Policy

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Improving and reimagining policy

Policy analysis helps policymakers and practitioners understand what works and assess the costs and benefits of different policies for government and for members of the public.

On this page you will find relevant legislation and executive orders, as well as standards, and guidance that inform implementation. This page also includes resources that evaluate programmatic efficacy and offer recommendations for improving and reimagining policy.

Legislation + Executive Orders

0 Resource(s)

Policy Analysis

13 Resource(s)

Standards + Guidance

0 Resource(s)

How to Get Started

We recommend these resources as a starting place for improving and reimagining policy in the delivery of government services.

Management

Walking the Walk: Lessons learned from developing policy in the open

Join host Gen Lambert as she welcomes Annie Goodwin and Amy Kirtay to the table for this special edition #DigitalBC Livestream, "Walking the Walk: Lessons learned from developing policy in the open."

The Exchange Lab
2023

Policy

Blueprint for the Use of Social and Behavioral Science to Advance Evidence-Based Policymaking

This Blueprint is a whole-of-government effort that aims to provide a resource to assist federal decisionmakers in leveraging social and behavioral science to improve policy and program design and delivery.

National Science and Technology Council
2024

Policy

Digital Transformation Policy Scan

Delve into our exploration of the executive orders, legislation, and administrative rules and guidance that shape government digital transformation across states and territories with our database and visualization tools.

Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation
2023

Policy for Public Benefits

Advancing Economic Mobility For Low-Income Families: Policy Options For Governors

As we look to post-pandemic recovery, it will be critical to ensure that individuals have access to resources and supports that not only help them meet basic needs but also provide them with tools to increase their economic security and resilience and build assets that can be passed on to future generations, setting them up for future success.

National Governors Association (NGA)
2022

Policy

Fewer Burdens but Greater Inequality? Reevaluating the Safety Net through the Lens of Administrative Burden

This paper examines changes in administrative burden in U.S. social safety net programs, or the negative encounters with the state that people experience when trying to access and use the benefits for which they are eligible. While overall burdens have declined in most targeted programs, there is evidence of increasing inequality regarding who faces these burdens.

The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science
2023

Human-Centered Design

Engaging People with Lived Experience to Improve Federal Research, Policy, and Practice

This webpage links to materials ASPE has prepared as it leads work on how federal agencies and programs can meaningfully and effectively engage people with lived experience.

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE)
2023

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Policy Analysis

TANF Data Collaborative Pilot: Wage Outcomes by ZIP Code in California

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Data Collaborative Pilot Initiative is a component of the TANF Data Innovation project. The 30-month pilot offered technical assistance and training to support cross-disciplinary teams of staff at eight state and county TANF programs in the routine use of TANF and other administrative data to inform policy and practice.
- MDRC
- 2020
Management

Leadership Lessons From Chief Digital Service Officers

An April 2024 Chief Digital Service Officers (CDSO) gathering included discussions about the realities of digital service leadership in government. These discussions are summarized in infographics offering valuable perspective to emerging digital service teams.
- Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation
- 2024
Policy

Federal Changes Provide New Opportunities to Elevate the Voices of People With Lived Medicaid Experience in Policy Decisions

CMS finalized a rule in May 2024 that requires states to implement Medicaid Advisory Committees (MACs) and Beneficiary Advisory Councils (BACs) to ensure Medicaid enrollees are better represented in decision-making — this guide provides tips and examples to help guide the process.
- Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP)
- 2024
Policy

Navigating the Patchwork of State Paid Family and Medical Leave Programs

While millions of workers have gained access to PFML, the lack of uniformity in mandatory PFML programs created a growing patchwork of state laws, differing on nearly 30 policy components across four key areas: substantive benefits, financing, eligibility, and administrative requirements.
- Bipartisan Policy Center
- 2024
Policy

Pathways to Economic Mobility: Mobility Experiences

Through analyzing hundreds of research studies and surveying thousands of Americans this report identifies 28 life experiences that drive lifetime income, called mobility experiences.
- Camber Collective
- 2024
Policy

Using TANF Funds to Provide Cash to Families

The flexibility of the TANF block grant allows states to use TANF funds to provide cash to families through additional mechanisms, at least for brief periods, with fewer requirements.
- Urban Institute
- 2024
Policy

Digital Transformation Policy Scan

Delve into our exploration of the executive orders, legislation, and administrative rules and guidance that shape government digital transformation across states and territories with our database and visualization tools.
- Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation
- 2023
Human-Centered Design

Tackling the Time Tax: How the Federal Government Is Reducing Burdens to Accessing Critical Benefits and Services: 2024 Edition

OIRA publishes an annual progress report on the burden reduction initiative, summarizing initiatives across all of government, and providing in-depth case studies of various burden reduction efforts, including their impact on individuals, families, and small businesses.
- Executive Office of the President (EOP)
- 2024
Policy

