The Colorado Lab works with government partners at every stage of Evidence-Based Decision Making, from designing studies around decision-making needs to using the results to inform program, policy, and budget decisions to scaling and sustaining change. In 2025, the Colorado Lab served all three branches of government, 10 state agencies, and 37 local agencies.

Together, we turned data into action—advancing solutions that improve well-being, education, and economic stability for families and communities across Colorado. We are independent, nonpartisan, and work across a wide range of issue areas.

  • Evidence-building. We help government partners use evidence by designing evaluations that match their decision-making needs and timelines—from developing clear theories of change to conducting rigorous randomized controlled trials.
  • Secure data integration. Through the Linked Information Network of Colorado (LINC), we securely connect and protect administrative data so it can be used to answer priority questions and support better decisions. LINC is a partnership between the Colorado Lab and the Governor’s Office of Information Technology.
  • Strategic consulting. We work with government partners to strengthen data systems, embed evidence into budgeting and decision-making, and translate research into policy and practice.
  • Connections to the research community. We connect government partners with researchers across Colorado and nationally, serving as a bridge between government and the research community to support learning and innovation.

Visit our What We Do page for what this looks like in practice and reach out to learn more.

Cooperative Purchasing Agreements Master Task Order

The State of Colorado has a Cooperative Purchasing Agreement Master Task Order (MTO) with the Colorado Lab that allows governmental entities (including school districts and local governments) to contract with the Colorado Lab without having to bid the work out. This MTO was issued following a competitive bid process for research and evaluation services and it is active through April 4, 2029.

 

Evidence-Based Decision Making in Colorado State Government

The Colorado Lab also supports evidence-based decision making in a variety of ways. In coordination with the Governor’s Office of Operations, we support agencies in developing theories of change and identifying aligned performance measures for their Wildly Important Goals (WIGs). This effort is intended to increase the agencies’ effectiveness at meeting their WIGs. Progress toward each WIG is reported on the Governor’s dashboard.