Fostering Opportunities Now a Proven Practice

“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 […]

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. […]

“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 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 […]

A new Colorado Lab brief offers a bird’s eye view of findings from multiple evaluations underway for stimulus-funded strategies of the Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC). The Early Childhood Evaluation Hub: Early Insights brief provides a cohesive overview of evidence building to date for evaluations from seven teams. Top-Line Early Insights on CDEC Strategic […]

Colorado policymakers have two new resources for use during the legislative session. “Cue cards”’ were developed by the Colorado Evaluation and Action Lab, providing legislators with an easy to use set of questions to promote dialogue and advance evidence-based decision making (EBDM). During the first two weeks of the legislative session, the SMART Act Hearing […]

Each January, SMART Act hearings provide a key opportunity to demonstrate the high value Colorado places on EBDM in state government. The tenets of EBDM become readily apparent when legislators ask agency leadership targeted questions about their performance management and process improvement efforts and how evidence informs their ongoing work. To support this process, the […]

We’re pleased to share the new report, Promoting Evidence-Based Decision-Making in Colorado State Government: From Vision to Implementation and an Executive Summary. The report outlines four strategic goals (image below) to guide implementation of the EBDM vision over a span of five years. The strategy for EBDM is organized around both the culture we are […]

A newly created evidence portfolio process supports the consistent application of Evidence-Based Decision-Making (EBDM) by state agencies during budget and policy decision-making. State agencies can use this tool to apply evidence to drive outcomes, leverage data to inform learning and action, and build evidence on what works and for whom, while promoting innovation. As described […]

With a clear, shared understanding of what Evidence-Based Decision-Making (EBDM) is (see previous blog post), the next step in creating an EBDM culture is for decision-makers, agency leadership, and staff to commit to routinely using the EBDM approach, consistent with each of their roles. What is Evidence-Based Decision-Making? EBDM is the intersection of the best […]

The Colorado Lab has developed a new Evidence-Based Decision-Making (EBDM) Glossary of Terms to support decision-makers, agency leadership, and staff in gaining a common understanding of EBDM in policymaking. EBDM is recognized as an important means to align roles and responsibilities across branches of government and drive smart state investments and meaningful outcomes. This tool […]

Colorado’s five-year vision for Evidence-Based Decision-Making (EBDM) in policymaking was created collaboratively by members of the executive and legislative branches, non-governmental partners, and the Colorado Evaluation and Action Lab (Colorado Lab). EBDM is recognized as an important means to drive smart state investments, continuous quality improvement, innovation, and meaningful outcomes. “Realizing this vision depends on […]

On September 19, the Colorado Lab’s Kristin Klopfenstein and Lauren Gase, along with Allison Metz from UNC Chapel Hill’s School of Social Work and Just Learning Systems’ Kirsten Kainz, presented the webinar “Exploring Opportunities for Evaluators and Implementation Practitioners To Work Together To Create Sustainable and Equitable Change.” Targeting implementation and evaluation practitioners, the goal […]

Colorado is a recognized leader nationally in evidence-based policymaking. Consistent use of data and research is increasingly understood to be key to achieving policies that are equitable, efficient, and effective. The Colorado Evaluation and Action Lab received philanthropic support to facilitate the development of a commonly accepted vision for Colorado’s approach to evidence-based decision-making (EBDM). […]

Throughout this past year, in recognition of the Colorado Evaluation and Action Lab’s 5th anniversary, we have lifted up elements of our work essential to achieving our mission—using data to inform solutions to critical social problems. We have seen that when the essential elements shown in our graphic are implemented—from building relationships with our government […]

The goal of every Colorado Lab project is meaningful, timely action; we generate research evidence to inform practice and policy decisions. One of the most important elements to activating research findings is taking care to create, nurture, and maintain trusting relationships with and among partners (our first essential element). Throughout each project, we learn together […]

At the Colorado Lab, we use data to support learning and sustained action among our partners. We view “rigor” as one part of what helps a study meet that goal, striving to do work that is simultaneously rigorous, relevant, and resonant. While the term “rigor” is widely used in research and evaluation, it is rarely […]

Share on twitter Twitter Share on linkedin LinkedIn Governor Polis signs the Foster Youth Success Act. Left to right: Elysia Clemens, Deputy Director/COO, Colorado Evaluation and Action Lab; Minna Castillo Cohen, Director, Office of Children, Youth and Families, Colorado Department of Human Services; Representative Dafna Michaelson Jenet, Chair, House Public Health Care and Human Services […]

The Colorado Lab was established with a fundamental commitment to using data to develop sustained solutions that benefit Coloradans. Our ability to fulfill this rests on a collective commitment of Colorado decision-makers to generate and use research to inform policy and practice change. That commitment is made visible in progress like the 2013 SMART Act […]

Celebrating the Fifth Anniversary of the Colorado Evaluation and Action Lab! This post is part of our special blog series to mark the fifth anniversary of the Colorado Evaluation and Action Lab. In each post, we highlight elements that are essential to our work with a broad range of government and community partners. The effectiveness […]

Early on, we learned the importance of meeting our partners where they are. We listen carefully, supporting them to unpack ideas and gain insights on factors—big and small—that might serve to accelerate or shut down learning, improvement, and change efforts. Surfacing these types of details requires trust, which is why our top priority—always—is relationship-building. Part […]

THIS OPPORTUNITY IS CLOSED. The Colorado Lab is looking for external researcher partners to support us in executing our deliverable-based projects with state and local partners and promoting knowledge-building through peer-reviewed publication and other scholarly dissemination. Tell us your interests. We want to ensure that we are cultivating mutually beneficial partnerships with the research community. […]