
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

Let’s Get Ready! To Define Success
After a fireside chat on preparing students of all ages for workforce success, and a panel discussion featuring insights from Dr. Richard V. Reeves and Dr. Oon Seng Tan, the ...

Cultivating Consensus in Human Services
It's critical for Governors and human services leaders to navigate complex issues, especially when political tension feels high. In some scenarios, successful implementation can rely more on framing and relationship ...

Governors’ Perspectives on Addressing Child Care Needs: Supply and Demand Trends to Watch
Opportunities abound for state-led solutions, and Governors continue to take up the mantle by continuing to prioritize increasing the availability of early care and education. (Download) Ten years ago, Governors’ ...
Let’s Get Ready
All Americans should have access to education that prepares them for success in life. As the world changes and technology evolves, ensuring all students graduate with the skills and knowledge necessary for success is increasingly critical for our nation’s economic competitiveness.
As Governors, we lead states facing economic opportunities but also challenges, shortages in workforce, skills mismatch, and widening opportunity gaps that limit true economic mobility for Americans. We must take these indicators as a call to action.
Program Areas
Center for Best Practices Library

Cleaning Up America’s Nuclear Weapons Complex: 2019 Update for Governors
This guide, produced by the National Governors Association's (NGA) Energy, Infrastructure & Environment team, outlines successes and challenges faced by ...
Smart & Safe: State Strategies for Enhancing Cybersecurity in the Electric Sector
This paper recommends seven actions for governors to consider in order to protect electricity infrastructure and personally identifiable information. (Download) ...

Smart & Safe: State Strategies for Enhancing Cybersecurity in the Electric Sector
This white paper outlines seven actions governors can take in order to protect electricity infrastructure and personally identifiable information from ...
Addressing the Infectious Disease Consequences of the Opioid Epidemic
Two NGA Health publications present insights from this work that can inform other governors’ efforts to prevent infectious disease outbreaks ...
Federal Facilities Task Force 2019 Spring Meeting on Nuclear Weapons Waste Cleanup
Augusta, GA | May 21 – 22, 2019 The National Governors Association leads the Federal Facilities Task Force, a group ...
Institute for State Criminal Justice and Public Safety Executives
NGA hosted 34 states in Seattle to discuss issues around criminal justice and public safety at the 2019 Institute for ...

Cyber Threats are a Collective Danger. States and Industry Must Respond Collectively.
By John Bel Edwards, Asa Hutchinson and Thomas Kennedy You are probably reading this on an internet-connected device. If you ...
National Summit on State Cybersecurity
Over the course of two days, participants engaged in a series of interactive sessions and breakouts to discuss the newest ...
Bootcamp for Governors’ New Energy Policy Advisors
Energy, Infrastructure & Environment hosted a bootcamp on May 9 and 10 for Governors' New Energy Policy Advisors ...
Impaired Driving Convening
The NGA Solutions: Center for Best Practices’ Impaired Driving Convening brought together 13 states to discuss strategies to address transportation ...
North/Central Regional Transportation Electrification Workshop
The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) hosted the North/Central Regional Transportation Electrification Workshop in Kansas City, ...
State Strategies for Averting Early Deaths
Death by suicide is a complex individual, relational and public health problem. The incidence of such deaths over the past ...
PAST NGA CHAIRS INITIATIVES
- 2023-2024
Gov. Spencer Cox’s Initiative
Disagree Better - 2022-2023
Gov. Phil Murphy’s Initiative
Strengthening Youth Mental Health - 2021-2022
Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s Initiative
K-12 Computer Science Education - View all…