Evidence Commission Will Wait Until Next Year

Posted on December 5, 2014 by Patrick Lester

A bipartisan proposal for a new Commission on Evidenced-based Policymaking, sponsored by Rep. Paul  Ryan (R-WI) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), now appears unlikely to be enacted in the remaining days of this Congress, according to congressional staff who are familiar with the legislation. Instead it may move early next year.

Some consideration had been given to moving the legislation (H.R.5754 / S.2952) this month, possibly attaching it to a large omnibus spending bill, but staff say there is not enough time left this year to get it done.  The bill now appears likely to be taken up “on the early side” of the next session of Congress, when Republicans will control both the House and the Senate.

Ryan, who will become chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee in January, has said he also intends to pursue what he calls “Welfare Reform 2.0” next session. The committee has jurisdiction over most welfare-related programs.

Ryan released a proposed outline for welfare reform in July. The outline, which Ryan called a “discussion draft,” included an earlier version of the proposed evidence commission.

It also included a proposal to consolidate several existing federal anti-poverty programs into a flexible Opportunity Grant.  According to the plan, “[t]he largest contributions would come from SNAP, TANF, child-care, and housing-assistance programs, and the funding would be deficit-neutral relative to current law.”  It would also include expanded work requirements, performance metrics, and evaluation requirements based on randomized controlled trials.

Asked during a Christian Science Monitor breakfast shortly after his anti-poverty plan was announced, Ryan said “The reason we are putting these out now is to have a good conversation, get feedback, and get people engaged to put pen to paper together to start creating legislation, which in my mind will be next session.”

The proposal has been criticized by some, including the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, who say it would reduce funding for anti-poverty programs over time.

Ryan countered those criticisms in July, saying his proposals were about reforming existing programs, not funding levels. “This isn’t the first time that CBPP and I have had differences of opinions on issues. As far as the budget is concerned, you could fund these reforms at any level. I didn’t want to get into a funding debate over the proper levels of funding for the status quo. That’s really beside the point. The point is the status quo isn’t working.”

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Posted in Evidence

Social Innovation News Feed

Posted on December 4, 2014 by Patrick Lester

Need to stay up to date on social innovation developments but feel overwhelmed by information overload? Consider subscribing to SIRC’s curated Twitter feed.

Our Twitter feed tracks major developments and new reports on all the topics covered by SIRC’s blog, including:

  • the Obama administration’s innovation and evidence agenda;
  • related developments on Capitol Hill;
  • pay-for-success/social impact bonds; and
  • selected federal innovation programs like the Social Innovation Fund.

Each tweet consists of a headline and link to the relevant news source or report. To avoid information overload, there are no random comments and no redundant tweets.

To sign up, simply “follow” SIRC’s curated news feed on Twitter.  You can also sign up for SIRC’s email list (see the box to the right) for less frequent updates just once or twice per month.

Posted in Evidence, Performance Management, Social Impact Bonds / Pay for Success, Social Innovation Fund

New Brookings Book Provides Insights on Obama Evidence and Innovation Agenda

Posted on December 1, 2014 by Patrick Lester

The Brookings Institution today released a new book detailing the development of six major Obama administration innovation initiatives — the Social Innovation Fund, Investing in Innovation (i3) program, Workforce Innovation Fund, Teen Pregnancy Prevention program, home visiting (MIECHV), and Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training.

The book, Show Me the Evidence by Ron Haskins and Greg Margolis, is required reading for anyone with a broad interest in social innovation. It is available on Amazon or directly from Brookings.

The book launch event, which featured a number of former high-level administration officials and experts in evidence-based policy, is also worth watching. (Note: The event begins at about 14 minutes into the recorded video).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f27Z2-IgITI#t=865

Posted in Evidence

Performance Partnership Pilot (P3) Grant Opportunity Opens

Posted on November 25, 2014 by Patrick Lester

On November 24, the Obama administration released information about its Performance Partnership Pilot (P3) initiative, an innovative demonstration program focused on disconnected youth. The announcement from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is below:

Today, five Federal agencies are coming together to offer a new opportunity to help communities overcome the obstacles they face in achieving better outcomes for disconnected youth.  For the next 100 days, State, tribes, and municipalities can apply to become a Performance Partnership Pilot (P3) and test innovative, outcome-focused strategies to achieve significant improvements for disconnected youth in educational, employment, and other key outcomes.

