Advancing evidence-driven decision-making

A key part of the What Works Cities Gold Certification process is to clearly demonstrate how data and evidence guide smarter decisions, a process called rigorous evaluations. This process involves taking a closer look at City programs and services to understand what’s working well, where improvements are needed, and how our efforts make a real difference for our community. Over the past year, the City has put these evaluation practices into action, strengthening how we review and improve programs and services across the organization.

As a result, the City has adopted new policies, expanded staff training, developed public-facing evaluation tools, and launched innovative studies, all aimed at building a culture where data helps us deliver better results and stronger outcomes for the people we serve.

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Establishing a Strong Evaluation Foundation

Program Alignment & Evaluation Policy

To ensure consistency and quality across our organization, Sugar Land developed and continues to refine a comprehensive Program Alignment and Evaluation Policy.

This policy requires all City programs to:

  • Clearly align with the City’s Strategic Plan,
  • Define measurable outcomes, and
  • Apply rigorous principles when assessing program effectiveness.

This structure ensures that every program—new or existing—supports our long-term priorities and is accountable for results.

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Building Staff Capacity Through Training and Education

Conducting rigorous program evaluations is not always simple, but Sugar Land has invested in equipping staff with the knowledge and confidence to do it well.

To date, 69 employees have completed either our Rigorous Methods 101 course or the Program Evaluations Crash Course. We measure the effectiveness of these trainings through a pre- and post-assessment of staff confidence using a five-point Likert scale.

  • Average confidence before training: 2.49
  • Average confidence after training: 3.96

This significant increase demonstrates that staff are gaining meaningful skills and are better prepared to evaluate City programs using high-quality methods.

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Transparency Through a Public Evidence Clearinghouse

To reinforce accountability and public trust, the City created an Evidence-Based Clearinghouse, a publicly available online repository showcasing completed and in-progress evaluations.

The clearinghouse currently features:

  • 5 completed rigorous program evaluations
  • Additional evaluations underway across City departments

This tool reflects Sugar Land’s commitment not only to conducting evaluations, but also to sharing findings with residents, partners, and other cities.

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Applying Rigorous Methods to Real-World Challenges

Randomized Control Trial: Mosquito Spray Program

Sugar Land recently completed one of the most rigorous evaluation types available—a randomized control trial (RCT)—to assess the effectiveness of mosquito spraying across the city.

Study Design:

  • Zones received one of three weekly treatments at random:
    • 0 sprays
    • 1 spray
    • 2 sprays
  • Each zone alternated among treatments weekly.
  • Regular spraying resumed after the study concluded on July 4, 2025.

Key Findings:
Across all measures—mosquito counts, non-mosquito invertebrate counts, species diversity, and comparison to baseline conditions—spray frequency did not significantly reduce mosquito populations (P > 0.05).

What This Means for Residents:
 After reviewing scientific results, public sentiment, and operational costs, Public Works will:

  • Continue weekly spraying (one spray per zone) during mosquito season, and
  • Partner with the Office of Data and Innovation to improve mosquito and West Nile Virus monitoring and enhance larvicide treatment strategies.

This RCT serves as a model for how Sugar Land uses evidence to guide policy and operational decisions responsibly and transparently.

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Evaluation Spotlight: Microtransit Pilot Program

Sugar Land is currently conducting a rigorous evaluation of the Microtransit Pilot Program (Sugar Land on Demand)—an on-demand transit service providing point-to-point shared rides with short wait times and low fares.

Why This Matters:
 Sugar Land lacks a citywide public transportation system, and this pilot directly addresses mobility gaps for:

  • Seniors
  • Low-income residents
  • Individuals with disabilities
  • Students and workers accessing key destinations

The service covers a zone of approximately 43,000 residents and is funded through federal grants and the 2023 Fort Bend County Mobility Bond.

Evaluation Focus Areas:

  • Expanded Mobility Options – Increasing access to essential destinations.
  • Reduced Traffic & Pollution – Shifting trips away from single-occupancy vehicles.
  • Improved Connectivity – Boosting use of regional commuter services.
  • Resident Experience – Measuring satisfaction, convenience, and reliability.

Once the evaluation concludes, findings will be publicly shared in the Evidence-Based Clearinghouse. Strong performance may support a phased expansion citywide.