While the 2013 Colorado SMART Act has embedded a culture focused on data and evidence, the Governor has played a key role in communicating its value and importance in recorded remarks as well as the 2021 State of the State address. Within the Governor’s Office, the Office of State Planning and Budgeting continues to lead the development of research and evidence to improve outcomes and to advise the Governor on program effectiveness. The Governor also directed the Office of State Planning and Budgeting (OSPB) to evaluate the impact of all budget requests on equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), with a goal of advancing the state’s progress. OSPB has created an EDI team to undertake this work and is working with state departments to incorporate EDI considerations into the state’s budget process.
All state employees were required to complete coursework on equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) training in FY 2020-2021, as stipulated in the Governor’s executive order that directs the Department of Personnel and Administration to lead state action on equity, diversity, and inclusion. Examples of questions posed in the training are:
- How have communities been engaged?
- Are there opportunities to expand community engagement?
- What is the data?
- What does the data tell us?
- How will the state ensure accountability, communicate, and evaluate results?