The P3 initiative enables up to 10 pilots to blend funds that they already receive from different discretionary programs administered by the Departments of Education, Labor, and Health and Human Services and the Corporation for National and Community Service and the Institute for Museum and Library Services.   P3 allows new flexibility under Federal statutes, regulations, and other requirements to overcome barriers and align program and reporting requirements, enabling applicants to propose the most effective ways to use these dollars.  In addition, pilots will receive start-up grants of up to $700,000.

Government and community partners already invest considerable attention and resources to meet the needs of America’s disconnected youth. However, practitioners, youth advocates, and program administrators on the front lines of service delivery have let us know that achieving powerful outcomes is still sometimes inhibited by programmatic and administrative obstacles, such as poor coordination and alignment across the multiple systems that serve youth and fragmented data systems that inhibit the flow of information.  P3 responds directly to these challenges by offering broad new flexibility in exchange for better outcomes.

We invite you to join us to learn more about this exciting opportunity at a P3 National Webinar on December 1st from 3:30-5pm.  Please register at https://www.workforce3one.org/view/5001427539847497608/info.  Can’t make it?  Don’t worry!  The recorded webinar will available on-line after the event.

To view the notice inviting applications, please visit: https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2014/11/24/2014-27775/applications-for-new-awards-performance-partnership-pilots.  The full application package, including FAQs, is available at: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=269790.

Posted in Children and Families, Government Performance

Congress May Enact Evidence Commission Bill in Lame Duck Session

Posted on November 23, 2014 by Patrick Lester

The chairs of the House and Senate Budget Committees, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), introduced bipartisan legislation November 20 that would create a new Commission on Evidenced-based Policymaking. If enacted, the commission would submit a report to the president and Congress making recommendations on how to expand access to and promote the use of data to evaluate federal programs and federal tax expenditures.

As senior members of their respective parties, Ryan and Murray are well positioned to attach their legislation to any bill that moves during the last few weeks of the current session of Congress, including a must-pass bill that would fund federal agencies beyond December 11. Staff from the White House Office of Management and Budget reportedly met with Ryan’s staff on related issues over the summer. Murray’s sponsorship suggests that the bill has the support of the administration. (Editor’s Note: For an update, see Evidence Commission Will Wait Until Next Year).

The proposed commission would make recommendations to the president and Congress on increasing the availability of data for use in evaluating existing federal programs, including “how best to incorporate outcomes measurement, institutionalize randomized controlled trials, and [incorporate] rigorous impact analysis into program design.”

The commission would be asked to recommend whether (and how) to create a new, centralized clearinghouse for program and survey data, with access provided to qualified researchers from the private and public sectors. The commission would also recommend how to protect the privacy of individuals enrolled in the programs being evaluated.

Under the proposed bill, the National Academy of Public Administration would be tasked with administering the commission. Additional assistance would be provided by the White House Office of Management and Budget and various federal agencies, including the Departments of Health and Human Services, Education and Justice.

The 15-member commission would include 3 appointees from the president and 3 each from the Democratic and Republican leaders of the House and Senate respectively (12 total). The report, which would require the support of at least three-quarters of the commission’s members, would be due within 15 months of its appointment.

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Posted in Evidence, Government Performance

Is There a Bipartisan Evidence Agenda?

Posted on November 16, 2014 by Patrick Lester

With control of Congress and the White House split between Republicans and Democrats, there may be little reason to think much will be accomplished in Washington between now and the 2016 elections. But a new book from Results for America — released just days after this year’s elections — suggests that there may be an opportunity to advance a bipartisan agenda to promote the use of evidence in social policy.

The book, Moneyball for Government, is edited by Peter Orszag and Jim Nussle, two former directors of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under Presidents Obama and George W. Bush respectively. The book is purposefully bipartisan in its tone and authorship, with articles by a variety of former high-level officials in the Obama and Bush administrations, including Melody Barnes and John Bridgeland, domestic policy advisors to the two presidents, and Gene Sperling and Glenn Hubbard, who each served as top economic advisors.

