Public Health Fellow

Organization: Results for America

Role:  What Works in Public Health Fellow

Location: Flexible, within the United States 

Organization Overview

Results for America (RFA) is the leading, national nonprofit organization helping policymakers at all levels of government harness the power of evidence and data to solve the world’s greatest challenges. Our mission is to make investing in what works the “new normal,” so that, one day, all government leaders use rigorous evidence and quality data to inform important policy and funding decisions. We believe that data-driven and evidence-based policy decisions could significantly increase the impact of the over $2 trillion that governments spend annually to improve economic mobility outcomes for all residents.

Team Overview

RFA has organized a “practice” at every level of government: federal, state, and local.  

Results for America’s State Practice Team:

• Sets Standards of Excellence that outline how government leaders can deliver better outcomes for all residents by using data and evidence in budget, policy, and management decisions; 
• Provides technical assistance support and coaching for state government leaders to implement best practices that enable their local partners to effectively adopt evidence-based solutions that address local needs and produce positive population outcomes for all residents; 
• Builds momentum for investing in what works by celebrating successful governments and government leaders through events, media, and other avenues. 

Position Overview

This position will focus on helping make the Maryland Department of Health the most results-driven, evidence-based state government health agency in the country. This position is funded by external grant sources and is contingent upon the continued availability of such funding. 

Travel

Travel up to 20% annually may be required, depending on home office location..

This is a full-time, exempt position, based in a home office anywhere within the U.S.

Position Reporting Relationship

The position reports to RFA’s VP / State Practice Lead and RFA’s VP / Federal Practice Lead.   

Position Responsibilities

Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to:

State Practice Work  (75%)  

With support from RFA’s state practice team (including but not limited to RFA’s Invest in What Works Fellow) and other RFA teams as necessary, the RFA What Works in Public Health Fellow will be embedded within the Maryland Department of Health in order to:

Train at least 200 Maryland State Government staff on how to define and prioritize evidence in grant and aid programs (as outlined in RFA’s State Evidence-based Grantmaking Guide)Review/redline at least 150 Maryland State Government NOFOs to ensure alignment with the defining and prioritizing evidence recommendations in RFA’s State Evidence-based Grantmaking Guide Review/redline at least $3 billion worth of Maryland State Government investments (including those funded through the 150 NOFOs described above, but should also include at least some investments made through tax expenditures, aid payments, and direct servicesHelp ensure that at least 50 Maryland state government grant programs (including those through the NOFOs described above), tax expenditures, aid payments, and/or direct services define and prioritize evidence as outlined in RFA’s State Evidence-based Grantmaking Guide. These investments should be focused on those being made by or through Maryland’s Department of Health, but can also include investments made by/through other MD state government agencies.

• Help ensure that the Maryland Department of Health help the MD State Government achieve RFA’s platinum certification status by defining and prioritizing evidence in grants, tax expenditures, aid payments, and direct services  
• Identify evidence in grantmaking and evidence in direct services efforts developed and implemented by the Maryland Department of Health that can be implemented in other state government agencies in Maryland and across the country

Federal Practice Work  (25%)  

• Contribute to RFA-wide federal initiatives including work related to RFA’s federal North Star Goals, federal Standard of Excellence, and impact story telling.
• Participate in select RFA inte