Interviews by name

Anderson, David – Arnold Ventures

• Insights about building credible evidence in social policy (2021)

Aos, Steve – Washington State Institute for Public Policy

• Building state capacity for evidence-based policy (2013)

Baker, Bevan – Department of Health, City of Milwaukee

• Milwaukee’s three-pronged strategy to reduce teen pregnancy (2016)

Ball, Jonathan – State of Utah

• How Utah became a leader in evidence-based policymaking (2016)

Barker, Toby – Mississippi Legislature

• How the State of Mississippi uses evidence-based budgeting to increase return on investment and improve program outcomes (2016)

Baron, Jon – Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy

• Rigorous program evaluation on a budget (2014)

Behn, Bob – Harvard Kennedy School

• The opportunities and pitfalls of government reorganization (2017)
• Twelve “better practices” that can help public leaders tackle key organizational challenges and boost results (2016)
• Successful performance management starts with purpose (2014)
• The PerformanceStat Potential (2013)

Bell, Brian – Allegheny County Department of Human Services

• Linking data to improve human services while working within privacy laws (2017)

Bell, Elizabeth – Florida State University

• How Promise Programs are expanding college access, affordability, and degree attainment (2022)

Berlin, Gordon – MDRC

• Lessons from the nation’s first Social Impact Bond, aimed at reducing recidivism among adolescent offenders at Rikers Island (2016)

Bicha, Reggie – Colorado Department of Human Services

• Insights from C-Stat in Colorado at year 5 (2017)
• Focusing a social services agency on results and performance improvement outcomes (2013)

Blauer, Beth – State of Maryland

• Maryland’s StateStat initiative (2012)

Boughton, Heather – Results for America

• Insights on evidence use from Ohio’s Department of Education (2021)

Brown, Jeffrey – U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

• Harnessing Silicon Valley funding approaches to drive breakthrough solutions in the public sector (2013)

Cancian, Maria – La Follette School of Public Affairs, University of Wisconsin-Madison

• Why broadening access to Federal administrative data is critical for improving government services and increasing taxpayer value (2016)

Casebourne, Jo – NESTA

• Innovation teams around the world (2015)

Castleman, Ben – Curry School of Education, University of Virginia

• Improving student outcomes with innovative low-cost interventions, such as texting (2015)

Chang, Tammy – U.S. Department of the Treasury

• The importance of replication and validation in evidence-based policy (2017)

Chapel, Tom – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• Using logic models, a key building block of results-focused programs (2014)

Chetty, Raj – Harvard University

• The importance of administrative data for learning what works in public policy (2015)
• Improving public policy through behavioral economics (2015)

Cody, Scott – Mathematica Policy Research

• Using predictive analytics and rapid-cycle evaluation to improve program design and results (2013)

Collins, Kevan – Educational Endowment Foundation

• How a UK nonprofit, the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), is building rigorous evidence about how to close achievement gaps in education (2016)

Cox, Kristen – State of Utah

• How Utah became a leader in evidence-based policymaking (2016)

Culhane, Dennis – University of Pennsylvania and Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy

• How states and localities are improving the quality of education, health, and human services through integrated data systems (2016)

Currie, Janet – Princeton University

• Evidence-based policies that improve early-life health and well-being (2015)

Curtatone, Joseph – City of Somerville, Massachusetts

• Creating results-focused city gov’t through SomerStat (2012)

Dalton, Erin – Allegheny County Department of Human Services

• Linking data to improve human services while working within privacy laws (2017)
• How Allegheny County’s Data Warehouse is improving human services through integrated data (2016)

Danzig, Lisa – U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development

• Boosting results through HUDStat (2012)

Decker, Paul – Mathematica Policy Research and APPAM

• Reducing fear of program evaluation (2013)

Desai, Swati – Rockefeller Institute of Government, State University of New York

• New York City’s VendorStat initiative for social services (2015)

Deshausay, Nadine – MDRC

• Lessons in applying behavioral insights to human services from the Behavioral Interventions to Advance Self-Sufficiency (BIAS) project (2016)

Diamond, Adele – University of British Columbia, Vancouver

• Children’s executive functions and evidence-based activities that improve them  (2014)

Dube, Sara – The Pew Charitable Trusts

• Colorado’s nation-leading practices in using evidence to guide budget decisions (2022)

Dubno, Janis – Voice for Utah Children

• Using Pay or Success to fund early-childhood programs (2015)

Duncan, Greg – School of Education, University of California, Irvine

• Strategies to sustain program impacts for children and adolescents (2017)
• How successful school systems are closing achievement gaps (2014)

