The Center for Retirement Research at Boston College (CRR) and the MissionSquare Research Institute (formerly the Center for State and Local Government Excellence) established a partnership in 2007 to 1) produce research on state and local pension plans and the retirement prospects of state and local workers; 2) disseminate research findings broadly; and 3) develop and make available comprehensive data on state and local pensions and retiree health benefits. These data, covering both defined benefit and defined contribution plans, are updated regularly and have been expanded over time.

The National Association of State Retirement Administrators (NASRA), which has been collecting and sharing public plan data since 2001, supports the partnership by providing review and assistance on the development of data models, validation of data, and development and administration of surveys.

The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) represents over 20,000 public finance officers across the country and strives to advance excellence in public finance. GFOA supports the partnership by overseeing and administering the financial support for updates and enhancements to the PPD, as well as providing review and feedback on research and data presentation.