NGA Center for Best Practices

The NGA Center for Best Practices teams and divisions develop innovative solutions to today’s most pressing public policy challenges. The center is the only research and development firm that directly serves the nation’s Governors.

Latest

Workforce Development in 2024 State of the State Addresses

Workforce Development in 2024 State of the State Addresses

Effective workforce development policy and programs are crucial for economic growth and healthy communities, especially during a tight labor market. As a result of the current economic and workforce climate, ...
Disagree Better – Architects, Not Arsonists

Disagree Better – Architects, Not Arsonists

Politicians work on policies that have real world impacts on the people they serve, and thus, political coverage tends to lead to serious people talking in serious voices. This is ...
Membership Monthly – March 2024

Membership Monthly – March 2024

Updates from the NGA Membership Team for March 2024. For more about the programs below and a list of upcoming events please email us at: membership@nga.org. GOVERNORS PICTURED ABOVE: New ...
New State Models Emerging for Fostering Entrepreneurship

New State Models Emerging for Fostering Entrepreneurship

The NGA Center for Best Practices is presenting the webinar, New State Models Emerging for Fostering Entrepreneurship, on Tuesday, March 26, 2:30-3:30pm ET. In 2023, Nevada made history by becoming ...

Disagree Better

Americans need to disagree better. And by that we don’t mean that we need to be nicer to each other, although that’s helpful. We need to learn to disagree in a way that allows us to find solutions and solve problems instead of endlessly bickering.

The “exhausted majority” of Americans want this, and the science is clear about interventions that reduce polarization. As doers and builders, Governors are in a unique position to model what healthy conflict looks like.

Governor Spencer Cox’s Disagree Better NGA Chair’s initiative looks at the problems of polarization, elevates the solutions that groups around the country are already implementing, and features Governors showing what disagreeing better looks like. Through public debates, service projects, public service announcements and a variety of other tactics, Americans will see a more positive and optimistic way of working through our problems.

Program Areas


Center for Best Practices Library

State Highlight: Louisiana’s Efforts to Develop and Support School Leaders

State Highlight: Louisiana’s Efforts to Develop and Support School Leaders

During this webinar the division connected with Donald Songy from Governor John Bel Edwards’ Office and Hannah Dietsch from the ...

Southeast Regional Transportation Electrification Workshop

The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) hosted the Southeast Regional Transportation Electrification Workshop in Nashville, TN ...
Rural Prosperity Through the Arts & Creative Sector

Rural Prosperity Through the Arts & Creative Sector

A partnership between NGA Solutions, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies ...

The Growing Importance of the Arts to Rural America

Published in Governing. We're all too familiar with the stories of rural areas that didn't rebound from the last recession, ...
Braiding Funding and Leveraging Untapped Funding Streams to Support Work-Based Learning

Braiding Funding and Leveraging Untapped Funding Streams to Support Work-Based Learning

This February 28, 2019 webinar featured: a presentation from National Skills Coalition, a state spotlight on Alabama, and an asset ...

This Is What Leadership Looks Like

Originally published in The Hill. By Scott D. Pattison As federal government dysfunction led to a record partial government shutdown, ...

The Future of the Interstate Highway System

This webinar will discuss the findings and recommendations presented in a new Congressionally mandated report from the National Academies of ...
Defining and Measuring Quality in Work-Based Learning

Defining and Measuring Quality in Work-Based Learning

This February 12, 2019 webinar featured a presentation by the Urban Institute on defining and measuring high-quality work-based learning, and ...
Gubernatorial Education Policy Transition Memo

Gubernatorial Education Policy Transition Memo

Summary The gubernatorial education policy transition memo and executive summary entitled "Leveraging Transition: Ten Ways for New Governors to Advance ...
Policy Academy on Scaling Work-Based Learning to discuss the Strengthening Career and Technical Education

Policy Academy on Scaling Work-Based Learning to discuss the Strengthening Career and Technical Education

During the webinar, state leaders from the Parents and Children Thriving Together: Two-Generation State Policy Network (PACTT Network) shared how ...
Prenatal to Age Three Learning Collaborative 

Prenatal to Age Three Learning Collaborative 

Prenatal to Age Three Learning Collaborative January 7-9, 2019 | New Orleans, Louisiana NGA Center Education Division hosted its Integrating ...
Experts Roundtable on Enhancing Housing Resiliency

Experts Roundtable on Enhancing Housing Resiliency

The National Governors Association (NGA) Center for Best Practices with the Institute for Building Technology and Safety (IBTS) held an ...

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