One hundred mid-sized US cities are able to apply for technical assistance, expertise and peer-to-peer learning opportunities, worth $42 million, to enhance their use of data and evidence, through Bloomberg Philanthropies’ new initiative, What Works Cities.
Through partners, including Results for America and the newly established Center for Government Excellence at Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg Philanthropies will help mayors and local leaders use data and evidence to engage the public and make government more effective. US cities with populations between 100,000 and 1 million people are invited to apply from today until 1 June.
James Anderson, Head of Government Innovation Programs, Bloomberg Philanthropies
“From our ongoing discussions with city leaders, we’ve learned that most cities want to do more and do better with data and evidence, but they often struggle to access the relevant tools, knowledge and expertise,” James Anderson, Head of Government Innovation Programs, Bloomberg Philanthropies told Cities Today. “America’s mid-sized cities, that typically receive little support to help them enhance how they use data and evidence, are eager to learn from experts and from one another.”
Across the three-year initiative, Bloomberg Philanthropies will document how cities currently use data and evidence in decision making, and how the program is supporting them to advance. Over time, the initiative will also launch a benchmark system which will collect standardised, comparable data so that cities can understand their performance relative to peers.
Key goals of the program will be to,
- create sustainable open data programs and policies that promote transparency and robust citizen engagement;
- better incorporate data into budget, operational, and policy decision making;
- conduct low-cost, rapid evaluations that allow cities to continually improve programs; and
- focus funding on approaches that deliver results for citizens.
“There’s already a tremendous amount of forward motion in US cities to open up their data, use evidence to ensure services are continuously improving, and enhance government’s transparency and accountability to the public,” added Anderson. “This initiative was designed to put additional wind behind mayors’ backs and to define a new level of achievement for US city government.”
The first round of cities will be selected in mid-June 2015. To learn more and apply to be a What Works City, see www.whatworkscities.org
