Tools

Self-assessments, check lists, printable summaries or diagnostic tools, and other help available for users of the site:

Strategy Tools

 

General Strategies

·      Strategy Selection Tool: Criteria for selecting strategies to achieve the results identified for the jurisdiction.

 

State Budget/Stimulus

·     Stimulus Package Guide for State Policymakers: Stimulating the economy through a Two-Generation approach, an online guide.

 

Juvenile Justice

·         Juvenile detention forecasting tool :  Urban Institute’s calculator for forecasting future juvenile detention population.

 

Family Economic Success

·         Budget Calculator: A tool to calculate family budgets developed by the Economic Policy Institute.

·         Family Economic Self-Sufficiency Resources: Provides resources and technical assistance to state and local organizations to implement policies and programs that help low-income families achieve economic self-sufficiency.

·         Family Resource Simulator: Online simulator illustrates the impact of “work supports", earned income tax credits and child care assistance.

·         EITC Interactive : An interactive tool s hows how proposed expansions to the EITC would benefit taxpayers in individual states, metropolitan areas and selected cities around the nation, developed by Brookings Institute.

·       Food Stamp Tool Kit: Includes numerous resources for elected officials, from outreach ideas to a sample op-ed to press releases, developed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

 

Early Childhood

·        Early Childhood System Self-Assessment: A tool developed by the National Governor's Association .

·        Child Care Subsidies: A tool for policymakers to examine current child care subsidy policies and identify those needed to promote stable, qualilty child care for low-income babies and toddlers.

 

Child Welfare

·         Child Welfare State Policy Guide:  An online guide and print report presenting research-informed state child welfare policies that promote strong family connections, supportive communities, and effective systems .

·         Guide for Child Welfare Administrators: An online guide for agency administrators to reduce racial disparities in the child welfare system.

·         A Scan of State Legislative Actions to Address Racial Disparities in Child Welfare: This guide provides information about all the states that have legislatively required actions to reduce or eliminate racial inequities. (amended June 2010)

Financing Tools

·        Quick Tips for Policymakers:  Tips to maximize federal funding.

·         Financing Assessment T ools :  A self-assessment tool for various financing strategies, developed by the  Fiscal Policy Studies Institute.

·         Budgeting Checklist: A guide and checklist  for maximizing federal funding, returns on investment and reinvestment opportunities.

·         Budgeting  Questions: A tool for assessing budgeting decisions based on demonstrated results and performance.

·         Results Accountability Budgeting: Tools for budgeting  using a results-based approach to budgeting. 

·        Setting Budget Priorities: Tools for setting priorities during the budgeting process.

 

Accountability Tools

 

·        A Statewide Accountability System:  Virginia Performs, created by the Council on Virginia’s Future, is a performance leadership and accountability system.

·         Executive Branch Self Assessment: A self assessment tool for Governors and advisors to monitor the implementation of strategies.

·         Executive Branch Score Sheet: A score sheet for Governors to quantify the successful implementation of strategies. 

·         Legislative Hearing Template: A results accountability format template developed and implemented by the Appropriations Committee of the Connecticut General Assembly.

·         Legislative Hearing Agency Performance Questions: Performance accountability questions for legislators to use during hearings, developed by the Fiscal Policy Studies Institute.

·         Legislative Hearing Agency Results Questions:  Results accountability questions a results-focused monitoring tool for legislators to use during hearings, developed by the  Fiscal Policy Studies Institute

·         11 Things A Legislator Can Do: Guidelines   for holding a results-focused hearing, developed by the Fiscal Policy Studies Institute.

·         Results Scorecard: A scorecard  assesses performance by aligning indicators of community well-being and performance measures, developed by the Results Leadership Group.

 

Other Tools and Resources

 

·        Results-based Public Policy webinar recording and slides.