Program and Policy Evaluation

We work at the intersection of data and policy, so our expertise and skillset spans traditional policy silos. We can help you examine the impacts of current or potential policies, with an eye toward the three E’s:

• Effectiveness: What goals do you hope to achieve through this program or policy, and are you achieving them?

• Efficiency: How much does this intervention cost, and are costs outweighed by benefits?

• Equity: Does the intervention produce equitable outcomes? Are you reaching and serving those who most need your help, and how can you do so more effectively?

  Examples of our work include our collaborative work on the Homebase Community Prevention RCT and our quasi-experimental analysis of the Attendance Matters program for homeless students in NYC.

Needs Assessment

Understanding the needs of your organization and your clients is critical to effective and efficient operations that meet everyone’s needs. We use quantitative and qualitative methodologies to understand the needs of your stakeholders and work with you to integrate our findings into your organization. Recent examples include our work on LatinX housing instability in Philadelphia and assessing the healthcare needs of homeless adults in NYC.

Improve your homelessness estimates

With more than a decade of direct experience, we are recognized as national leaders in developing and innovating methodology for the annual HUD-required Point-in-Time counts. We know that words like “statistical sampling” can sound scary and beyond the reach of a homeless service agency or government with limited experience and analytical capacity, but we make methodological rigor accessible and easy to ensure that you have comparable estimates from year to year, allowing you to accurately assess trends and evaluate program performance. We have written national guidance for the National Alliance to End Homelessness on conducting a count during a pandemic, and have consulted with states and cities around the U.S. and in Canada to improve the data on which local, state, and federal homeless policy is made.

Policy Research

We have more than a decade of policy research experience, working with nonprofits, governments, and private sector leaders to quantify and describe pressing social needs and offer recommendations for how to address them. We have experience using administrative and primary data and econometric and qualitative research methods to answer questions across a range of policy domains. Examples include our study of inequities in utility insecurity, and collaborative work assessing homeless service responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.