Using data to make better decisions. Three guests joined the podcast to talk about how the Regional Benchmarking Initiative in the Kansas City metro area. Kate Bender, Deputy Performance Officer for the City of Kansas City, Missouri; Stephen Wade, Budget and Performance Manager for the City of Topeka, Kansas; and Reagan Walsh, Former Budget & Performance Intern for the City of Olathe, Kansas highlighted the relationship between the Regional Benchmarking Initiative and the University of Kansas Masters of Public Administration students. They also shared what benchmarks the students explored and capacity issues with data collection. Host: Toney Thompson