In 2018, Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) adopted an evaluation policy that governs its use of impact evaluations by the Results team. It requires public release of all completed evaluation reports regardless of findings. The policy outlines key principles for evaluation: rigor, relevance, independence, transparency, and ethics. It also requires pre-registration of evaluations and final results. In 2024, MMB published key research priorities to guide its continued expansion of evaluation support across the enterprise.

Minnesota’s Statewide Longitudinal Education Data System and Early Childhood Education Data System match administrative education and employment data from five state agencies, from pre-kindergarten through completion of postsecondary education and into the workforce. The Minnesota P-20 Education Partnership, established by state statute, governs both systems, explicitly connecting policymakers and external researchers. The SLEDS Research and Data Advisory Committee reviews and develops research and evaluation proposals, approving 14 during 2021 and 2022 that met the State’s priorities.