California has received a platinum certification from Results For America for its data-driven approach to improving state government efficiency and effectiveness, the Governor's office said.
The award recognizes California's record of increasing the impact of taxpayer dollars, implementing evidence-based policies, and improving transparency through new data infrastructure. California is one of only eight states to receive platinum certification in this year's awards.
The certification reflects work by the Newsom administration including the 2019 establishment of the Office of Data Innovation, which supports other state agencies in using data and technology to improve service delivery. The state also built the Cradle-to-Career Data System, which links education, employment, and support agency data across multiple departments. According to the office, the system recently connected 40,000 community college students with more than $20 million in scholarships.
California invested $6.9 billion in evidence-based solutions between 2023 and 2026, among the largest investments of any state recognized by Results for America, according to the Governor's office.
Other efforts recognized include streamlined state hiring processes that reduced application screening time by nearly 87 percent in pilot programs, creation of AskCA, an AI-powered digital assistant to help residents navigate state services, and modernization of the Department of Motor Vehicles to reduce wait times and expand online services, according to the announcement.