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
Public Communications Playbook for Energy Emergencies
This playbook outlines essential strategies for state leaders to manage public communications during and energy emergency. This guidance equips Governors and senior state officials with a simple framework to navigate ...
Let’s Get Ready to Partner on Education
There is broad bipartisan agreement on the importance of preparing students for success and clear recognition that the current system needs improvement. The good news is that there are committed ...
Supporting States in Maternal and Child Health and Healthcare Workforce
In January 2024, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) launched two projects to support a set of states and territories to strengthen their healthcare workforce and ...
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
A Governor’s Guide to Early Literacy: Getting all Students Reading by Third Grade
Improving early literacy is essential to increasing high school graduation rates, success in postsecondary education and ensuring states have a ...
2012 Maternal and Child Health Update: The Changing Environment of Medicaid/CHIP Coverage for Children and Improving Birth Outcomes
The 2012 Maternal and Child Health (MCH) update presents data gathered by the National Governors Association (NGA) Center for Best ...
Improving Birth Outcomes in Medicaid
Women who begin their pregnancies in poor health are more likely to have negative birth outcomes than healthy women, according ...
Effect of Provider Payment Reforms on Maternal and Child Health Services
States are actively pursuing reforms to enhance the quality and cost-effectiveness of health care services provided to pregnant women and ...
Building a Civilian Cyber Corps
Whenever a natural disaster strikes a community, dozens, if not hundreds, of volunteers flock to assist in any way they ...
State Sector Strategies Coming of Age: Implications for State Workforce Policymakers
This paper offers a snapshot of sector strategies today, an overview of what makes them different from traditional workforce and ...
The Role of Nurse Practitioners in Meeting Increasing Demand for Primary Care
One way states could increase access to primary care for their residents is to consider easing their scope of practice ...
Improving Preparedness Through Sharing Public Health and Homeland Security Information
Governors can play an active role in improving how state and local agencies work together to produce useful homeland security ...
Strategies for Curbing Health Insurance Costs for State Employees: Benefit Design, Wellness Programs and Data Mining
With continued strains on state budgets, governors are finding innovative ways to do more with less across state government. Included ...
Six Strategies for Reducing Prescription Drug Abuse
The abuse of prescription drugs is the fastest growing drug problem in the United States, and is the most common ...
New Engines of Growth: Five Roles for Arts, Culture and Design
This report focuses on the ways that arts, culture, and design can assist states as they seek to create jobs ...
Strategies for States to Encourage and Fund Community Care Teams
Strategies for States to Encourage and Fund Community Care Teams outlines the role that community care teams can play in ...
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…
