City of Alexandria Receives Special Certification for Efforts to Improve Quality of Life for Residents

ALEXANDRIA, VA-The City of Alexandria has been recognized for using data and analytics in its effort to improve quality of life for residents. It received the What Works Cities Silver Certification from Bloomberg Philanthrophies.

“We are harnessing the power of data to make informed decisions and provide transparency on key issues,” Mayor Justin Wilson said, thanking the awarding organization. “The process of achieving housing stability for our residents, addressing inequities in service delivery, and improving outcomes through initiatives like the Alexandria Co-Response Program (ACORP) are stronger thanks to this approach.”

A press release says the certification is “the national benchmark fo excellence in data-driven city governance.”It monitors the effectiveness of city management by looking at how data is utilized to  make decisions.

Alexandria is now one of 12 cities in the U.S. and Latin America to earn the honor. It is only the second in Virginia to be certified, following Norfolk.

In awarding the certification, Bloomberg Philanthropies took note of the following:

1) using data to help create an automated system to gather information on eviction court proceedings;

2) the independent evaluation of ACORP, which found that when trained police and mental health clinicians responded to emergencies, 70 percent of incidents resulted in no legal action; and

3) the launch of the Equity Index Map last year.

While expressing his gratitude to the various departments involved in this achievement, City Manager James Parajon said “We will continue working across departments to expand data practices and develop new ideas to improve the quality of life and methods to deliver efficient services to Alexandrians.”

[SEE ALSO: Alexandria Police Department Reports Abandoned Child in Good Health]