England-Joseph, Judy – Partnership for Public Service

• Transforming mission and support services in government (2014)

Epstein, Diana – Corporation for National and Community Service

• How one Federal agency, the Corporation for National and Community Service, strengthened the role of evidence in a key grant program, AmeriCorps (with Carla Ganiel) (2016)

Evans, David – World Bank

• Determining if your program is having a positive impact (i.e., impact evaluation 101) (2016)

Fanjul, Stephanie – Smart Start

• Smart Start in North Carolina (2012)

Ferber, Thaddeus – Forum for Youth Investment

• An overview of Performance Partnership Pilots for Disconnected Youth (2017)

Fischer, Greg – Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky

• Creating a results focused city government (2015)

Fitzsimmons, Kelly – Project Evident (formerly Edna McConnell Clark Foundation)

• Helping nonprofits build and use evidence through Project Evident (2017)
• Becoming an evidence focused grant-making organization (2014)

Fretwell, Betsy – City of Las Vegas

• Las Vegas’s data-driven effort to improve traffic safety at its most dangerous intersections (2016)

Funsch, Elizabeth – Anne Arundel County, Maryland

• Developing and using agency performance plans (2021)

Garcia, Bryan – Connecticut Green Bank

• How the Connecticut Green Bank is catalyzing green energy infrastructure (2017)

Gibbs, Linda – Mayor’s Office, New York City

• New York City’s Social Impact Bond, the first in the U.S. (2013)

Glennerster, Rachel – Jameel Poverty Action Lab (JPAL)

• Using impact evaluation to improve program performance (2013)

Goldhammer, Jesse – Deloitte Consulting

• Six ways government can use incentive prizes to spur innovation (2014)

Goldsmith, Steve – Harvard Kennedy School

• How cities are using data to improve outcomes and save money (2014)

Goldstein, Naomi – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

• Career reflections from an evidence leader (2022)
• Why evaluation policies are useful to results-focused federal agencies (2018)
• Strengthening evaluation capacity within agencies (2013)

Gordon, Robert – White House Office of Management and Budget (formerly)

• Transforming Federal grant programs from compliance driven to results focused (2016)

Gottesman, Dave – Montgomery County, Maryland

• Lessons in performance leadership from Montgomery County (2020)
• Local perspectives on PerformanceStat (2013)

Grant, Kali – Georgetown University

• Lessons from the New Hope Project for today (2021)

Green, Donald – Columbia University

• Testing whether text messages improve the effectiveness of communication with citizens (2013)

Gueron, Judy – MDRC

• Fighting for reliable evidence (2013)

Guryan, Jonathan – Northwestern University

• Using intensive, individualized math tutoring to boost academic outcomes of disadvantaged youth (2016)

Gustafsson-Wright, Emily – Brookings Institution

• The use of impact bonds around the world (2017)

Gustetic, Jenn – NASA

• Using prize competitions to spur innovation in government (2014)

Harris, Seth – formerly U.S. Department of Labor

• Implementing a turnaround strategy at DOL (2015)

Hart, Nick – Bipartisan Policy Center

• A primer on the Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking’s recommendations (2017)

Haskins, Ron – Brookings Institution

• The federal evidence agenda and lessons for state and local leaders (2015)

Hastings, Justine – Brown University

• How the Rhode Island Innovative Policy Lab (RIIPL) works (2017)

Heinrich, Carolyn – University of Texas at Austin

• Lessons from a successful research-to-practice collaboration (2014)
• Performance standards and incentives (2012)

Herrmann, Jed – Results for America

• Investing in what works at the federal level (2020)

Hewgley, Carter – Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

• Strengthening a culture of data-driven decision making (2015)

Higginbottom, Heather – U.S. Department of State

• Insights from the only Federal department with two Deputy Secretaries (2017)

Higgins, Nathaniel

• The importance of replication and validation in evidence-based policy (2017)

Hollister, Rob – Swarthmore College

• Using rigorous program evaluation to learn what works (2013)

Holzer, Harry – McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University

• Raising job quality and skills for American workers through more effective education and workforce development within states (2016)
• U.S. employment & job quality trends (2012)

Hrabowski, Freeman – University of Maryland, Baltimore County

• Increasing diversity in the sciences through the Meyerhoff Scholarship Program (2016)

Hurley, Sarah – Youth Villages

• A provider’s perspective on being part of a rigorous evaluation (2013)

Huston, Aletha – University of Texas at Austin

• The New Hope anti-poverty initiative in Milwaukee (2014)