Continue reading →

Posted in Evidence, Politics

White House Releases Report on Women and Girls of Color

Posted on November 14, 2014 by Patrick Lester

Responding to criticisms of an Obama administration initiative focused on men and boys of color, called ‘My Brother’s Keeper,’ the White House on November 12 released a new report entitled “Women and Girls of Color: Addressing Challenges and Expanding Opportunity.”

The report was released by the White House Council on Women and Girls, chaired by Valerie Jarrett, a close advisor to President Obama. It highlights administration accomplishments and remaining challenges for women and girls of color across a range of issues, including education, economic security, health, violence against women, and criminal justice.

The administration’s initiative for men and boys of color, My Brother’s Keeper, has substantially incorporated aspects of its broader evidence and innovation agenda. However, it has also received some criticism for ignoring women and girls. A letter signed by more than 1,000 prominent women of color, including the law professor Anita Hill, was circulated earlier this year asking the administration to expand its focus.

Jarrett countered at a breakfast hosted by The Christian Science Monitor in June that it “is not an either/or, it’s a both/and.” Referencing a 90-day report produced by the White House on men and boys of color, she said “you will see that many of the recommendations in there benefit all Americans.”

Continue reading →

Posted in Children and Families

Chicago Approves Early Childhood Pay-for-Success Plan

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Patrick Lester

By a vote of 42-5, the Chicago City Council on November 5 approved a proposal backed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel to use a pay-for-success agreement to finance an expansion of early education programs for an estimated 2,600 children in the city. The $17 million plan (legislative text) will expand existing Child-Parent Centers in five schools and create a new center at a sixth school for 374 students in January.

According to a report from local station WTTW:

Goldman Sachs, which has entered into several other social impact bonds in other communities, including one for early education in Utah, Northern Trust and the JB and MK Pritzker Family Foundation, will all provide almost $17 million up front.

The program is intended to improve kindergarten readiness, improve third grade reading skills, and reduce the need for special education. According to another report, payments from the city could reach $30 million if certain performance thresholds are met.

Continue reading →

Posted in Social Impact Bonds / Pay for Success

Report: Winning SIF Applications Suggest Substantial Growth for Pay-for-Success

Posted on November 5, 2014 by Patrick Lester

A review of the Social Innovation Fund’s eight winning pay-for-success grant applications, now publicly available for the first time, reveals that the field is experiencing strong growth and seems likely to continue this growth over the next few years.

The Social Innovation Fund (SIF) is a relatively small program, housed within the Corporation for National and Community Service, and it constitutes a tiny fraction of overall federal funding of social services. Moreover, its $12 million in pay-for-success grants represents just a small fraction of SIF’s funding.

However, because these grants are tightly focused on conducting feasibility assessments, developing new pay-for-success agreements, and related technical assistance, SIF appears to be playing a substantial catalytic role.  SIF’s claim that its $12 million investment will generate nearly 100 new project sub-grants, which itself would represent a significant jump in the number of projects nationwide, appears to be validated by this independent review of the applications.

Moreover, the applications reveal other activities, some of which are taking place independent of SIF’s involvement, including the following:

  • Growing Client Pipelines for the Major Pay-for-Success Intermediaries: Major incumbent organizations involved in pay-for-success initiatives nationwide — such as Third Sector Capital Partners and the Harvard Kennedy School SIB Lab — are developing deeper knowledge bases and growing their client pipelines;
  • Newer, More Specialized Intermediaries: New intermediaries are emerging with substantial expertise and contacts in specific fields, such as asthma prevention, early childhood programs, child welfare, juvenile justice, mental health services, and supportive housing;
  • New Investors: New potential sources of outside investment are emerging, including Community Development Financial Institutions, United Ways and other community-based funders, and managed care organizations; and
  • Increased Involvement by Associations of States and Local Governments: Organizations like the National Governor’s Association, National Association of Counties, and National League of Cities are becoming increasingly engaged.

This report reviews these overall trends, as well as common elements and highlights from the individual applications.  Links to the complete application narratives, which contain additional information, are included in the individual grant profiles.

Read the full report.

Posted in Social Impact Bonds / Pay for Success, Social Innovation Fund