practices in program monitoring.

Fixing Air Travel with a Dashboard?

New York Times

The U.S. Department of Transportation has unveiled its most concrete endeavor yet to fix air travel: an online dashboard featuring 10 U.S. airlines with green check marks next to the services they offer when flights are delayed or canceled for reasons within their control. 

Evidence Commission – Progress 5 Years Later

Data Foundation (on-line event – Tues., Sept 13, 3 p.m. ET)

Join the Data Foundation and the Bipartisan Policy Center — along with government officials and members of civil society—for a discussion of the progress to date and next steps in implementing the Evidence Commission’s vision and recommendations on the 5-year anniversary of its milestone report.

Making Sense of Performance Information During the Pandemic

Journal of Behavioral Public Administration (Maria Falk Mikkesen)

Citizens are more likely to make decisions based on performance information on equality than effectiveness and cost when no ‘yardstick’ is available. Results imply that performance information on effectiveness and cost risk being drown out by other information easier to interpret if not presented with relevant reference points.

Benchmarking Local Government Services (gated article)

State & Local Government Review (Saman Shafiq et al)

Conventional benchmarking methods that rely on pre-existing measures may not be best suited for many of the challenges confronting local service delivery. This paper introduces an issue-based benchmarking method and describes the six-stage cycle implemented by a benchmarking collaborative in the Chicagoland region.

Resource of the Week:  City of Phoenix Dashboard

The City Manager’s Performance Dashboardwas created to provide the public with comprehensive, easy-to-understand information about the City of Phoenix. It includes over 130 key performance indicators across strategic areas and general government services that measure the city’s health.