South Tidewater News

The City of Norfolk has once again been awarded the Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Certification. This recognition highlights Norfolk's exceptional data capabilities in informing policy, allocating funding, improving services, evaluating programs, and engaging residents. The certification reflects the necessary practices and infrastructure municipalities need to harness data for effective decision-making. Since 2017, 104 cities across North, Central, and South America have achieved this distinction.

Mayor Kenneth Cooper Alexander expressed pride in maintaining the Gold Certification. "The City of Norfolk is honored to have maintained the What Works Cities Gold Certification, a testament to our commitment to data-driven excellence and innovation," he stated. He emphasized that this recognition underscores transparency and efficiency improvements benefiting residents and businesses.

The certification standard measures a city's data use based on 43 criteria. Achieving 51–67% earns Silver level certification, 68–84% achieves Gold, while 85% or more reaches Platinum.

Rochelle Haynes from Bloomberg Philanthropies highlighted the importance of using data in government operations: "At a time when people are questioning the role of government... governments must be better at using data to know what is and isn’t working."

James Anderson of Bloomberg Philanthropies noted that their efforts help mayors reform city governance by leveraging data and technology. "This work is helping reform-minded mayors across the Americas bring their organizations into the 21st century," he said.

Norfolk was re-certified alongside Cambridge (Massachusetts), Little Rock (Arkansas), Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), San Diego (California), Scottsdale (Arizona), South Bend (Indiana), and Tulsa (Oklahoma) under stricter criteria introduced in 2022.

Launched in 2017 by Bloomberg Philanthropies with Results for America leading it, the What Works Cities Certification program sets an international standard for data excellence in city governance. It is open to any city with a population over 30,000 in North, Central, or South America.

For further information about What Works Cities Certification or assessments, visit whatworkscities.bloomberg.org.

Bloomberg Philanthropies invests globally across various sectors including Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. In 2024 alone, they distributed $3.7 billion worldwide.

Results for America aids decision-makers at all government levels to utilize evidence and data effectively. Their mission promotes investing based on proven results as a standard practice for policymakers.