Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative
Information designed to help policymakers make smarter, evidence-based decisions on the long-term returns on investment for social and criminal justice programs.
Mission
Results First Connecticut helps state leaders use evidence and cost-benefit analysis to inform policy and budget decisions, ensuring that public resources are invested in programs proven to produce positive outcomes and long-term savings. Using Connecticut-specific data, the initiative identifies which interventions yield the greatest social and fiscal returns, enabling policymakers to direct limited resources toward what works. Through this approach, Results First promotes accountability, efficiency, and a culture of data-driven decision-making across government agencies—ensuring that public investments deliver measurable, long-term benefits for Connecticut residents.
The Results First model uses a structured, five-component framework:
- Program assessment
- Budget development
- Implementation oversight
- Outcome monitoring
- Targeted evaluation
By customizing a benefit-cost model originally developed by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP), Results First Connecticut tailors its analyses to state-specific cost and population data, estimating fiscal and programmatic outcomes for various evidence-based interventions.
Core Objectives:
Inventory and evaluate state-funded programs to determine their evidence base.
Quantify costs and benefits using Connecticut-specific data to identify return on investment (ROI).
Prioritize funding for programs that deliver strong, evidence-based results.
Support continuous improvement by tracking implementation and outcomes.
Build capacity among state agencies to use data and evidence in their routine operations.
History:
Connecticut joined the Results First Initiative in 2011 and is one of about 17 states participating.
In 2013, the state established the Results First Policy Oversight Committee to guide the cost-benefit modeling process and oversee integration of evidence into state budgeting and policy.
Legislative mandates require that specified agencies submit inventories of their programs, which are then analyzed with Results First tools to inform budgeting, funding, and programmatic decisions.
Results First Connecticut published annual reports from 2013-2020.