A National Imperative: Joining Forces to Strengthen Human Services in America (Jan 2018)

CASE STUDY: UNIVERSITIES DRIVING INNOVATION IN HUMAN SERVICES

Universities are catalyzing innovation in human services through collaborative programs that bring together academic researchers with government agencies, private funders, human services CBOs, and other community stakeholders. These university-driven programs look to develop, test, and deploy solutions that improve lives and strengthen families and communities. The Stanford Center on Poverty and Inequality focuses on data-driven innovation in the development of policy solutions and human services programs. For example, the Center’s Administrative Data Program looks to create a comprehensive data framework that allows CBOs to more effectively design programs and measure outcomes. In partnership with Third Sector Capital Partners and with funding from the Ballmer Group and the federal Corporation for National and Community Service’s Social Innovation Fund, the program links data from federal, state, and local sources, providing for richer analysis of the drivers and indicators of program success. The Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab develops and pilots programs and solutions aiming to improve the effectiveness of human services. With funding from private donors, including the Laura and John Arnold Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropy, fellows from the Government Performance Lab work alongside state and local government leaders to develop Pay-for-Success social impact bond programs, outcomes-based procurement methods, and performance improvement and systems re-engineering efforts aimed at optimizing both impact and spending. The Ohio State University’s Initiative for Food and AgriCultural Transformation (InFACT) aims to develop transformative models of food production and distribution to tackle the complex and growing problem of food insecurity. A collaboration between Ohio State researchers, food and nutrition-focused CBOs, private donors, policymakers, farmers, and other community partners, InFACT uses Ohio State’s many campuses as living laboratories to engineer climate-resilient, secure, and equitable agricultural and food systems that can be scaled up and redeployed within communities as sustainable sources of healthy foods.

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