By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office
September 4, 2025 (San Diego) – The County’s Office of Evaluation, Performance and Analytics has released a new plan listing 18 questions that will guide the County’s evaluation of important programs and services, ranging from homelessness to climate, public safety, and physical and mental health.
The County created the office, also known as OEPA, in 2021 to strengthen countywide use of research, data and evaluation to inform County leaders and help improve programs, services and policies.
The “Annual Strategic Research Plan 2025” states that the 18 “learning agenda” questions are the core of the plan that will steer the office’s evaluations of the County’s long-term, high priority issues over the next two to five years.
Because the questions address broad complex questions, the plan states evaluation will often require multiple assessments over several years. The office intends to update the plan each year.
The plan and the questions were developed by OEPA with input from most of the County’s 50-plus departments and offices, a cross-departmental strategic team and the public.
The plan’s 18 questions line up with the County of San Diego’s five Strategic Initiatives: Community, Empower, Equity, Justice and Sustainability.
Some of the Learning Agenda questions include:
- How can the County most effectively prevent and reduce homelessness?
- What strategies are most effective in reducing social isolation and promoting mental well-being for subgroups experiencing the highest levels of social isolation?
- How can the County’s procurement process foster equitable economic development?
- How can the County use alternatives to incarceration approaches to reduce the number of people involved in the justice system?
- How do the collaborative efforts of law enforcement, social services, public health and community organizations reduce gun violence in San Diego County?
- What effect do behavioral health crisis interventions have on law enforcement resources and client outcomes?
- What climate action measures will produce the most return on investment for greenhouse gas reductions, improved air quality, green jobs and increased equity?
- How does the County foster trust between residents and County government?
People can see and read the full plan on the Office of Evaluation, Performance and Analytics’ webpage.