Municipal and county policymakers also have a role to play. Also, in different territories, the strategy of support will differ. For example in rural areas, due to the characteristics of settlement, policymakers can create new programs and services, which are not applicable to larger landscapes, due to the speed of change and implementation of a particular program.
Project-based networks will be especially effective, where policymakers can invite employees to participate in various different task forces or working groups, which leads to reaching a wider audience. For example, in Grinnell, Iowa, the task forces have created several programs for school readiness, summer learning, and after-school enrichment which led to better than statewide increases in both 4th-grade and 8th-grade reading.
In urban areas, policymakers will play a decisive role in aligning social systems. Without their data systems and support, nonprofit and business networks don’t have the reach to move the needle on social issues for an entire community. Municipal and county leaders must first ensure that everyone collects data in the same way. Then they can propel networks to use this data to improve the quality of services and fill service gaps.