ASPA Center for Accountability & Performance

Does Performance Information Matter to Organizational Outcomes?

American Review of Public Administration (Xu Han and Donald Moynihan)

A study of Texas school districts, where performance management systems are mature, found that using performance information, especially for strategic planning purposes had strong positive effects  in the long termbut did not have similar effects in daily management of school systems. The authors conclude that context matters.

Federal Evaluation Officials 2021: Survey Results on Agency Evaluation Capacity to Implement the Evidence Act

Data Foundation

The survey provides exploratory and suggestive insights about the growth of evaluation practice in federal agencies, while also identifying early Evidence Act successes and challenges experienced by evaluation leaders. 

Evidence-Based Grantmaking in Social Services

Results for America

Excerpt from the broader “Invest in What Works” report (below) that describes how a 2019 Minnesota law requires systematic use of evidence to allocate hundreds of millions of dollars annually.

How States and Localities Can Use Data to Spend Federal Funds Wisely

Pew Charitable Trusts

Applying an evidence-based approach to funding new infrastructure problems can ensure communities get the biggest bang for each federal buck.

Resource of the Week: Invest in What Works: 2021 State Standard of Excellence

Results for America

Following its early December announcement of the top states using evidence in making decisions, Results for America has posted more details — 202 examples of data-driven and evidence-based practices, policies, programs, and systems in effect as of August 2021 in 36 states across the country.

December 2021 Issue of Government Finance Review

Government Finance Officers Association

Articles on how recipients of the GFOA 2021 Awards for Excellence in Government Finance broke new ground in data visualization, collaboration, culture change.  And an article on “The Accountability Trap” – why too much of a focus on results can make you worse off (and what to do about it).

State Oversight of Federal Stimulus Funds

National Conference of State Legislatures

NCSL has created a database detailing state-by-state oversight plans for accountability of federal Coronavirus Relief Funds received. 

Scotland’s National Performance Framework

Here’s an interesting website that is the Scottish version of the US “performance.gov” website (and similar websites by various US state governments). A former US governor’s chief of staff was recruited more than a decade ago to help them design their system and it is still intact!

Resource of the Week: The World Atlas of Participatory Budgeting 2020-2021

This resource site compiles data to date on the use of participatory budget in more than 1,100 places around the globe. It is based on the collaborative work of more than 70 authors.

Biden Customer Experience Initiative to Assess Performance

White House

In a new executive order, the Biden Administration “will work to identify and define critical services that meet customers’ needs and expectations, assess performance delivery and report it publicly, incorporate customer feedback during each interaction, and ultimately ensure services deliver a better experience to the public.”

ICMA Award for Performance Management

International City/County Managers’ Association

As part of ICMA’s efforts to advance the practice of professional local government management, it awards certificates each year to recognize programs that instill a culture of performance management, pursue comparative analysis and data-informed decision-making, and promote transparency. Here is the list of certificate recipients in 2021, also organized by nine leading practices in use.

Resource of the Week: Florida’s Office of Program Policy Analysis & Government Accountability

State of Florida

OPPAGA is a research arm of the Florida Legislature. It supports the legislature by providing data, evaluative research, and objective analyses that assist legislative budget and policy deliberations. Its website provides access to hundreds of past reports, organized by policy area and by agency.

Rooting for the Infrastructure Implementation Task Force

Government Executive (Ed DeSeve)

In November, President Biden signed an executive order establishing the Infrastructure Implementation Task Force. It will be co-chaired by Brian Deese, head of the National Economic Council, and Mitch Landrieu, Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator. This is a great first step toward implementing the very clear mission of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

A Look at How 150 Local Governments are Planning to Use Their Federal Recovery Funds

RouteFifty/Results for America

For those interested in how local governments across the U.S. intend to use billions in pandemic aid provided under the American Rescue Plan Act, a new online tool released Thursday is worth taking a look at.

White House Guidance Encourages Agencies to Cooperate with Watchdogs

Government Executive

The White House, in a 7-page memo, instructed agencies on Friday on how best to cooperate with their watchdogs who often have contentious relationships with those they oversee.

White House Aims to Bolster Government Watchdog Independence

NBC News

Gene Sperling, the White House’s American Rescue Plan coordinator, said the oversight is also modeled on how Biden worked to ensure that the stimulus money approved during the Obama administration was spent properly.

Rapid-Cycle Evaluation in Social Services

TechSoup Global Network

An annotated bibliography: what is it, how it is currently used, and in what fields.

Behind the Scenes: Pathways to Work Clearinghouse

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration on Children & Families – YouTube Video (4:50)

Describes how the Pathways to Work Clearinghouse can be used to identify evidence-based programs that improve outcomes of different interventions.

Resource of the Week: New York City Mayor’s Office of Operations

A one-stop webpage with links to the citywide performance reporting system, its customer service metrics, its data analytics office, its open data sets, the mayor’s annual management report, and more. In over 100 languages!