Above / The Naperville Municipal Center is located at 400 S. Eagle Street, just north of the Riverwalk. An innovative program funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies supports cities’ use of data and evidence to make government more effective and transparent. (PN Photo)
Mayor Steve Chirico announced today that Naperville has been selected as one of 12 new cities to participate in Bloomberg Philanthropies’ What Work Cities initiative – one of the largest-ever philanthropic efforts to enhance the use of data and evidence in the public sector.
Above / Mayor Steve Chirico and members of City Staff are prepared to hang the banner proclaiming Naperville’s recognition as a What Works City. (Photo courtesy Kate Schultz) Editor’s note: Of course, they took the photo along the Riverwalk!
Launched in April 2015, the initiative is now providing support to 39 cities in 25 states and will work with up to 100 mid-sized cities on a rolling basis through 2018.
“Naperville is honored to be the first community in Illinois selected as a What Works City,” stated Mayor Steve Chirico in the news release. “Our partnership will allow us to continue to focus on innovation and efficiency. This process will help us evaluate, establish and further strengthen policies to ensure we are open and transparent to our community.”
According to Linda LaCloche, Communications Manager, the city applied late last year to participate in What Works Cities. After a site visit in March to meet with some 25 staffers, the City was notified recently that Naperville has been selected for “purely consulting services” provided by Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Naperville is one of 12 new What Works Cities
Naperville is one of the newest cities to join a rapidly growing movement among City Halls whose leaders are making a public commitment to enhancing their cities’ use of data and evidence to improve services, inform local decision-making and engage residents.
The cities of Baltimore, Maryland; Buffalo, New York; Cape Coral, Florida; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Greensboro, North Carolina; Gresham, Oregon; Kansas City, Kansas; Providence, Rhode Island; Scottsdale, Arizona; Topeka, Kansas; and Wichita, Kansas, also were selected to join the initiative today.
What Works Cities collaborates with participating municipalities to review their current use of data and evidence, understand where they are utilizing best practices and identify areas for growth. Naperville will work with the What Works Cities expert partners to create a meaningful and sustainable open data policy and performance standards.
The timing of this effort aligns with the City Council’s recent focus on a new mission statement and goals, the City’s launch of a new website and the future implementation of a new enterprise resource planning software system.
The consortium of leading organizations that has been assembled by Bloomberg Philanthropies to provide a program of expert support includes the Behavioral Insights Team, the Center for Government Excellence at Johns Hopkins University, the Government Performance Lab at the Harvard Kennedy School, Results for America and the Sunlight Foundation.
Naperville joins established What Works Cities initiative
The 12 new cities join the following cities as What Works cities: Anchorage, Alaska; Bellevue, Washington; Boston, Massachusetts; Cambridge, Massachusetts; Charlotte, North Carolina; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Denton, Texas; Denver, Colorado; Independence, Missouri; Jackson, Mississippi; Kansas City, Missouri; Las Vegas, Nevada; Lexington, Kentucky; Little Rock, Arkansas; Louisville, Kentucky; Mesa, Arizona; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; New Orleans, Louisiana; Raleigh, North Carolina; Saint Paul, Minnesota; San Francisco, California; San Jose, California; Seattle, Washington; Tacoma, Washington; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Victorville, California, and Waco, Texas.
With the announcement of the 12 new cities, today (June 13, 2016) the What Works Cities initiative website seeks input to four questions—better public transportation, improved public safety, affordable housing and more/better jobs— regarding what would improve life in this city.
Editor’s Note / Any comments received for consideration to be posted on this website must include first and last name, address and email. Thank you.
