Maryland

A 2021 Executive Order established Maryland’s Chief Data Officer charged with developing new statewide data-governance strategies and leading a group of agency-level data leads. The CDO, along with the Chief Privacy Officer, operate in the governor’s office as a centralized function for statewide data activities, including oversight of use and management of data across a variety of state units and leveraging data to inform policy decisions through a statewide strategic data plan, among other roles and responsibilities.

The Executive Order also established agency data officers to support the stewardship and coordination of data in agencies across the state, agency data officers to convene on a monthly basis to share best practices, gather input and advice from experts and practitioners, report to the State Chief Data Officer, and support development and implementation of the State Data Strategic Plan. The Executive Order attenuates that the CDO shall work with various offices, including the Governor’s Office of Performance Improvement, for the purposes of improving operational efficiency and efficacy.

Within Maryland state agencies, there are several other governance councils to support data management activities at the agency and program level:

• The MD THINK Committee as a unit under the Governor’s Executive Council, known as the Governor’s Cabinet to sets policy, objectives, and priorities for, and governs the portfolio data, platform technology assets, and MD THINK enterprise.
• Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT)’s Data Governance Council, responsible for advising and monitoring data initiatives across the business units within the agency.

A 2010 Maryland law established the Maryland Longitudinal Data System Center as an independent agency to bring together education and workforce data from the Maryland Higher Education Commission, the Maryland State Department of Education, and the Maryland Department of Labor. In partnership with the University of Maryland System and under the guidance of a governing board, the Center’s 12 staff members produce a variety of publications, including a learning agenda, about student performance at the elementary, secondary, and postsecondary level to improve the state’s education system and guide decision-makers at all levels.

A 2019 Maryland law created the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability (OPEGA), which at the direction of the Joint Audit and Evaluation Committee, conducts evaluations. OPEGA evaluates the efficiency, effectiveness, and economy with which resources are used in meeting desired results. Evaluations also evaluate whether the governmental activity or unit operates in an open, accountable, fair, and non-discriminatory manner.

The State Chief Data Officer, in collaboration with Agency Data Officers, developed the State Data Strategic Plan and the State Data Governance Framework. The statewide data terminology/glossary, data literacy program, and data sharing programs can be found at the CDO website.

In 2019, Maryland unveiled an updated open data portal with an expanded catalog of data covering education, health, criminal justice, child welfare, workforce, and economic mobility. The state’s Council on Open Data governs the portal and meets on a quarterly basis to coordinate, plan, and promote Maryland’s open data, regularly publishing its agenda and minutes. In addition, the Maryland Transparency Portal provides information about the state’s operating budget, state grants, and payments to vendors.

Maryland’s Total Human-services Integrated Network (MD THINK) is a cross-agency collaboration between the Department of Health, Department of Human Services, Department of Juvenile Services, MD Health Benefit Exchange, and the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. Through this cloud-based platform, MD THINK is designed to improve delivery of human services statewide by streamlining a variety of state agency interfaces into a single sign-on platform for residents, while also reducing costs and burdens associated with the technical, legal, and policy coordination of multiple data and services delivery platforms. The solution enables residents to apply for and manage a host of integrated health and human services. For example, a family on Medicaid and receiving Temporary Assistance for a Disability may also trigger an alert for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance and other emergency social services.

The Maryland Department of Education Stronger Connections Grant (SCG) program funds services to increase capacity surrounding safe, inclusive, and supportive learning environments and preventing violence through increased emotional resilience. In the process of scoring applications for funding, up to 10 (out of 90) points are allocated for evidence of impact as defined by ESSA.

The Maryland Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism AmeriCorps State and National Grants program funds service-oriented efforts that address critical community needs. Priority is given to proposed program designs assessed as having Moderate or Strong evidence as defined by the AmeriCorps Evidence Exchange. In the process of scoring applications for funding, up to 20 points (out of 100) are awarded based on evidence quality and tier.

The Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services provides Victims Service Coordinators to respond to telephone inquiries from crime victims and parole and probation agents regarding court ordered restitution and domestic violence services. Results for America’s Economic Mobility Catalog describes the correlation between community-based victim services for restorative justice and economic mobility. Maryland utilized these data to provide American Rescue Plan resources to continue the work of Victims Service Coordinators without disruption during the pandemic.

At the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, the Emergency Housing Program (EHP) is intended to reduce the number of individuals and households experiencing homelessness. Through the American Rescue Plan, an additional $15 million in funding was provided to Maryland’s 16 Continua of Care (CoCs) and Local Homeless Coalitions to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable households. Speed was required to help people regain stability in permanent housing and to prevent households from becoming homeless. Data, including the Urban Institute’s Eviction Risk Average Percentile Score, was used to establish the funding formula. And use of evidence was required, specifically the use of a Housing First approach from the Results First Clearinghouse, noting its positive impacts based on rigorous evaluations.

Since 1999, Managing for Results has been the State of Maryland’s strategic planning, performance measurement, and performance informed budgeting program. In 2015, the Governor signed Executive Order that created the Governor’s Office of Performance Improvement. Through this program, all agencies and departments must seek continuous improvement and pursue opportunities for cross-agency collaboration to meet the strategic goals. They are required by a 2021 statute to establish performance metrics and measure achievement towards strategic goals to ensure accountability and transparency. The metrics reported are reviewed by legislative analysts and included in their budget analyses for the General Assembly. The Maryland Department of Budget and Management’s Managing for Results initiative publishes annual performance reports as part of the state’s budget process. These reports track agencies’ key goals, objectives, and performance measures.

Through a 2018 Executive Order, the Maryland Governor established a customer service initiative that provides training to state personnel to improve the culture of performance and service, using survey feedback and operations data to improve service, and transparency with annual customer service reports for the public: FY20data showed that 81% of state residents were pleased with the customer service from their state government. This includes publicly recognizing state personnel with awards for excellence in customer service.

On August 1, 2022, the Maryland Governor announced the release of Maryland’s American Rescue Plan, State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) Annual Performance Report. The press release and report illustrated how the state is using performance management to achieve better outcomes. The Plan includes evidence-based proposals in various sectors related to economic mobility.