Paving the Road to ACCESS: Early Insights from the Aligned Customer-Centered Ecosystem of Supports & Services (ACCESS) Initiative

In the early stages of the Aligned Customer-Centered Ecosystem of Supports & Services (ACCESS) Initiative, professionals in the health, human services, and labor sectors overwhelmingly expressed a deep desire for alignment to increase workforce capacity, streamline processes, and, above all, improve service delivery to those accessing services and programs. Through the ACCESS project, key collaborators have shared insights into current and future opportunities for alignment within their agencies, including potential enablers for and barriers to alignment activities.
- American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
- 2024

Policy

Federal Changes Provide New Opportunities to Elevate the Voices of People With Lived Medicaid Experience in Policy Decisions

CMS finalized a rule in May 2024 that requires states to implement Medicaid Advisory Committees (MACs) and Beneficiary Advisory Councils (BACs) to ensure Medicaid enrollees are better represented in decision-making — this guide provides tips and examples to help guide the process.
- Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP)
- 2024
Communications

Tips on Equitable Communication Practices in a Policy Context

Initially created to inform federal staff at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, this tip sheet highlights the importance of using equitable communication and includes tips, guiding questions, and additional resources.
- Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE)
- 2023
Automation + AI

State of State AI Laws

This resource tracks state laws on AI at various stages of development and passage.
- Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)
- 2023
Data

Expanding TANF Program Insights: A Toolkit for State and Local Agencies on How to Access, Link, and Analyze Unemployment Insurance Wage Data

This toolkit is designed to assist state and local TANF agencies in accessing, linking, and analyzing employment data from unemployment insurance (UI) systems. The toolkit provides practical guidance on using UI wage data for program monitoring, reporting, and evaluation, and it may be valuable for other human services agencies and policymakers interested in improving workforce outcomes. The report highlights four key sections, covering the purpose of the toolkit, challenges in accessing UI wage data, methods for linking data sources, and instructions for preparing data for analysis. Additionally, an accompanying GitHub repository offers open-source code and resources for data processing and analysis. This toolkit serves as a starting point for TANF leaders who want to access and analyze UI wage data and offers the essential building blocks you will need to get started on your data analysis journey.
- MDRC
- 2023
Policy

Executive Summary: SNAP Waivers and Adaptations During the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Survey of State Agency Perspectives in 2020

SNAP Waivers and Adaptations During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Survey of State Agency Perspectives in 2020 is a study conducted by the Johns Hopkins Institute for Health and Social Policy (IHSP) based at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA). This research seeks to understand perspectives from state SNAP administrators on the successes, challenges, and lessons learned from waivers and flexibilities used to preserve equitable access to SNAP during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on state agency survey responses, this report summarizes key findings from the first calendar year of pandemic response and provides policy considerations for the future of SNAP. This research was supported by Healthy Eating Research, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
- American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
- 2021
Data

Transforming Administrative Data into a Resource for Evidence Building

This brief describes TDI’s efforts to transform federal TANF and employment data into an integrated resource for program management and evidence building. This challenging project required the resolution of multiple technical, legal, and data security issues. Lessons learned may be useful for audiences interested in unlocking the potential of administrative data, including members of federal and state agencies, researchers, and advocates of evidence-informed policymaking.
- MDRC
- 2024
Policy

An Updated Measure of Poverty: ReDrawing the Line

This report recommends updating the methodology used by the Census Bureau to calculate the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) to reflect household basic needs and replace the current Official Poverty Measure as the primary statistical measure of poverty. The report assesses the strengths and weaknesses of the SPM and provides recommendations for updating its methodology and expanding its use in recognition of the needs of most American families such as medical care, childcare, and housing costs.
- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
- 2023
Policy

Navigating the Patchwork of State Paid Family and Medical Leave Programs

While millions of workers have gained access to PFML, the lack of uniformity in mandatory PFML programs created a growing patchwork of state laws, differing on nearly 30 policy components across four key areas: substantive benefits, financing, eligibility, and administrative requirements.
- Bipartisan Policy Center
- 2024
Policy

Exemplary Data Use by State TANF Agencies: Beyond Routine Reports and Analyses

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) leaders, policymakers, and researchers all recognize the need for TANF agencies to use the data they collect to better understand how well their programs are working and how to improve them, given the impact on the families they serve. It is often difficult, however, for agencies already stretched to capacity to prioritize and execute data use and analytics. State TANF leaders are seeking roadmaps for how to transform their organizations and become data-driven.
- MDRC
- 2022

Improving and reimagining policy

Subtopics

Legislation + Executive Orders

Policy Analysis

Standards + Guidance

How to Get Started

Policy for Public Benefits

Discover All of Our Policy Resources