Glendale is thrilled to be recognized by What Works Cities for our investment in data and transparency as part of our decision-making processes across the city.

We look forward to building on this achievement moving forward to continue making a positive impact on the lives of residents.

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Foundational Practices

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About What Works Certification

• What Works Cities Certification is the national standard for excellence in well-managed, data-driven local government. Certification evaluates how well cities are managed by measuring the extent to which leaders incorporate data and evidence in decision-making. 

• What Works Cities Certification provides cities with a rigorous benchmark of a city’s overall progress on foundational data practices and a customized roadmap for building the capacity and culture of using data to drive decisions that ultimately impact the lives of residents.

• The cities that achieve Certification are demonstrating excellence by investing in the people, processes, and policies to put data and evidence at the center of decision-making.
• The What Works Cities Standard defines how local governments can create a strong foundation for the effective use of data and evidence. The Standard’s 45 indicators, organized around eight foundational practice areas, serve as the What Works Cities Certification criteria and define the  fundamentals of data-driven governance. 

•  Nearly 200 cities have had their practices evaluated against these criteria by completing a What Works Cities Assessment. Cities that complete a What Works Cities Assessment are taking the first step to committing to continuous data-driven improvement, in order to innovate and deliver better results for residents.

• As of early, 2022, only 55 cities have achieved Certification.

• What Works Cities Certification was developed by a team of experts at Results for America, in close consultation with the What Works Cities Certification Standard Committee, a third-party cross-sector group of leaders from more than a dozen organizations that support or work alongside cities. The Standard Committee endorses and lends their knowledge and experience to Certification and serves as advisors in the assessment process.

•  What Work Cities (WWC), launched by Bloomberg Philanthropies in 2015, is a national initiative that helps cities use data and evidence more effectively to tackle their most pressing challenges. Cities in the What Works Cities community have access to technical assistance and a variety of learning opportunities from expert partners to grow and build their data practices and culture. For more information, visit whatworkscities.org