Irwin, Molly – U.S. Department of Labor

• Why evaluation policies are useful to results-focused federal agencies (2018)

Jachimowicz, Maia – Results for America

• How Philadelphia became a leader in the use of data and evidence (2016)

Jenkins, Susan – Administration for Community Living, HHS

• Three keys to a successful agency evaluation office (2021)

Johnson, Calvin – U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

• Lessons from HUD about building evidence on important social policy issues (2021)

Johnson, Jason – City of Seattle

• How Seattle used results-driven contracting to improve homeless services (2017)

Jones, Ben – Kellogg School of Management

• Data for decision making in government (2013)

Just, David – Cornell University

• Using behavioral insights to design smarter school lunchrooms (2016)

Kalil, Ariel – University of Chicago

• Three cognitive biases that can influence decision makers use of evidence about what works (2021)

Kane, Thomas – Harvard Graduate School of Education

• How states can use ESSA to focus education spending on what works (2017)
• How states can use “efficacy networks” to test strategies for school improvement (2017)

Kappeler, Evelyn – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

• Insights for evidence-based grant making from the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program (2015)

Karlan, Dean – Yale University and Innovations for Poverty Action

• Using randomized evaluations to address global poverty and other social policy challenges (2016)

Katz, Bruce – Brookings Institution

• Economic growth and metropolitan areas (2012)

Katz, Larry – Harvard University

• The Moving to Opportunity Demonstration’s long-term findings (2013)
• The launch of J-PAL North America (2013)

Kemple, Jim – Research Alliance for New York City Schools

• Using Career Academies to help disadvantaged students (2015)

Kenney, Chad – City of Cincinnati

• New performance initiatives in Cincinnati city government (2015)

Kerksick, Julie – Community Advocates Public Policy Institute

• Lessons from the New Hope Project for today (2021)

Kleine, Andrew – City of Baltimore

• Using outcome based budgeting to fund what works (2012)

Kopplin, Andy – City of New Orleans

• Strategies to turn around a city government (2015)

Kotter, John

• Leading successful change and strategic initiatives (2021)

Kraft, Matthew

• Boosting student achievement with high-dosage tutoring (2021)

Ladd, Helen – Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University

• Poverty and student outcomes (2012)

Laitinen, Amy

• Reforming the federal Experimental Sites initiative to better learn what works in higher ed (2018)

Leal, Melissa – Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

• Launching a behavioral insights community of practice (2021)

Leighninger, Matt – Deliberative Democracy Consortium

• Engaging citizens online (2012)

Lenard, Matthew – Wake County Public Schools, North Carolina

• How school districts can use rigorous program evaluation to test new education reforms (2016)

Lerman, Bob – Urban Institute and American University

• Apprenticeship as a state and local strategy to enhance skills and careers (2013)

Lesnick, Joy – U.S. Department of Education

• Connecting decision makers with high-quality research through the What Works Clearinghouse (2015)

Levin, Henry – Teachers College, Columbia University

• Cost-benefit analysis 101 for policymakers and public managers (2015)

Levy Paluck, Betsy – Princeton University

• Reducing bullying in schools through a peer-based strategy (2015)

Liebman, Jeff – Harvard Kennedy School

• Transforming the culture of procurement in state and local government (2017)
• A bold proposal to catalyze progress on key social policy challenges, the Ten Year Challenge (2015)
• Strengthens and misperceptions of Social Impact Bonds (2014)

Linos, Elizabeth – University of California, Berkeley

• Using behavioral insights to help recruit diverse police candidates (2020)

Lotz, Christin – State of Tennessee

• Insights from Tennessee’s Office of Evidence and Impact (2021)

Ludwig, Jens – University of Chicago

• Improving the outcomes of disadvantaged youth by teaching them to be less automatic (2015)

Manoli, Dayanand – Georgetown University

• How federal agencies can use IPAs to bolster evidence capacity and help implement the Evidence Act (2021)
• Creating successful researcher-practitioner partnerships at the Federal level (2016)

Manzi, Jim – Author of Uncontrolled: The Surprising Payoff of Trial-and-Error for Business, Politics and Society 

• Learning from innovative businesses about creating a culture of experimentation in government (2013)

Margolius, Marc – Institute for Jewish Spirituality

• Using mindfulness practices for greater self-awareness and self-improvement (2022)

Massena, Lisa – OregonSaves

• How Oregon’s auto-enrollment IRA program, OregonSaves, helps state residents save for retirement (2018)

McAdams, Ben – Salt Lake County, Utah

• The nation’s first Pay for Success initiative for early education (2015)

