Policy & Advocacy

  • We help you take the first step in any policy advocacy effort: naming and framing the problem you seek to solve.

    Once you have identified an issue that is solvable and which resonates with policymakers and your communities, we help you facilitate a collaborative process to design a policy solution.

    Includes:

    • Producing a Community Needs Assessment

    • Providing Issue-Specific Political Education

    • Convening Community Partners to Co-Design Policy Solutions

    • Facilitating Community Feedback Sessions

  • To form a “winning coalition” in support of your effort, we help you effectively communicate your plans to other stakeholders and partners and design an advocacy strategy tailored to address different scenarios.

    Includes:

    • Power Map and Policy Landscape Scan

    • Fostering an Inclusive and Collaborative Coalitional Infrastructure

    • Developing an Advocacy Strategy and Communications Plan

    • Producing and Distributing Advocacy Toolkits

    • Developing Tailored Messaging to Stakeholders and Partners

  • We help you put your initiative on the map and prepare to take advantage of any “windows of opportunity” which may present themselves within the policymaking process.

    Includes:

    • Tailored Outreach to Policymakers and Other Key Stakeholders

    • Legislative Drafting and Related Technical Assistance

    • Tailored Overview of the Policymaking Process, with Recommended Actions for Key Dates and Milestones

    • Legislative and Regulatory Strategy

  • We help clients AIM their policy solutions to their intended targets by ensuring they are legally authorized, properly implemented, and effectively managed over time. Our solutions ensure that policy reforms continue to serve the needs of those for whom they were designed.

    Includes:

    • Preparing and Submitting Regulatory Comments and Testimonies

    • Analyzing the Impacts of Policies and Programs Using a Variety of Analytic Frameworks (e.g., Equity Impact, Cost-Benefit, Efficiency/Effectiveness)

    • Developing and Executing a Strategy for Oversight and Enforcement

    • Preparing Policy Memos and Briefings for Coalition Members, Partners, and Stakeholders

Research & Evaluation

  • Robert Groves, the former Director of the Census Bureau, once wrote that “data without a user are merely the jumbled-together shadows of a past reality.” We help clients turn data into meaningful information by supporting the intentional design of studies, surveys, and evaluations.

    Includes:

    • Survey Design & Instrument Review

    • Evaluation Planning & Logic Model Creation

    • Synthesizing Peer-Reviewed Research

    • Co-creating Evaluation Measures with Community Stakeholders

    • Designing and Facilitating Participatory Research

  • We leverage quantitative and qualitative research and analytic methods to help clients analyze the data they collect from their studies. Our services help clients identify the key takeaways and relevant findings from their studies, allowing them to make more informed decisions.

    Includes:

    • Data Cleaning and Preparation

    • Qualitative Coding & Thematic Analysis

    • Geospatial & Statistical Analysis

    • Statistical Modeling & Predictive Analytics

  • Our services help clients illustrate the results of their studies in accessible, evocative packages, from interactive dashboards, maps, and reports.

    Includes:

    • Interactive Data Dashboards

    • Geospatial Analysis & Mapping

    • Data Programming (using tools like R, PowerBI, ArcGIS) and Visualizations (using tools like Tableau)

  • We help clients translate their information to strategic decision-making by identifying the data points with policy and/or advocacy implications and communicating recommendations to key internal and external stakeholders

    Includes:

    • Policy-Relevant Data Translation & Briefing

    • Mixed-Methods Evaluation & Reporting

Campaign Management

  • We help clients build the infrastructure needed for collaborative and inclusive coalition-building.

    Include:

    • Assembling Policy Experts, Communications Staff, and Grassroots Liaisons

    • Recruiting Co-researchers, Facilitators, and Data Analysts

    • Building Trust and Shared Ownership

    • Securing Necessary Support

  • We help clients leverage data and research to drive effective decision-making among coalition partners.

    Includes:

    • Defining Policy Goals, Legislative Targets, and Desired Outcomes

    • Using Demographic, Voter, and Legislator Data to Map Power Structures and Opposition

    • Defining Research Questions with Community Input

    • Clarifying Research Objectives

    • Designing Inclusive Sampling Strategies

    • Using Mapping or Storytelling to Identify Key Populations

  • We help clients initiate effective advocacy and/or research campaigns.

    Includes:

    • Coordinating constituent calls, town halls, and testimonies

    • Mobilizing supporters for direct action

    • Maintaining regular check-ins, feedback loops, and capacity-building sessions

    • Rolling out public campaigns with press outreach, digital mobilization, and stakeholder briefings

    • Beginning data collection with community events, surveys, and interviews, among other creative methods.

    • Organize lobby days, mass call-ins, or final vote pushes

    • Sharing findings and amplifying constituent voices through public forums, exhibits, or policy briefings.

  • We help clients iteratively improve upon their campaigns through evaluation, monitoring, and adjustment.

    Includes:

    • Tracking bill progress, media coverage, and opposition tactics; adjust strategy as needed

    • Analyze data collaboratively; address ethical concerns or emergent findings

    • Debrief with partners, document wins/losses, and prepare for the next legislative cycle

    • Reflect on process, publish results, and co-develop next steps or advocacy pathways