Bloomberg Philanthropies’ What Works Cities program is designed to teach civic leaders in small and mid-sized metros–cities with a population between 100,000 and 1 million–how to use data collection and evidence-backed decision-making strategies to improve residents’ lives. Less than three years into the effort, the nonprofit hit its target adoption rate, adding five new participants to the cohort.

In many places, the core principles are the same: tracking lots of quality of life indicators that will hopefully help officials formulate new fixes. Some of these cities also have specific needs to address immediately, like stormwater issues (Columbia), affordable housing and homelessness (Honolulu), and finding ways to attract and grow a new business (Long Beach).

Overall, two issues affecting many places are homelessness and eroding trust in law enforcement. In many cases, solving homelessness starts with identifying how those affected ended up in that situation, which might be different in a fast growing city compared to one with a stalled economy.

Bloomberg’s methodologies encourage cities to focus on plans that have been tested and have proven results, pressing service providers to gear their efforts in those directions. (For instance, the number of hot meals or showers that a shelter provided might not rank as high as a measure of effectiveness as how many people it helped enroll in housing voucher, job search, or substance abuse programs.)

Read the full article about data sharing by Ben Paynter at Fast Company.