ST. PAUL – This week, PEW Charitable Trust released a report recognizing Minnesota as one of five states leading the nation in data driven policymaking. The report, done in partnership with the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, highlights work by Minnesota’s Department of Corrections, Department of Human Services, and Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB), among others. One example is Minnesota’s innovative Results First Initiative that assess state programs, allowing policymakers to see which efforts are most effective. 

“When we make investments in state programs, we owe it to the people of Minnesota to assess those efforts and ensure they are working as intended,” said Minnesota Management and Budget Commissioner Myron Frans. “This is the effort taxpayers expect, and we look forward to finding new opportunities to embed evidence in our policymaking process.” The use of evidence-based practices, including program assessment, outcome monitoring, and implementation oversight, can reduce wasteful spending and expand programs that work, improving outcomes for Minnesotans. 

The Minnesota Results First Initiative was created through bipartisan legislation in 2015. To date, employees working on the initiative have conducted cost-benefit analysis on adult criminal justice in state corrections, and adult mental health programs in the Department of Human Services. The team leading the initiative partners with state agencies, counties, and practitioners in their work. The Results First inventory and benefit-cost analysis is available on the MMB website. 

The Pew-MacArthur report assessed all 50 states and the District of Columbia on whether they used the best available research to identify programs that work in four policy areas: behavioral health, child welfare, criminal justice, and juvenile justice. The report ranks each state as leading, established, modest, or trailing. Connecticut, Oregon, Utah, and Washington join Minnesota as the top five states using this approach.

Download the full report from PEW Charitable Trusts website