Fort Worth selected for What Work Cities initiative
October 24,2016
Reposted from Fort Worth Business Press
Fort Worth has been selected as one of 16 new cities to participate in Bloomberg Philanthropies’ What Work Cities initiative, an effort to enhance the use of data and evidence in the public sector. Fort Worth will receive technical assistance from world-class experts to build capacity to address local issues.
"In line with our commitment to transparency and engagement, by joining Bloomberg Philanthropies' What Works City initiative, Fort Worth will have even more ways to leverage data for the betterment of our citizens," Mayor Betsy Price said.
The What Work Cities movement launched in April 2015 and now has 55 midsized U.S. cities now working to better use data and evidence to improve services for residents, inform local decision-making and engage citizens.
These 55 cities come from 33 states, represent 19 million residents and have annual budgets exceeding $63 billion. The initiative will partner with 100 cities on a rolling basis through 2018.
"We are thrilled to welcome these new cities to the initiative, furthering our mission to help cities leverage data and evidence to improve their residents' lives," said Simone Brody, executive director of What Works Cities. "We're proud to add the commitment of these 16 new and innovative cities to this national movement."
Bloomberg Philanthropies is the charitable organization founded by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg that is funding What Works Cities.
Through the What Works Cities initiative, Fort Worth will look for ways to improve open data practices in order to make municipal data more accessible and engage residents around government priorities and services.
"We are pleased to be part of the What Works Cities initiative," said City Manager David Cooke. "Using data is key to running the business of government and recommending public policy to benefit the lives of our citizens."
With support from a consortium of partners, these cities are identifying more effective ways to evaluate programs and improve performance; use resources to serve their communities; and address a range of social challenges – from tackling poverty to increasing resident engagement. Another key benefit is joining What Works Cities' national network of local leaders and global experts actively sharing best practices for outcomes-focused government.
Fort Worth and the following cities are the latest to publicly commit to enhancing their use of data and evidence to improve services, inform local decision-making and engage residents: Albuquerque, N.M.; Birmingham, Ala.; Boulder, Colo.; Des Moines, Iowa; Hartford, Conn.; Knoxville, Tenn.; Lincoln, Neb.; Madison, Wis.; Nashville, Tenn.; Olathe, Kan.; Portland, Ore.; Salt Lake City; South Bend, Ind.; Syracuse, N.Y.; and Virginia Beach, Va.
In 18 short months, What Works Cities has stimulated the largest movement of cities and city leaders across the country sharing lessons and best practices to improve the effectiveness of government. The initiative has inspired 90 U.S. mayors to better use data and evidence to improve services and has engaged more than 1,700 city employees on performance management, analytics and other leading practices. What Works Cities has produced 130 resources that cities around the world are using to improve their communities and drive better outcomes for residents.
The consortium of leading organizations assembled by Bloomberg Philanthropies and delivering a program of support to cities includes the Behavioral Insights Team, the Center for Government Excellence at Johns Hopkins University, the Government Performance Lab at the Harvard Kennedy School, Results for America and the Sunlight Foundation.
The 16 new cities join the following 39 cities as What Works Cities: Anchorage, Alaska.; Baltimore; Buffalo, N.Y.; Bellevue, Wash.; Boston; Cambridge, Mass.; Cape Coral, Fla.; Chattanooga, Tenn.; Charlotte, N.C.; Denton; Denver; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Greensboro, N.C.; Gresham, Ore.; Independence, Mo.; Jackson, Miss.; Kansas City, Kan.; Kansas City, Mo.; Las Vegas; Lexington, Ky.; Little Rock, Ark.; Louisville, Ky.; Mesa, Ariz.; Milwaukee; Naperville, Ill.; New Orleans; Providence, R.I.; Raleigh, N.C.; San Francisco; San Jose, Calif.; Seattle; Scottsdale, Ariz.; Saint Paul, Minn.; Tacoma, Wash.; Topeka, Kan.; Tulsa, Okla., Victorville, Calif.; Waco; and Wichita, Kan.