Impact

Latest Impact and Podcast Episodes

Four ways to make data work better for residents

Four ways to make data work better for residents

Every single government in the world, from small cities and counties to federal giants, is somewhere on a data journey. The farther they go, the more they’re set up to deliver effective, equitable public services.

Podcast #74 – Data Science: Easy as P.I.E.

Podcast #74 – Data Science: Easy as P.I.E.

Governments are often on the hook for some of society’s most pressing challenges. How can city leaders find novel and flexible solutions to address these issues and improve the lives of residents? In a world filled with ever more complex technology, leaders are...

Laredo, TX Case Study

Laredo, TX Case Study

The Center for Government Excellence (GovEx) worked with Laredo to establish a data governance structure, increase internal access to data, create data standards for collection and definitions of data, and address staff concerns about data quality, all with a focus on elevating the City’s data practice long term and building staff capacity to take on this work.

Grand Rapids, MI Case Study

Grand Rapids, MI Case Study

Grand Rapids entered into GovEx/WWC engagement to advance its ability to deliver results for its residents by establishing data management practices, in order to bring data and evidence into the decision-making process to increase equity and the quality of life in the City, enabling progress towards the City’s goals and connecting with the community in the process.

Podcast #73 – Saving for the Future with Lansing SAVE

Podcast #73 – Saving for the Future with Lansing SAVE

How can cities and their partners help families start saving money for their children’s future college or career training expenses? Since 2013, Lansing, Michigan has been tackling this innovative opportunity with the Lansing SAVE Initiative, a program providing all...

Podcast #72 – Framing Results with the Results Framework

Podcast #72 – Framing Results with the Results Framework

Accountable, transparent government is something we all strive for in public service. But how do we make this aspiration a reality? It's not enough to simply collect results from the programs and initiatives we launch - we need to turn these results into meaningful...

Podcast #71 – A Year in Review: The Economic Mobility Policy Forum

Podcast #71 – A Year in Review: The Economic Mobility Policy Forum

Today, we're joined by the Economic Mobility Forum's Policy Fellows as they wrap up a year of research and discussion at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Applied Public Research. The Policy Forum is a community of practice focused on connecting forum members...

Podcast #70 – Forging Ahead Despite COVID-19

Podcast #70 – Forging Ahead Despite COVID-19

The disruptive effects of COVID-19 were widespread, but that didn't prevent the City of Paterson, NJ from moving forward on mayoral priorities. Today, we join Mayor Andre Sayegh, Chief Data Officer Harsha Mallajosyula, and Business Administrator Kathleen Long to...

Podcast #69 – COMIT: A Maternal Vaccination Policy Tracker by JHU

Podcast #69 – COMIT: A Maternal Vaccination Policy Tracker by JHU

Is it safe for pregnant women to get vaccinated against COVID-19? What if they're breast feeding? The answer, it turns out, is hard to find, and it depends a lot on where in the world you live. Today, we're looking at COMIT (COvid Maternal Immunization Tracker), a...

Podcast #68 – The eSchools+ Initiative

Podcast #68 – The eSchools+ Initiative

Today, we're joined by the creators of the eSchools+ Initiative, a program designed to address inequity caused by school closures through connecting parents and teachers with school reopening data and research. We'll explore the initiative's conception and the unique...

Podcast #67 – Love Your Block in Lancaster, PA

Podcast #67 – Love Your Block in Lancaster, PA

In today’s episode, we’ll discuss the Love Your Block program in the City of Lancaster. Love Your Block is a Cities of Service initiative that connects city leaders with residents to help them organize neighborhood improvements, cleanups, and other volunteer-led...

Podcast #66 – Baltimore’s CleanStat Initiative

Podcast #66 – Baltimore’s CleanStat Initiative

In today's episode, we discuss our engagement with the City of Baltimore and its CleanStat program. We'll also look at how the city relied on this initiative to care for residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Podcast #65 – Knowledge Management in City Government

Podcast #65 – Knowledge Management in City Government

We know that collecting and analyzing data generates insights. But how can we transform those moments of insight into enduring knowledge that guides the organization, even when priorities and staff change? In today’s episode, we discuss Knowledge Management - the work...

Podcast #64 – GovEx Engagement with Rochester, MN

Podcast #64 – GovEx Engagement with Rochester, MN

Today, we take a look at GovEx's engagement with the City of Rochester, MN to support their affordable housing initiative. We'll look at where the initiative came from, explore how Rochester collected and leveraged its data, and cover valuable takeaways for other...

Podcast #63 – Distance Learning During COVID-19

Podcast #63 – Distance Learning During COVID-19

We're all under pressure to cope during the COVID-19 pandemic. But how can we make the most of this time, and what benefits of this situation might we be overlooking? Today, members of the GovEx Academy explore how COVID-19 has placed a greater emphasis on distance...

Podcast #62 – Food System Resilience during COVID-19

Podcast #62 – Food System Resilience during COVID-19

Today, we discuss the impact COVID-19 has had on food system resilience. Joined by two graduate students focused on this work, we’ll take a look at what cities focused on this issue are doing right now, and how hazard and vulnerability assessment plays a role in the...