[Durham INC] Durham Joins National What Works Cities Initiative

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CITY OF DURHAM
Office of Public Affairs
101 City Hall Plaza
Durham, NC 27701

News Release


News Media Contact:
Amy Blalock
Sr. Public Affairs Specialist
(919) 560-4123 x 11253
(919) 475-7735 (cell)
Amy.Blalock at DurhamNC.gov<mailto:Amy.Blalock at DurhamNC.gov>
http://Facebook.com/CityofDurhamNC
http://Twitter.com/CityofDurhamNC
http://Instagram.com/CityofDurhamNC
http://YouTube.com/CityofDurhamNC


For Immediate Release: February 17, 2017



Share! #Durham joins @BloombergDotOrg @WhatWorksCities initiative to help build capacity to better address local issues http://bit.ly/2lfeqg9


Durham Selected to Join National What Works Cities Initiative
City to Receive Technical Assistance to Better Address Local Issues

DURHAM, N.C. - City of Durham Mayor William V. "Bill" Bell announced today that Durham has been selected to participate in Bloomberg Philanthropies' What Works Cities initiative<http://www.whatworkscities.org/> - one of the largest-ever national philanthropic efforts to enhance the use of data and evidence in the public sector.

Durham will soon receive technical assistance from world-class experts to build capacity to address several local issues. The initiative will help advance Durham's ability to deliver results for residents by strengthening its performance analytics systems and processes, training staff to use data and analysis more effectively, and building a culture of using data and evidence to improve outcomes for residents. Additionally, the initiative will enhance Durham's ability to make data more consumable and readily available for residents and City departments by developing processes to inventory, prioritize, release, and maintain data publicly.

"I am pleased to announce the City's partnership with the What Works Cities initiative since this work will continue to advance Durham's ability and commitment to making data-driven decisions that improve our services and outcomes for our residents," Mayor Bell said. "I am also excited for the opportunity to continue making data transparent and available for our community to easily access."

Durham plans to use its technical assistance from this initiative to improve its open data practices<https://opendurham.nc.gov/page/home/> to make City data more accessible to residents and the community, and help to engage residents around government priorities and services. Durham will also use this initiative's support for the debut of the new Development Services Center<https://durhamnc.gov/2963/Development-Service-Center>, scheduled to open in April 2017, by establishing and improving performance management programs to set, track, and share progress toward goals, strengthen accountability, and achieve better results.

With Durham's selection, this growing national initiative launched in April 2015, is now partnering with 64 mid-sized U.S. cities. All together, these cities come from 35 states, represent more than 20 million residents, and have annual budgets exceeding $67 billion. The initiative will partner with 100 cities on rolling basis through 2018.

With support from a consortium of expert partners, What Works Cities are identifying more effective ways to evaluate programs and improve performance; the best use of resources to serve their communities; and address a range of social challenges - from poverty and inequality to public safety. Another key benefit of joining the What Works Cities' growing national network of local leaders and global experts is actively sharing best practices for outcomes-focused government.

"City leaders around the nation are using data to make better decisions, engage their residents, and hold themselves accountable," said James Anderson, the head of Bloomberg Philanthropies' Government Innovation program. "We have an outstanding and diverse group of cities participating in Bloomberg Philanthropies' What Works Cities initiative, and we look forward to welcoming more to the program in the year ahead."

The consortium of leading organizations assembled by Bloomberg Philanthropies and delivering a program of support to cities includes the Behavioral Insights Team<http://behaviouralinsights.co.uk>, the Center for Government Excellence<http://govex.jhu.edu> at Johns Hopkins University, the Government Performance Lab<http://govlab.hks.harvard.edu> at the Harvard Kennedy School, Results for America<http://results4america.org>, and the Sunlight Foundation<http://sunlightfoundation.com>.

Durham is the one of the latest to publicly commit to enhancing its use of data and evidence to improve services, inform local decision-making, and engage residents. Durham joins the following 63 cities partnering with What Works Cities: Albuquerque, NM; Anchorage, AK; Baltimore, MD; Birmingham, AL; Boise, ID; Boulder, CO; Buffalo, NY; Bellevue, WA; Boston, MA; Cambridge, MA; Cape Coral, FL; Chattanooga, TN; Charlotte, NC; Denton, TX; Denver, CO; Des Moines, IA; Downey, CA; Fargo, ND; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Fort Worth, TX; Greensboro, NC; Gresham, OR; Hartford, CT; Independence, MO; Jackson, MS; Kansas City, KS; Kansas City, MO; Knoxville, TN; Laredo, TX; Las Vegas, NV; Lexington, KY; Lincoln, NE; Little Rock, AR; Louisville, KY; Madison, WI; Mesa, AZ; Milwaukee, WI; Naperville, IL; Nashville, TN; New Orleans, LA; Olathe, KS; Portland, OR; Providence, RI; Raleigh, NC; Riverside, CA; Salinas, CA; Salt Lake City, UT; San Francisco, CA; San Jose, CA; Seattle, WA; Scottsdale, AZ; Saint Paul, MN; South Bend, IN; Syracuse, NY; Tacoma, WA; Tempe, AZ; Topeka, KS; Tulsa, OK, Victorville, CA; Virginia Beach, VA; Waco, TX; West Palm Beach, FL; and Wichita, KS.

This is the second award from Bloomberg Philanthropies that Durham has received this year. Last month, the City also won a multi-year grant to join the Innovation Team Program<http://durhamnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/13574>, which will fund an in-house innovation team, or "i-team," to pioneer new approaches that improve the lives of residents.

For more details on Durham's selection and how local issues will be better addressed, contact Strategic Initiatives Manager Josh Edwards<mailto:Josh.Edwards at DurhamNC.gov> with the City's Office of Performance and Innovation in the Budget and Management Services Department at (919) 560-4111, ext. 20102. To receive updates on this initiative, visit the What Works Cities<http://www.whatworkscities.org/> website, sign up<http://eepurl.com/bN5uUH> for the What Works Cities newsletter, or contact Sharman Stein<mailto:sharman at results4america.org> at (646) 854-5420 or Kristin Taylor<mailto:kristin at results4america.org> at (646) 854-5572.

About the Budget and Management Services Department
The City of Durham Budget and Management Services Department<http://durhamnc.gov/199/Budget-Management-Services> is responsible for the development and oversight of the City's annual budget and Capital Improvement Program (CIP). The department is also responsible for performance management, continuous improvement, and strategic planning. A division of the department, the Office of Performance and Innovation<http://durhamnc.gov/232/Office-of-Performance-and-Innovation>, serves as internal consultants, helping City departments accomplish Durham's "One Vision and Five Goals" through advancing the City's Strategic Plan<http://durhamnc.gov/183>; providing framework for data-driven decisions; fostering a culture of innovation; and facilitating process improvements.

About Bloomberg Philanthropies
Bloomberg Philanthropies works in more than 120 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on five key areas for creating lasting change: Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg's charitable activities, including his foundation and his personal giving. In 2016, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed over half a billion dollars. For more information, visit bloomberg.org<http://www.bloomberg.org/> or follow on Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/bloombergdotorg>, Instagram<https://www.instagram.com/bloombergdotorg/>, Snapchat<https://www.snapchat.com/add/bloombergdotorg>, and Twitter @BloombergDotOrg<https://twitter.com/bloombergdotorg>.

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