Reflections on Supporting Local Government Staff

This week, Stanford Impact Labs launched the second-year pilot of the Evidence for Policy Fellowship, a one-year program to support the professional development and policy goals of career staff in local governments in California. Our coaching team is applying what we’ve learned from the fellowship’s inaugural year as we prepare to select a new cohort of fellows, and we want to share a few findings with this year’s applicants.

The Evidence for Policy coaching team is best positioned to support clearly scoped projects where data and evidence can (1) broaden understanding of a social problem, (2) measure progress towards goals, and/or (3) design or evaluate the effectiveness of a program or policy. We’re confident our coaching team will be able to provide value for projects that are clear matches for the project types outlined in the fellowship eligibility criteria, and we will be looking for those details in the applications we receive this year.

Evidence for Policy Fellows report that the cohort experience, and the opportunity it allows for peer learning, is one of the most valuable aspects of the program. To grow that network, this year we’re opening applications to teams of two people (if relevant) to invite an even broader community of practice. 

We recognize that “mid-career” isn’t the most precise term for some candidates who might be a great fit for this fellowship. So we encourage people who aren’t sure whether this fellowship is right for them to take a quick look at the first cohort’s titles and bios, and to spend time reviewing the staff eligibility criteria. We’ll be looking out for applications from government staff who have the right mix of authority, autonomy, and time to participate in the fellowship. 

Finally, as our inaugural fellows shared in their own words, the ability to step away from day-to-day tactics of their work to revisit strategic first principles was a crucial value-add of the year-long Evidence for Policy curriculum. What does that mean for this year’s applicant pool?  Projects that are in earlier stages, and thus adaptable to pivots during the year, are the best fit for this program. 

If you are interested in applying to participate in the second-year pilot of Evidence for Policy, make sure to read the application thoroughly, and spend time reviewing the evaluation criteria. We look forward to welcoming the second cohort of local government fellows to Stanford Impact Labs in October!