Gilbert, Ariz. - Gilbert, Arizona is proud to share that it has been recognized for achieving 2021 What Works Cities Certification, the national standard of excellence in data-driven city governance. What Works Cities Certification evaluates how well cities are managed by measuring the extent to which city leaders incorporate data and evidence in their decision-making. 

Gilbert, which achieved Certification at the gold level, is one of only 16 cities to be newly certified this year and one of only 40 cities to be certified since the program was launched in April 2017. What Works Cities is a national initiative launched by Bloomberg Philanthropies to help cities use data and evidence more effectively to tackle their most pressing challenges. 

“We are proud to celebrate Gilbert and the other certified cities for their achievement of WWC Certification,” said Jenn Park, Founding Director of What Works Cities Certification. “The Town of Gilbert’s efforts to utilize data serves as a model for any local government looking to make a commitment to data excellence, improve government services, and engage residents. We look forward to what Gilbert will achieve as they continue to center data at the core of its efforts to prepare for the future.” 

“Over the last several years, Gilbert has focused on creating a culture that engages residents and utilizes data to drive decision-making throughout all levels of the organization from front line staff to leadership, with one goal in mind: improving the lives of our citizens and businesses,” said Town Manager Patrick Banger. “We are honored to be recognized as a What Works Cities Gold city. After the challenging year that we all have experienced this recognition is even more meaningful and I look forward to building on this achievement moving forward.” 

“I am proud that Gilbert has prioritized data-driven decision-making to enhance services and help our residents and businesses thrive,” said Gilbert Mayor Brigette Peterson. “From community engagement to data and digital tools, we are committed to making government more accessible to all.” 

What Works Cities Certification assesses cities based on their data-driven decision-making practices, such as whether they are using data to set goals and track progress, allocate funding, evaluate the effectiveness of programs, and achieve desired outcomes from contracts with outside vendors. The program also measures whether cities are publicly and transparently communicating about their use of data and evidence. 

Over the past year, Gilbert has demonstrated measurable progress on these foundational data practices. Some notable examples of the city’s use of data include: 

The 16 new cities that achieved Certification this year include four cities at the Gold level (Austin, TX; Chattanooga, TN; Detroit, MI; and Gilbert, AZ) and 12 cities at the Silver level: Baton Rouge, LA; Bellevue, WA; Fort Collins, CO; Glendale, AZ; Irving, TX; Little Rock, AR; Madison, WI; Minneapolis, MN; Norfolk, VA; Portland, OR; San Antonio, TX; and Syracuse, NY.  

Additionally, three cities that had previously been certified advanced to the next level of Certification: Cambridge, MA (Gold); Memphis, TN (Gold); and Phoenix, AZ (Gold). Four cities renewed their Certification this year: South Bend, IN (Silver); San Jose, CA (Silver); Tempe, AZ (Gold); and Topeka, KS (Silver).  

What Works Cities Certification was developed by a team of experts from Results for America in close consultation with the What Works Cities Certification Standard Committee. To evaluate cities, these experts conducted a rigorous validation process of cities' Certification assessments and participated in site visits to the highest-performing cities to determine the city’s Certification level. 

The program has inspired a movement of cities that are doubling down on their commitment to building the most well-managed local governments possible and using Certification as a roadmap for doing so. More than 200 cities have completed a Certification assessment to have their practices benchmarked against the national standard. The assessment is the first step to receiving exclusive support from What Works Cities to continue building a more effective local government. To learn more about the program, visit https://whatworkscities.bloomberg.org/certification/.

To learn about Gilbert’s open data efforts, visit www.gilbertaz.gov/data.