Legislators report that RBA has the greatest impact when it is referred to them by their constituents. Support for the RBA effort wanes after the early implementation phase. Build relationships among key stakeholders in the state and establish trust and widespread support for the effort. The states in our study report different methods of building on these relationships, but all report that these relationships are critical to the success of the effort. Conclusion RBA efforts have great potential as a tool to engage policymakers and public managers in continuous improvement of child and family services.
Significant challenges exist, however.