Steve Aos is the Director of the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP). The Institute’s mission is to carry out practical, non-partisan research—at legislative direction—on issues of importance to Washington State. Areas of focus have included education, criminal justice, welfare, children and adult services, health and more. The outcome of WSIPP’s work includes cost-benefit analyses of various policy options so that legislatures can make more informed decisions about cost-effective policies.
Although not discussed in the interview, a related initiative to note that builds on WSIPP’s work in Washington State: The Pew Charitable Trusts and the MacArthur Foundation are currently working with 14 states to develop and strengthen their cost-benefit analysis capabilities, as part of the Results First Initiative.
Web extra: Steve Aos explains how trust between WSIPP and the legislature, build over time, is an important aspect of the Institute’s ability to produce analysis that is valued and used. [click here]