February 26, 2025
Today, the City of South Bend is proud to announce that it has been awarded the Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Certification at the Gold Level for establishing exceptional data capabilities to inform policy, allocate funding, improve services, evaluate programs, and engage residents. The What Works Cities Certification standard reflects the practices, policies, and infrastructure municipalities must have in place to effectively harness data for better decision-making. This is our second year receiving a Gold City certification.
“South Bend sets a high bar for using data to serve residents better and make city investments more impactful,” said Mayor James Mueller. “I’m proud of what the City team has accomplished and grateful for this international recognition as a Gold City once again.”
The Department of Innovation & Technology leads South Bend’s data, performance, and transparency work in partnership with other city departments.
“Achieving this certification wouldn’t be possible without dedication to data-driven government across all city teams and at all levels of local government,” said Denise Linn Riedl, Chief Innovation Officer and head of the Department of Innovation & Technology. “Our team analyzes data during strategic performance management meetings, 311 liaisons generate weekly reports and flag issues for the Mayor, our Police Department showcases transparency tools to the public, our Economic Engagement & Empowerment Team uses data to inform its outreach. The culture of evidence, analysis, and innovation is so strong.”
In 2022, What Works Cities Certification released updated criteria for cities to achieve recognition for excellence in using data to improve residents’ lives. The new criteria embed equity priorities and better reflect the best evolving practices of data-informed governance so that cities move beyond achieving only pockets of excellence to achieving citywide scale and maximum resident impact. Additionally, Certification is now requiring cities to show that they meet an internationally recognized standard on at least one of three outcomes: air pollution, the percentage of households with high-speed broadband subscriptions, or a high-priority outcome the city chooses that aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs).
Some notable examples of South Bend’s use of data include:
- Using data to simplify and raise uptake for the Utility Assistance Program (UAP)
- Using data and resident engagement to inform the expansion of South Bend Open WiFi and the City’s Digital Equity Plan
- Using data to inform the Rebuilding our Streets Plan and communicate progress to the public
- Engaging with residents on public safety data collection policies
- Creative budget engagement and feedback via Build the Budget
“At a time when people are questioning the role of government, and what good government looks like, governments must be better at using data to know what is and isn’t working – and that is what the Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Certification stands for,” said Rochelle Haynes, Managing Director of the Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Certification. “Over one hundred cities are now showing what is possible by investing the time, energy, and political capital to shift the culture of how local government works.”
The What Works Cities Certification program, launched in 2017 by Bloomberg Philanthropies and led by Results for America, is the international standard of data excellence in city governance. Since its inception in 2017, 104 cities in North, Central, and South America have now achieved the What Works Cities Certification distinction, and 700 cities have submitted assessments.
South Bend was recognized as a Silver City in 2022 and 2023 and upgraded to Gold in 2024.