Evidence-Based Policymaking Made Easy by 'Results First' Tool

December 9, 2016 Videos

State and county governments are charged with some of the most important work in our society—from education to health care to criminal justice and more. But how can decision-makers identify and invest in policies and programs that are proven to work?

In this animated video, learn about the Results First Initiative, which, since 2011, has partnered with states and counties across the country to help them incorporate the use of evidence in their budgeting and policymaking processes—helping to improve outcomes and make the most of limited resources.

The Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative is a project of The Pew Charitable Trusts and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. To learn more about the Results First approach to evidence-based policymaking, visit: http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/projects/pew-macarthur-results-first-initiative

*Transcript*

State and local governments are charged with some of the most important work in our society.

The programs they provide to their residents touch every aspect of life from education to healthcare to criminal justice, and more.

And it’s essential that these programs achieve the best possible outcomes and get the most out of every tax dollar.

But too often policymakers lack the necessary information about which programs work, which don’t, and which provide the best bang for your buck – and are left to make crucial decisions with little to no data.

The Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative works with state and local governments to identify and invest in programs and policies proven to work.

Results First helps government leaders access and assemble critical information about what works, beginning by developing a program inventory: a comprehensive list of all programs they provide in a given policy area.

The program inventory pulls information like program name, descriptions, descriptions, participants, and budgets into one centralized place.

Once government leaders know what programs they’re funding, the next step is to understand how effective those programs are.

There’s a lot of information about program effectiveness out there, but it’s not easy to find. So Results First created a clearinghouse database – a collection of research from various national clearinghouses which display programs according to their level of effectiveness.

Policymakers can search this wealth of information to assess the programs they’re providing and see if they are proven to work.

They can also use it to explore other effective programs they could offer.

Knowing what is currently being done, how effective it is, and what it costs is essential to deciding how to allocate limited resources.

For some of the programs identified in the inventory, Results First can help partners use our model to assess the benefits and costs they can expect their programs to have.

The model calculates the projected impact of a program, taking into account the specifics of their state or locality, including population characteristics, costs, and other variables.

Finally, Results First enables governments to use all of this data and evidence to make more informed policy and budget decisions, reducing funding programs with little evidence of impact, and shifting funding to alternatives that can achieve better outcomes.

By bringing evidence into the decision-making process, Results First helps policymakers improve outcomes for their residents and make the most of limited resources.

To learn more about the Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative, go to Pew Trusts dot org slash Results First.