Colorado’s nation-leading practices in using evidence to guide budget decisions: An interview with Sara Dube, Director, Results First Initiative, The Pew Charitable Trusts – Episode #199

How results-driven contracting improved outcomes for Chicago’s most vulnerable: An interview with Lisa Morrison Butler, former Commissioner, Chicago Department of Family and Support Services – Episode #202

[https://govinnovator.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/LMB-e1671384401380-150x150.png]Too often, contracting is seen as a back-office function, even though many government programs are actually implemented with contracted service providers. In reality, contracting — and contracting reforms — can be a key driver of better results in human services, including for the most vulnerable families and individuals. We discuss specific steps in results-driven contracting with Lisa Morrison Butler [https://results4america.org/people/lisa-morrison-butler/], the former Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS [https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/fss.html]) and now the Executive Vice President and Chief Impact Officer at Results for America [https://results4america.org/]. She served as Commissioner of DFSS — the largest funder of human and social services in the city — for more than five years across two mayoral administrations. Under her leadership, she led an organizational transformation aimed at achieving greater overall impact, including overhauling the department’s approach to contracting. The five main steps in DFSS’s path to results-driven contracting that we discuss are: 1. Build consensus around the need for change related to contracting. 2. Choose a pilot division. 3. Develop a calendar to roll out reform across the department. 4. Build clear goals and new expectations into each new RFP, among participating divisions. 5. Adopt active contract management, including developing learning cohorts that met quarterly. Learn more: * To hear other Gov Innovator podcast interviews on results-driven contracting, click this link [https://govinnovator.com/topic/#contracting]. * Read Lisa’s “Innovator Interview [https://govlab.hks.harvard.edu/files/govlabs/files/lisa_morrison_bulter_chicago_dfss_innovator_interview.pdf?m=1615975548]” with the Harvard Kennedy School’s Government Performance Lab on her efforts to improve outcomes at Chicago’s DFSS. The post How results-driven contracting improved outcomes for Chicago’s most vulnerable: An interview with Lisa Morrison Butler, former Commissioner, Chicago Department of Family and Support Services – Episode #202 [https://govinnovator.com/lisa-morrison-butler/] appeared first on Gov Innovator Podcast [https://govinnovator.com].

Using mindfulness practices for greater self-awareness and self-improvement: Rabbi Marc Margolius, Senior Program Director, Institute for Jewish Spirituality – Episode #201

[https://govinnovator.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Screen-Shot-2022-04-28-at-6.47.30-AM-e1651143064807.png]When we think about what skills leaders need to be successful — such as making good decisions, regulating their emotions and stress, and forming strong and healthy relationships with others — an important foundation for those skills is mindfulness. Our guest today has deep expertise in helping people cultivate self-awareness and mindfulness in order to (to paraphrase his own words) help them become the person they’re meant to be in the world, hopefully growing towards that day by day. Rabbi Marc Margolius [https://www.jewishspirituality.org/about/our-staff-teachers-and-board/] is the Senior Program Director at the Institute for Jewish Spirituality [https://www.jewishspirituality.org/]. He hosts IJS’s daily mindfulness meditation sessions [https://www.facebook.com/jewishspirituality] and teaches an online program called “Awareness in Action [https://www.jewishspirituality.org/go-deeper/awareness-in-action/]” designed to cultivate character through mindfulness. Rabbi Margolius presents the three step process used by IJS: * First, adopt a stance of non-judgmental curiosity by observing one’s own mind and reactions. This can be done by simply pausing. * Next, be aware of having the possibility of choice, realizing that we have a range of options in responding to a stimulus. * And finally, choose the value or set of values that one wants to use in responding. Together, these steps can help us to have a response rather than a reaction. The approach draws at times from Jewish spiritual practice, but it can be useful for anyone, whatever one’s faith background or connection (or not) to a religion. A transcript of our conversation is available here [https://govinnovator.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Transcript-Marc-Margolius-2022.pdf]. Related resources: An article co-authored by Andy Feldman and Rabbi Margolius in Government Executive on the value of mindfulness practices is here [https://www.govexec.com/management/2022/06/government-leadership-and-power-mindfulness/368499/]. The magazine also interviewed the co-authors for their podcast, available here [https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2022/07/govexec-daily-connection-between-mindfulness-and-leadership/368926/]. The post Using mindfulness practices for greater self-awareness and self-improvement: Rabbi Marc Margolius, Senior Program Director, Institute for Jewish Spirituality – Episode #201 [https://govinnovator.com/marc-margolius/] appeared first on Gov Innovator Podcast [https://govinnovator.com].

