HKS Government Performance Lab

We are excited to announce that the GPL, in collaboration with Enterprise Community Partners, is launching the Coordinated Entry Systems (CES) Housing Optimization Initiative. This initiative aims to better understand the challenges jurisdictions face placing people experiencing homelessness into permanent housing.     To understand how Coordinated Entry shapes referrals and placements into Permanent Supportive Housing, the GPL is launching a short survey for staff and leaders working within Coordinated Entry Systems and Permanent Supportive Housing. Access the survey here: https://lnkd.in/eZmnCkdG Please visit our webpage to learn more about the initiative and share it widely with your networks: https://lnkd.in/eTgNS4P9

Reminder: This Thursday, hear from the GPL's Assistant Director of Criminal Justice, Gabriela Solis Torres, during a virtual panel discussion on alternative emergency response programs in the U.S with The Marshall Project, Tradeoffs, and City of Durham. They'll explore challenges, early successes, and what other cities can learn from current alternative emergency response efforts. Register here: https://lnkd.in/egmbkryZ

We are thrilled to welcome six new fellows for the next year. GPL team members support state and local government leaders working to identify, pilot, and scale promising solutions to pressing societal challenges.   Please join us in welcoming these new fellows to the GPL:   Nya Anthony, MA-MPA; Libby Doyle, Evan Matthew Karl, Olivia Lucas, Kevyanna R., Madeline Shiley. Read more about the GPL's work here: https://lnkd.in/eQ7MSqYb

Join us TODAY for this roundtable on procurement process efficiency! 7/30, 1:00 - 2:00 pm ET. Register here: https://shorturl.at/8CfMt.

EVENT: Who do you call when someone is in a mental health crisis? On August 15 at 12 p.m. ET, join The Marshall Project and Tradeoffs for a discussion on alternative emergency response, featuring the GPL’s Assistant Director of Criminal Justice Gabriela Solis Torres. The event will share insights from a new 3-part podcast series on alternative emergency response efforts in the City of Durham, "The Fifth Branch," including challenges, early successes, and what other cities can learn: https://lnkd.in/e6jFUU5d Register for the event here.

  Is your government experiencing long procurement cycle times and receiving consistent complaints about confusing processes despite investing in new technologies or adjusting policies?     You’re not alone! Navigating inefficient, complex, and burdensome procurement processes remains one of the thorniest challenges experienced by many state and local governments. Join the Procurement Excellence Network (PEN) for an insightful and interactive roundtable discussion with peer governments to candidly discuss common inefficiency barriers and collectively explore practical solutions to streamline procurement processes.      Event: Conversations on Procurement Excellence: Process Efficiency Roundtable  Date: Tuesday, July 30, 2024  Time: 12:00-1:00pm ET  Registration Link: https://lnkd.in/e6QknmG9  

Between 2019 and 2023, the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services (MDHHS) made a series of reforms to reduce the number of children in congregate care from more than 1,000 to fewer than 400.     In a new case study, Addressing Upstream Factors: Reducing the Number of Michigan Children in Congregate Care, we detail how the MDHHS, with support from the Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab, developed and implemented solutions around two upstream points of intervention that contributed to the sustained decline in congregate care:      1 - Strengthen children’s access to high-quality, community-based behavioral health services, which may help to prevent escalating behaviors that can precede placement breakdown and entry to congregate care, and     2 - Increase placements with and supports for kin caregivers, where children experience more stability, fewer placement moves, and better behavioral and mental health outcomes compared with children in non-kin settings.    Read the case study here. https://lnkd.in/ewFBiVkQ 

Join the GPL tomorrow for our session at #NAEH2024! “How Chicago Dug into Improving PSH Utilization,” Tuesday, 9:45 to 11:00 ET, in Lincoln East. 

The GPL’s Homelessness & Housing team is presenting at the National Alliance to End Homelessness’ annual conference (#NAEH2024). Join us on Tuesday, July 9 from 9:45 to 11:00 ET for our session “How Chicago Dug into Improving PSH Utilization” to learn how All Chicago Making Homelessness History (the Chicago CoC's lead organization) used the GPL’s diagnostic framework to increase successful Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) referrals. The session will also include a mini skills-building workshop. PSH is one of our communities’ most precious housing resources, and yet many jurisdictions struggle to maintain high occupancy. Connecting clients to PSH involves many stakeholders with diverse interests, and often relies on manual systems for tracking units and clients. The first step in improving complex PSH systems is to effectively diagnose challenges and understand where to prioritize improvements. In this session, attendees will learn how the GPL conducts diagnostic work to launch impactful solutions.

Child welfare leaders in the WA Department of Children, Youth, and Families recently launched two procurement pilots that intend to provide nearly $3 million for new services and supports focused on Black and Native American families — in direct response to provider feedback asking for more culturally responsive and specific services.     Our newest case study, Investing in Culturally Responsive Services: Lessons from Washington, details how DCYF used community engagement to shape its approach to addressing service gaps that may contribute to racial disproportionalities in child removals. For child welfare and jurisdictional leaders, the DCYF story offers ideas on how to collect and elevate insights from service providers and community members — and then act.     The publication draws upon the Government Performance Lab’s field work and a recent panel discussion with service providers and agency leaders from the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Family, including Maria Zdzieblowski, LICSW, Tleena Ives, Tessa Velasco, and Camie Goldhammer. Read the publication here: https://lnkd.in/gjY8t_xc