Denver was recognized on Wednesday with the 2021 What Works Cities Certification, the national standard of excellence in data-driven city governance.

Bloomberg Philanthropies recognized 10 cities for their exceptional use of data to inform policy and funding decisions to improve residents’ lives. Since 2017, 50 cities have achieved the certification, officials said.

“Denver’s proud to be recognized by What Works Cities as one of the first 50 cities in the country to be Certified for our investment in data and transparency as part of our decision-making processes across the city,” Mayor Michael Hancock said in a news release. “Using data to empower our community and improve outcomes in health, housing and safety is critical, and we look forward to building on this achievement moving forward to continue making a positive impact on the lives of all our residents.”

Baltimore, Chicago, Miami and Rochester, New York, were among the other cities that were recognized.

The initiative assesses each city based on their data-driven decision-making practices, such as whether they are using data to set goals and track progress, allocate funding, evaluate the effectiveness of programs and achieve desired outcomes from contracts with outside vendors.

The program also looks at whether cities are publicly and transparently communicating about their use of data and evidence, officials said.

Over the past year, Denver has shown measurable progress on these foundational data practices, according to the release. The organization cited:

• The Hancock administration’s Denver Support Housing Social Impact Bond Initiative, which was the first pay-for-success housing model of its kind.
• The Denver Public Health and Environment Department’s award-winning Love My Air program that provides real-time data to monitor air quality in the city.
• The Youth Empowerment Compact, in which Denver shares data and resources with Aurora and is creating a regional, community-focused approach to combating youth violence.

The certification program launched in 2017 and the only requirement is cities must have a population greater than 30,000 people. Cities are awarded silver, gold or platinum certification depending on their level of sophistication.

Denver was awarded a silver certification.

“These cities are harnessing the power of evidence and data to accelerate progress in their communities,” said Michele Jolin, CEO and co-founder of Results for America, the lead partner in the What Works Cities initiative. “As local governments begin investing billions in American Rescue Plan Act funds to meet urgent needs, these certified cities offer a roadmap for how local leaders can use evidence and data to increase the impact of these investments and deliver better results for residents.”