Career reflections from an evidence leader: An interview with Naomi Goldstein, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Episode #200

[https://govinnovator.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Naomi-pic-e1648708574657.jpeg]To celebrate our 200th interview, we are joined by one of the most respected people within the evidence and evaluation field, Dr. Naomi Goldstein, to share reflections on her 21-year career [https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/blog/2022/03/congratulating-dr-naomi-goldstein-remarkable-career-public-service] at the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Human Services. Dr. Goldstein (@NaomiGoldstein1 [https://twitter.com/naomigoldstein1]) is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Planning, Research, and Evaluation at ACF. She will retire from federal service this week after a 21-year tenure at ACF, including becoming Director of the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) in 2004 and Deputy Assistant Secretary in 2015. Beyond those important career achievements, it is her kindness, humility, candor and commitment — and, I would add, all with a sense of humor — that have made her such a valued colleagued and friend to so many over the years. A transcript of our conversation is available here [https://govinnovator.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Transcript-Naomi-Goldstein-2022.pdf]. Learn more: * Recent OPRE blog post by Dr. Goldstein: “How Do I Love My Job? Let Me Count the Ways [https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/blog/2021/12/how-do-i-love-my-job-let-me-count-ways]“ * Previous podcast interviews: * Why evaluation policies are useful to results-focused federal agencies [https://govinnovator.com/evaluation-policies/] (with Molly Irwin) * Strengthening evaluation capacity within agencies [https://govinnovator.com/naomi-goldstein-acf/] The post Career reflections from an evidence leader: An interview with Naomi Goldstein, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Episode #200 [https://govinnovator.com/naomi-goldstein/] appeared first on Gov Innovator Podcast [https://govinnovator.com].

Colorado’s nation-leading practices in using evidence to guide budget decisions: An interview with Sara Dube, Director, Results First Initiative, The Pew Charitable Trusts – Episode #199

[https://govinnovator.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Sara-Dube-e1647498136941.jpeg]Colorado is a leader in the U.S. in terms of using evidence to guide state budget decisions, so that dollars flow to programs that are effective. It’s also a leader in terms of building evidence to better learn what works in key program areas. For example: * State agencies are required by the governor’s budget office to show the evidence behind requested budget changes. * In doing that, agencies use a framework called the “Evidence Continuum” that describes the stages of building and assessing program information. * Also, the legislature now requires agencies to use consistent definitions of evidence-based programs in their budget requests. * And Colorado is one of only a handful of states to have a dedicated fund to support program evaluations. A recent report by the The Pew Charitable Trusts’ Results First initiative, titled “Colorado’s ‘Evidence Continuum’ Promotes Efficient, Effective Public Programs [https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/issue-briefs/2022/01/colorados-evidence-continuum-promotes-efficient-effective-public-programs],” discusses the state’s progress in these areas. To get an overview, we are joined by one of its authors, Sara Dube [https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/about/experts/sara-dube] who directs the Results First initiative at the The Pew Charitable Trusts. The post Colorado’s nation-leading practices in using evidence to guide budget decisions: An interview with Sara Dube, Director, Results First Initiative, The Pew Charitable Trusts – Episode #199 [https://govinnovator.com/sara-dube/] appeared first on Gov Innovator Podcast [https://govinnovator.com].

How state tuition-free college programs are spanning political divides: An interview with Michelle Miller-Adams, Senior Researcher, Upjohn Institute – Episode #198

[https://govinnovator.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/MMA3-e1646715823253.jpeg]An important area of innovation within higher-education policy in recent years has been tuition-free college policies — also known as Promise Programs — designed to make college more affordable and accessible. Our previous podcast interview with Professor Elizabeth Bell of Florida State University provided an overview of the topic. In this new interview, we focus further on state-level programs, including the fact that Promise Programs have spread to states of very different political leanings. To do that, we are joined by Dr. Michelle Miller-Adams [https://www.upjohn.org/about/upjohn-team/staff/michelle-miller-adams] (@mmilleradams [https://twitter.com/mmilleradams]). She is the co-director of the Upjohn Institute’s place-based research initiative and is a national expert on tuition-free college initiatives. Her latest book is The Path to Free College: In Pursuit of Access, Equity, and Prosperity [https://www.hepg.org/hep-home/books/the-path-to-free-college]. The post How state tuition-free college programs are spanning political divides: An interview with Michelle Miller-Adams, Senior Researcher, Upjohn Institute – Episode #198 [https://govinnovator.com/michelle-miller-adams/] appeared first on Gov Innovator Podcast [https://govinnovator.com].