What Works Cities Certification is a national standard of excellence in data-driven city governance. The program evaluates how well cities are managed by assessing the extent to which city leaders incorporate data and evidence in their decision-making. The certification program assesses U.S. cities on their data driven decision-making practices, such as whether they are using data to set goals and track progress, allocate funding, evaluate the effectiveness of programs, and achieve desired outcomes from contracts with outside vendors.

Under the leadership of Mayor Johnson, City Manager Joseph A. Melder, and Joseph Shearouse, the Acting Information & Public Affairs Service Center Chief, the City of Savannah submitted an application for assessment in 2024. We are proud to announce that Results for America, as of 6:00 am EST, 2/26/2025, has named Savannah, Georgia, it as one of 21 new cities, including the first four in Canada, to have been awarded the Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Certification 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. With the 02/26/25 announcement, 104 cities in North, Central, and South America have now achieved the What Works Cities Certification distinction, and 700 cities have submitted assessments since 2017.

The City earned the coveted Silver designation and will continue to pursue Platinum Certification, the highest ranking, by working to support data driven decision making and leadership; data integrity and security; and data transparency and accessibility. Future plans include introduction of a citizen data portal and interactive data dashboards to maximize municipal accountability and excellence in city service delivery. Savannah, Georgia becomes just the second Georgia City to earn this accolade, joining Athens-Clarke County United Government, who also holds the Silver designation level.

Approval

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