McCann, Clare – New America

• Reforming the federal Experimental Sites initiative to better learn what works in higher ed (2018)

McCarthy, Patrick – Annie E. Casey Foundation

• Calling on states to close their youth prisons (2016)

Merrick, Weston – State of Minnesota

• How Minnesota’s impact evaluation unit supports evidence-based budgeting (2021)

Miller-Adams, Michelle – Upjohn Institute

• How state tuition-free college programs are spanning political divides (2022)

Mohan, Rakesh – Idaho Office of Performance Evaluations

• Insights from Idaho’s Office of Performance Evaluations (2021)

Morrison Butler, Lisa – Results for America and formerly Chicago Dept. of Family and Support Services

• How results-driven contracting improved outcomes for Chicago’s most vulnerable (2022)

Morse, Kristin – Center for Economic Opportunity, NYC Mayor’s Office

• A city’s effort to drive innovation and learning on a priority issue (2013)

Moynihan, Don – La Follette School of Public Affairs, University of Wisconsin-Madison

• Avoiding performance perversity (2014)

Nathan, Fred – Think New Mexico

• How a small nonprofit in New Mexico achieves big good government wins (2015)

Naylor, Mary – University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing

• Improving health outcomes of older adults while reducing costs through the nursing-led Transitional Care Model (2016)

Neal, Jeffrey – Formerly Defense Logistic Agency and Dept. of Homeland Security

• Transforming support services in Federal agencies (2017)

Neese, Brad – Apprenticeship Carolina

• Apprenticeship as an economic development tool in South Carolina (2014)

Nightingale, Demetra – U.S. Department of Labor

• The role of a Chief Evaluation Officer (2014)

Notowidigno, Matthew – Northwestern University 

• How program managers can use random assignment (i.e., a lottery) to build evidence that can improve customer service (2018)

O’Hara, Amy – Georgetown University

• Unlocking the power of big data to catalyze evidence-based policy (2020)

O’Regan, Katherine – U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

• HUD’s Research Roadmap (2015)

Oster, Sharon – Yale School of Management

• Designing well-crafted mission statements (2014)

Overholser, George – Third Sector Capital Partners

• Massachusetts’ juvenile justice Pay for Success initiative (2014)

Overmyer, Scott – IBM Center for the Business of Government report author

• Making telework work (2012)

Owen, Jenni – State of North Carolina

• The role of North Carolina’s Office of Strategic Partnerships (2021)

Padrino, David – State of Colorado

• Colorado’s performance management strategy under Gov. Hickenlooper (2020)

Page, Lindsay – University of Pittsburgh, School of Education

• Two promising strategies to promote college success for disadvantaged students (2018)

Phillips, Cynthia – National Science Foundation (retired)

• Five questions public agencies should ask to put their logic models to work (2021)

Popkin, Barry – University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill School of Public Health

• The first-year effects of Mexico’s soda tax (2016)

Powell, Ki’i – Performance Management Director, Colorado Department of Human Services

• Using “C-Stat” in Colorado to drive results-focused human services (2014)

Powell, Mike – State of Maryland

• The Governor’s Delivery Unit in Maryland (2013)

Price, Olga Acosta – The George Washington University, Milken Institute School of Public Health

• Using school-based health centers to address the health needs of low-income youth (2016)

Reno-Weber, Theresa – City of Louisville

• Louisville’s performance initiatives, including LouieStat, at year three (2014)
• Using LouieStat and collaboration across agencies to improve results in Louisville (2013)

Richard, Joanna – Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development

• Leadership insights you (probably) won’t learn in grad school (2014)

Richburg-Hayes, Lashawn – MDRC

• Lessons in applying behavioral insights to human services from the Behavioral Interventions to Advance Self-Sufficiency (BIAS) project (2016)

Robbins, David – Federal Trade Commission

• Insights from the FTC about promoting employee engagement (2015)

Robinson, Carly

• Boosting student achievement with high-dosage tutoring (2021)

Robinson, Jim – Center for Excellence in Public Leadership, The George Washington University

• Using Lean Six Sigma to improve results in government (2013)

Rogers, Todd – Harvard Kennedy School

• How to communicate so that busy people respond and take action (2021)

Rolston, Howard – Abt Associates

• Fighting for reliable evidence (2013)

Rosenberg, Tina – New York Times & Solutions Journalism Network

• How Mexico took on the soda industry and won, passing a soda tax (2016)

Rountree, Janey – California Policy Lab

• How the California Policy Lab is helping state and local agencies tackle homelessness, poverty and other key policy challenges (2021)

