DATE:
May 18, 2021
16
TO:
Board of Supervisors
SUBJECT
Title
LAUNCHING A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO EVIDENCE-BASED POLICYMAKING AND ESTABLISHING AN OFFICE OF EVALUATION, PERFORMANCE, AND ANALYTICS (DISTRICTS: ALL)
Body
OVERVIEW
Evidence matters in public policymaking. By highlighting what is working and what is not, evidence can guide and inform policy and budget decisions to be more effective, more equitable, and more focused on delivering the best outcomes for all San Diegans. An evidence-based approach prioritizes high-quality research, data, and program evaluation over and above anecdotes, ideology, and inertia towards the status quo.
Today's actions outline a bold new approach for the county grounded in national and international best practices and sets us up as a leader among Counties and local governments. This comprehensive approach goes way beyond mere data collection and reporting obligations but signals a significant shift in the organizational culture and attitude towards evidence and evaluation. These actions will allow the County to deepen a culture of iterative learning, where we can pair pilot policies with rigorous evaluation to bring effective approaches to scale. It also allows the County to be nimbler, collecting timely information on what is working to make mid-course corrections and policy adjustments. Finally, the County's new approach will be strategic. Rather than evaluating all programs and initiatives, we will strategically focus program evaluation efforts on the service areas and program models that are most in line with County priorities and have the greatest potential to influence major policy and funding decisions.
This approach is rooted in proven practices developed by national and international experts in program evaluation, evidence-based policy, and good governance, including United Stated Agency for International Development, University of California San Diego's Global School of Policy, PEW Charitable Trust's Resu...
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