Author Archives: Patrick Lester

The Republican View of Evidence

House Republicans staked their claim to a share of the evidence-based policy movement last week. The proposals were embedded in a larger Republican framework for addressing poverty, the first in a series of such reports that are expected to be … Continue reading

Posted in Evidence, Politics

Social Innovation Fund Cut, Other Evidence Programs Funded in Senate Spending Bill

The Social Innovation Fund would be defunded under a FY 2017 spending bill passed by the Senate Appropriations Committee on June 9. However, the bill included funding for other evidence-based programs, including $120 million for the successor to the Department … Continue reading

Posted in Evidence, Social Impact Bonds / Pay for Success, Social Innovation Fund

P3 Waiver Authority Would Be Extended Under Senate Bill

Waiver authority under the Performance Partnership Pilots (P3) program would be extended by up to five years by spending legislation approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday. According to language in the bill that covers the P3 program: (c) … Continue reading

Posted in Children and Families

Evidence-based Prevention Services to Receive Boost in Pending Child Welfare Legislation

On June 10, the House and Senate released the text of a bipartisan, bicameral child welfare reform bill that would substantially increase funding for evidence-based prevention services. The House Ways and Means Committee is expected to take up the legislation … Continue reading

Posted in Children and Families

Performance Partnership Pilots: An Early Look

The Social Innovation Research Center has today released a report examining the early progress of the Performance Partnership Pilots (P3) program. First authorized by Congress in January 2014, P3 allows projects that are focused on youth to align and better … Continue reading

Posted in Children and Families, Education, Government Performance, Workforce Issues

Pay for Success Efforts Roll Forward in Congress, Administration

The still small, but growing, field of pay for success made significant strides this week, with Congress readying pay for success legislation and the Obama administration announcing a second round of grants through the Social Innovation Fund. House Readies New … Continue reading

Posted in Social Impact Bonds / Pay for Success

Obama Administration’s New Performance Grade: Improved, But Work Remains

The Obama administration has made substantial progress in measuring federal program effectiveness, but more needs to be done to shift federal funding to programs that work, according to a scorecard released Monday by Results for America, a bipartisan advocacy organization … Continue reading

Posted in Evidence, Government Performance, Politics

New Federal Commission’s Top Task May Be Setting a Truly Bipartisan Evidence Agenda

Efforts to broaden the use of data and research in federal policymaking may receive a substantial boost from a commission created by Congress last month.  The new Evidence-based Policymaking Commission, established by legislation signed by President Obama on March 30, … Continue reading

Posted in Evidence

Medicare and Medicaid Continue Transition to Value-based Payments

Earlier this month, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that 30 percent of Medicare payments are now tied to quality or value, nearly a year ahead of goals that it set for itself in early 2015. According … Continue reading

Posted in Health, Social Impact Bonds / Pay for Success