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.
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. […]
New Report: Lived Experience of Prenatal Substance Use
Pictured above: The Colorado Lab’s evaluation team on lived experience of prenatal substance use (L to R): Dr. Courtney Everson, Sr. Project Director, Colorado Evaluation and Action Lab; Ashley Miller, Peer Researcher; Sarah Brown, Peer Researcher. Not pictured: Jo Beletic, Staff Researcher, Colorado Evaluation and Action Lab; Alena Clark, External Research Partner. A new findings […]
New Report: Child Abuse Prevention Investment Strategy
The Colorado Lab partnered with the Colorado Child Abuse Prevention (COCAP) Trust Fund to develop a data-informed prevention investment strategy to help align and accelerate child maltreatment and family strengthening across Colorado. The investment strategy will be used by the COCAP Board to advance evidence-based decision making and smart state investments in child maltreatment prevention. […]
LINC 5th Anniversary Series – Partnership
“In the last 18 months, the number of state agencies partnering with LINC has doubled, and the number of LINC-informed projects being conducted has tripled,” said Dr. Whitney LeBoeuf, Director of the Linked Information Network of Colorado (LINC). “We have passed the tipping point, moving from growing knowledge about LINC and reaching out to state […]
LINC 5th Anniversary Series – Introduction
LINC began as an informal partnership between the Governor’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) and the Colorado Evaluation and Action Lab (Colorado Lab). Today, OIT continues to support the technical aspects of LINC’s work and the Colorado Lab supports LINC’s business, data partner, and client needs through a long-term contractual agreement. Our shared vision is […]
2024 Legislative Session Highlights
We celebrate the passage of two pieces of legislation this session that exemplify our commitment to evidence use and evidence building in Colorado. The first, House Bill (HB) 24-1428, advances the state’s vision of evidence-based decision making in policymaking to drive state investments and outcomes during budget requests. The second, State Bill (SB) 24-047, strengthens […]
Spotlight on External Research Partner: Dr. Phil Pendergast
“In academia, we often get stuck in an intellectual trap of doing evaluation for the sake of doing it even when it’s not making an impact in the world. I feel really motivated to seek out opportunities like this to work with government partners that care about doing rigorous research on programs they’re investing in,” […]
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.