NGA Center for Best Practices
NGA Center for Best Practices teams develop innovative solutions to today’s most pressing public policy challenges. The NGA Center is the only research and development firm that directly serves the nation’s Governors.
Latest
Governors Lead the Charge On Building America’s Infrastructure
Governors from across the country have long recognized the importance of infrastructure as a foundation of community well-being and economic growth, and 2025 was no exception. This year, states and ...
2025 Health and Human Services Policy Advisors Institute
October 28-29, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) brought together Governors’ health and human services policy advisors representing 28 states and territories in Santa Fe, New ...
State of the State – 2026
Governors of America's Commonwealths, States and Territories will soon be outlining their priorities for 2026. To showcase their leadership and priorities for the year ahead, the National Governors Association will ...
Reigniting the American Dream
Every American should have the opportunity to build a life of purpose, to strengthen their community, and to help shape a nation defined not only by prosperity, but by potential realized. Yet across our very diverse states, too many people have lost faith in this opportunity. They’ve faced too many obstacles, encountered too many closed doors, and given up the hope of a brighter future. We can do better.
Reigniting the American Dream is more than an initiative. It’s an invitation for every U.S. governor to take action.
Program Areas
Center for Best Practices Library
Strategies for COVID-19 Response for Populations Receiving Long-Term Care
(View/Download) This memo, originally published on April 3, and was last updated on July 13. Introduction As governors consider ways ...
Cybersecurity Concerns for Health and Public Health Organizations
(View/Download) Background Public health and healthcare organizations are at the forefront fighting against unprecedented physical dangers from the COVID-19 outbreak ...
POLICY ACADEMY ON SCALING WORK-BASED LEARNING
The NGA Center for Best Practices, with support from the Siemens Foundation, is assisting states in scaling high quality work-based ...
The Navigator – North Carolina’s Online Work-Based Learning Platform
The NGA Center for Best Practices, with support from the Siemens Foundation, is working with states through the Policy Academy ...
Countering Mis- and Disinformation Amid COVID-19
(View/Download) Mis- and disinformation campaigns exploit the emotional nature of major events and societal issues and seek to influence public ...
COVID-19 Testing in Long-Term Care Facilities
(View/Download) Introduction Many states are prioritizing and, in some cases, requiring COVID-19 testing of all residents and staff at long-term ...
Reimagining Workforce Policy in the Age of Disruption
(View/Download) Preface When Future Workforce Now: Reimagining Workforce Policy in the Age of Disruption launched in 2018, emerging technologies were ...
State Strategies to Support Access to Substance Use Disorder Treatment Services through the COVID-19 Pandemic
(View/Download) New Challenges Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, many governors were looking for ways to strengthen substance use disorder (SUD) ...
Short-Time Compensation Programs as a COVID-19 Response and Recovery Strategy
(View/Download) Introduction This memo provides governors and state officials with an overview of the Short-Time Compensation (STC) program and opportunities ...
Reducing the Disproportionate Impact of COVID-19 Among Communities of Color
(View/Download) Introduction COVID-19 has imposed a disproportionate burden of illness and death on communities of color, including Black, Latino/a and ...
Financing For The Future: Leveraging Private Sector Investments
Videos from the virtual NGA's Chair Initiative Infrastructure Summit, "Financing America's Infrastructure Future." Featuring discussions with Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, ...
Key Steps and Considerations for Building a COVID-19 Contact Tracing Workforce
(View/Download) Executive Summary As outlined in our Roadmap to Recovery, as states gradually reopen economic and social activities, they must ...
PAST NGA CHAIRS INITIATIVES
- 2024-2025
Gov. Jared Polis’s Initiative
Let’s Get Ready! - 2023-2024
Gov. Spencer Cox’s Initiative
Disagree Better - 2022-2023
Gov. Phil Murphy’s Initiative
Strengthening Youth Mental Health - View all…