Ruda, Simon – U.K. Behavioral Insights Team

• Applying behavioral insights through the EAST (Easy, Attractive, Social, Timely) framework (2015)

Sacarny, Adam – Columbia University

• Test, learn and adapt – How public agencies can use researcher-practitioner partnerships to test low-cost, light-touch interventions (2016)

Sallee, Charles – Legislative Finance Committee, New Mexico

• Evidence-based budgeting in New Mexico (2021)
• Launching LegisSTAT in New Mexico (2021)
• How New Mexico uses evidence to drive smart funding decisions and improve programs (2014)

Sambataro, Arun – King County, Washington

• King County, Washington’s Equity and Social Justice Strategic Plan (2020)

Sanders, Ron – Booz Allen Hamilton

• Exploring how outstanding public executives makes tough decisions (2015)

Shankar, Maya – White House Social and Behavioral Sciences Team

• Using behavioral insights to improve government performance (2015)

Schmitt, Emily – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

• Applying insights from behavioral economics to improve social service outcomes (2014)

Schochet, Peter – Mathematica Policy Research

• Making rigorous program evaluation easier with RCT-YES software (2016)
• How to design performance measures to better measure impact (2015)
• Using opportunistic experiments to learn what works (2014)

Seligman, Hilary – University of California, San Francisco

• Using food banks to fight diabetes and promote health for vulnerable populations (2015)

Shelton, Jim – U.S. Department of Education

• Strengthening evidence-based grant making at the U.S. Department of Education (2014)

Showalter, Amelia – Obama campaign

• Learning from the Obama campaign about creating a culture of experimentation in government (2013)

Silverman, Dean – Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Department of the Treasury

• Using analytics to tackle tough agency challenges (2015)

Sivak, Bryan – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

• Implementing a department-wide innovation strategy (2014)

Slavin, Robert – Johns Hopkins School of Education

• Evidence-based reform in education (2013)

Sobanet, Henry – State of Colorado

• Colorado’s lean initiative in state government (2015)

Spera, Chris – Corporation for National and Community Service

• Building an evidence base for agency programs (2013)

Steger, Gerhard – Austrian Ministry of Finance

• Performance budgeting in Austria (2013)

Stephens, Nicole – Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University

• Closing the social-class achievement gap for first-generation college students (2015)

Thomas, Adam -McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University

• Strategies to reduce unintended pregnancy (2012)

Thomke, Stefan – Harvard Business School

• Creating a culture of experimentation within organizations (2020)

Thompson, Ken – Kellstadt School of Business, DePaul University

• Applying the Balanced Scorecard to the public sector (2015)

Tryens, Jeff – New York City Mayor’s Office

• Insights into gov’t performance reporting (2012)

Turner, Margery – Urban Institute

• Important tools for evidence-based policy (2013)

Unterman, Rebecca – MDRC

• New York City’s small schools initiative (2012)

Useem, Greg – City of Alexandria, Virginia

• Local perspectives on PerformanceStat (2013)

VanLandingham, Gary – Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative

• States’ use of cost-benefit analysis (2013)

Watson, Kelvin – Statistics New Zealand

• How New Zealand links data from public data sets to address important policy challenges (2017)

Weiss, Michael – MDRC

• Two promising strategies to promote college success for disadvantaged students (2018)

Weissman, Evan – MDRC

• Three strategies to promote relevance in program evaluations so that findings are useful to policymakers and practitioners (2016)

Wentworth, Laura – California Education Partners

• Insights from a leading researcher-practitioner partnership, between Stanford University and San Francisco’s school district (2018)

White, Evan – California Policy Lab

• How the California Policy Lab is helping state and local agencies tackle homelessness, poverty and other key policy challenges (2021)

White, Howard – Campbell Collaboration

• Four fundamental principles of evidence-based policy and practice, drawing from U.S. and European experience (2017)

Whitehurst, Grover “Russ” – The Brookings Institution

• How the Institute of Education Sciences at the U.S. Department of Education is helping the field of education to learn and do what works (2016)

Wise, Oliver – City of New Orleans

• Insights from the City of New Orleans’ analytics unit, NOLAlytics, about using data to improve city services (2013)

Wolk, Larry – Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

• Colorado’s Family Planning Initiative (2015)

Wood, Robert – Mathematica Policy Research

• The Building Strong Families program (2014)

Yang, Will – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

• How HHS’s Data Science CoLab catalyzes employee innovation (2018)

Yokum, David – The Lab @ DC

• Launching an applied research team within city government (2017)