Arizona

Arizona’s Department of Administration has a State Data Management Architect who serves as the statewide Chief Data Officer and has led the Statewide Data Management Program (SDMP) since 2016. The Chief Data Officer leads data management at the Department of Administration, as well as the State Data Interoperability Council, which oversees data sharing between state agencies. As part of the Arizona Strategic Enterprise Technology Office, the State Data Management Architect establishes data governance policies that address technology; security; privacy; and communication strategies, policies, and procedures.

As part of the Arizona Strategic Enterprise Technology Office, the State Data Management Architect establishes data governance policies that address technology; security; privacy; and communication strategies, policies, and procedures. Arizona operates under a statewide data-sharing memorandum of understanding. Implemented in 2019 and signed by 29 agencies, the MOU facilitates data sharing between agencies to support state-administered programs. These 29 agencies comprise the State Data Interoperability Council, which meets quarterly to focus on “reducing risk, maximizing efficiency, increasing the value of data exchanges and ensuring that systems are developed and maintained in accordance with Statewide and Budget Unit (BU) strategic plans.”

In 2021, the Arizona Department of Education used a tiered evidence-based framework from the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to define evidence and allocate funding for the Arizona Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) Grant program. Only evidence-based strategies assessed as Strong or Moderate would be considered for funding. Additional evidence-based resources were provided for further assistance to applicants, including the Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy (SRCL) Program and the US Department of Education’s What Works Clearinghouse. The State asserted that eligible applicants will be determined based on a weighted measure and cut score based on indicators measuring students on free and reduced lunch, and students who are in foster care or homeless.

The governor established the framework for statewide performance management through the implementation of the Arizona Management System (AMS). At the executive level, the Governor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting (OSPB) and the Government Transformation Office (GTO) collaborate in overseeing strategic planning, performance data management, and process improvement through structured problem-solving. GTO has a full-time staff of leaders in the development and sustainment of continuous improvement and innovation, emphasizing service excellence and process efficiency. Each cabinet agency has established an Office of Continuous Improvement (OCI) to assist in implementing and sustaining AMS.

Cabinet agency executive leadership teams conduct monthly business reviews, at which they discuss the performance of their scorecard metrics against targets established on their scorecards. Agencies that are more mature in their adoption and deployment of AMS will also include progress on their strategic plan and budget status. As part of AMS, agency staff receive training in problem-solving techniques that they apply to underperforming metrics or initiatives. AMS standard work, tools, and training materials are provided on the Resources page of the Arizona Management System.

In addition, Arizona has established Communities of Practice (COPs) for agency strategic planners and AMS practitioners throughout the state. These COPs enhance communication, accelerate learning, identify best practices, solve common problems, and develop standard work and resources across state agencies.

In 2019, the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) partnered with the Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab to improve the quality of in-home preservation services. At the time, nearly one in five families receiving supportive in-home preservation services were re-reported for maltreatment, resulting in the removal of a child from that home. Through active contract management, implementation of uniform performance measures for providers, and establishment of a unit to oversee child and family service contracts, DCS was able to reduce the number of families re-reported by 40% and the number of child removals by 50%.