Using data to drive action
We give our partners the confidence to make informed decisions that drive action. Visit our project pages to see how the Colorado Lab supports our partners in tackling their most difficult challenges.
We are the Colorado Evaluation and Action Lab
We work with government and community partners to create data-informed solutions to Colorado’s most pressing problems. Learn more about how we leverage data for meaningful action.
What We Do
Projects
We support our partners in tackling challenges across issue areas, from early childhood to housing to physical and behavioral health.
Evidence-Based Decision Making
Policy and budget decisions are not made using research evidence alone. Evidence-Based Decision Making recognizes that decision-makers’ expertise and community needs and context are also important.
Evidence-Building Hubs
Evidence-building hubs reduce the state’s administrative burden by managing evaluation teams. Hubs align and support actionability of findings across projects.
Linked Information Network of Colorado
LINC is a data integration collaborative based out of the Governor’s Office of Information Technology that supports timely and cost-efficient research, evaluation, and analytics.
Work With Us
The Latest from the Colorado Lab
Learn more about our work through our blog, where we share the latest updates on projects, evidence-based decision making, partnership opportunities, and more.
Improving Response to Youth Who Run Away from Out-of-Home Placement
Call for Letters of Interest for Early Care and Education Workforce Compensation Policy Analysis
The deadline has been extended to end of day Wednesday, November 20. In 2023, the Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) received a $3.85 million grant from the Early Educator Investment Collaborative (EEIC) to catalyze change in ECE workforce compensation in line with Colorado’s Comprehensive Early Childhood Workforce Plan and Compensation and Benefits Task Force […]
New Project: Universal Preschool Evidence-Building Hub
A Universal Preschool Evidence-Building Hub has been created at the Colorado Lab to oversee all evidence-informed design and evaluation work on behalf of the Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC). The Universal Preschool Program helps fund preschool for Colorado children the year before kindergarten. The Colorado Lab has served as an evidence-building hub for CDEC […]
Nonprofit Sector Learning Community
There have been a number of exciting developments since last spring when we announced our collaboration with Philanthropy Colorado to adopt a community of practice (CoP) approach to enhance funder capacity to support grantees’ use of data for learning (April article). As a diverse mix of foundation representatives began to participate in the CoP, news […]
National Recognition of Colorado’s Adult Protective Services Innovations
The passage of Senate Bill 21-118, Alternative Response Mistreatment At-Risk Adults, allowed Colorado to pilot an alternative pathway for Adult Protective Services (APS) to respond to reports of low-risk mistreatment and self-neglect. This advancement is gaining national recognition and was highlighted last month at the National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA) annual conference in New […]
Call for Researchers: Learning Community on Family Economic Well-Being
In collaboration with the Colorado Department of Early Childhood, the Colorado Evaluation and Action Lab (Colorado Lab) is convening a Learning Community on Family Economic Well-Being Research to align the needs of policymakers and the public with rigorous research that explores the connection between income volatility and child maltreatment or child maltreatment. The interdisciplinary Learning […]
LINC 5th Anniversary Series—Linked Data to Improve the Lives of Coloradans
“As we celebrate LINC’s fifth year, one of the most exciting things we’re beginning to see is linked data informing programs, practices, and policy that improve the lives of Coloradans,” said Dr. Whitney LeBoeuf, Director of the Linked Information Network of Colorado (LINC). Jade Woodard, CEO of Illuminate Colorado, agrees. “We began working with the […]
Spotlight on External Research Partner: Paul Collier
Welcome to Paul Collier, an external partner to the Colorado Lab in support of government partners creating Theories of Change (TOCs). A Director at Corona Insights, Paul excels at helping teams build internal evaluation capacity and grow their ability to use data for learning purposes. Paul is an experienced trainer, facilitator, and coach who has […]
Plans of Safe Care: National Presentation & Local Kick-Off
POSC Pilot Kick-off, Alamosa, July 19, 2024 We were excited for the opportunity to share insights on Colorado’s Plans of Safe Care (POSC) pilot program at the national level. Dr. Courtney Everson, Senior Project Director at the Colorado Evaluation and Action Lab (Colorado Lab) gave an invited presentation to more than 500 registrants through the […]
LINC 5th Anniversary Series – Game Changer
When asked how the Linked Information Network of Colorado (LINC) has changed their work, researchers most often point to two things: vastly improved access to administrative data and the consequential impact of cross-sector data-informed findings. “I can’t overstate how much LINC has improved our ability to access administrative data,” said Max Gross, PhD, Researcher, Mathematica. […]
Explore Our Resources and Projects
We champion transparency and cultivate innovation in Colorado and beyond by sharing our work. Access valuable insights in our resources and projects library.
