The North Carolina Governor promotes a culture of data and evidence in a variety of ways. The 2018 Executive Order 43 created the Governor’s Advisory Committee on Performance Management, which advises the Governor on rules and policies related to performance management and strategies for advancing evidence-based policy statewide. The Governor also appointed a Director of Strategic Partnerships who leads the North Carolina Office of Strategic Partnerships (OSP), which enhances partnerships between state government and North Carolina’s research and philanthropic sectors. This includes elevating the state government’s internal capacity to use and generate evidence. OSP hosts the Monthly Connect, a series of panel discussions on cross-sector partnerships, led a Government Research Partnerships Learning Forum, and created an Evidence Advisor position.
Through the 2020 Executive Order 143, the Governor directed the state Department of Health and Human Services to update reporting processes to increase the inclusion of racial and ethnic demographic data; to review data to determine impacts on communities of color; and to use collected data to allocate resources to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The processes focus on reducing the adverse health impacts on racial and ethnic minorities.
Additionally, the Governor’s FY21-23 budget recommendations included funding for increasing government effectiveness, efficiency, and responsiveness; rigorous evaluations to determine program effectiveness and outcomes; and setting up agency research units to oversee internal research efforts and build cross-sector partnerships. The Governor’s American Rescue Plan budget recommendations narratives included data and evidence to justify the needed funding and its expected impact.