National League of Cities Announces Commitment to Enhance Cities' Use of Data and Evidence

WASHINGTON and NEW YORK, Aug. 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The National League of Cities (NLC), the nation's largest and most representative organization for cities and their elected leaders, today announced that its members will have access to a first-of-its-kind workshop series through NLC University on foundational data practices that build effective local governments. The workshops will be offered through a new partnership with Results for America (RFA), a lead partner of What Works Cities, a Bloomberg Philanthropies-launched initiative that helps cities use data and facts to tackle their most pressing challenges and improve residents' lives.

"Last year, What Works Cities set a new standard of excellence in data-driven governance with the introduction of Certification," said Clarence E. Anthony, CEO and executive director of the National League of Cities. "NLC is proud to partner with Results for America to bring these best practices to our membership and help them reach that bar. Together, we can drive better outcomes that have the power to improve the lives of millions of our cities' residents." 

The NLC-RFA partnership will include programming at the 2018 City Summit in Los Angeles, other events throughout the year, and the 2019 Congressional City Conference in Washington, DC. NLC University will offer five courses to help cities build their skills in leading data and evidence practices and to advance in the What Works Cities Certification program. Members can view and enroll in the courses here.

"Leaders set the agenda for progress in their cities," said Simone Brody, Executive Director of What Works Cities. "Data and evidence best practices help cities clearly define problems and develop impactful solutions so that leaders can solve problems and effectively run cities. We're excited to partner with NLC to help leaders build the skills needed to fully embrace data-driven governance and make the journey from commitment to results."

Launched by Bloomberg Philanthropies in 2015, What Works Cities is one of the largest-ever philanthropic efforts to enhance cities' use of data and evidence. What Works Cities Certification is the first-of-its-kind national standard of excellence in city governance that evaluates how well cities are managed and whether cities have the right people, processes, and policies in place to put data and evidence at the center of decision-making. Nine cities have been recognized as leaders in this field and awarded Certification.  

About the National League of Cities
The National League of Cities (NLC) is dedicated to helping city leaders build better communities. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans. nlc.org

About Results for America
Results for America (RFA) is helping decision-makers at all levels of government harness the power of evidence and data to solve the world's greatest challenges. RFA's mission is to make investing in "what works" the new normal. As part of What Works Cities, RFA ensures a world-class experience for all participating cities, coordinates the initiative's partners, and advances a nationwide movement of cities using data and evidence in decision-making. results4america.org 

SOURCE National League of Cities

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