CAPABILITIES

Feasibility studies • Survey research • Quantitative data analysis • Program evaluation • Industry and macroeconomic trends • Market research • Investment research • Product development research • Project management and implementation • Strategic planning • Policy analyses • Needs assessments • Stakeholder consulting

SELECTED ENGAGEMENTS BY PRINCIPALS

• Social and Environmental Company Ratings Development – Presently working with “for benefit” start-up to provide social and environmental ratings for consumer products and their companies. Responsible for developing social ratings algorithm, which covers company evaluations on international labor and human rights, employee working conditions, and consumer protection issues. Overseeing research on corporate social and environmental policies and practices.

• Strategic Analysis of Global Marine Terminal Operator and Intermodal Manager – Conducted a company analysis of one of the world's largest marine terminal operators for collective bargaining purposes. Research included an assessment of physical assets, financial stability, legal and regulatory cases, and international labor treatment. Final report also analyzed the broader industry context, including an assessment of company competitiveness, the larger regulatory environment, and present and projected industry trends.

• Analysis of Trends in International Shipping – Participated in a year-long study on the technological and on technological and organizational changes affecting West Coast ports for a major university research center. Study activities included tracking of cargo movements, creating schemas of ownership patterns across cargo-handling industries, and mapping the emerging organizational, technological, and logistical changes evident in the international shipping industry.

• Assessment of International Textile Factory Working Conditions – Quantitative analysis of survey research on labor conditions in textile factories in twelve countries for workers’ rights organization. Research focused on companies that produce goods for U.S. retailers.

• International Trade Analysis – Conducted research for project commissioned by a major foundation on the key players, organization of production, and new technologies in the U.S. television industry for a major project on North American trade. Project included analysis of trade data, interviews with major industrial participants and observers, and analysis of flows of technological innovation, ownership, and production systems across national jurisdictions.

• Job Classification and Work Process Assessment for Major U.S. City – Evaluated existing job classification schema and work process analysis for engineers and technical engineers for a major U.S. city. Work was conducted as part of a collective bargaining agreement and included benchmarking based on the classifications of other municipalities, survey and interview research to assess necessary job skill and skill overlap, and stakeholder consulting.

• Program Development for Labor-City Partnership – Helped develop an innovative gain-sharing program between a large city and an engineering union advised on its implementation. Tasks included assessing the outcomes of other successful gain-sharing programs, conducting stakeholder meetings to shape organizational development, finding third party consultants to assist in the process, and testifying at negotiation hearings.

• Development of Social Standards for Environmental Certification Program – Conducted a strategic analysis of standards for socially responsible production practices in horticulture for a leading independent certification authority seeking to develop a new industry program. Project included analysis of the political-economic and socio-cultural debates surrounding existing certification programs in the sector to draw out implications for the successful development of a new international protocol.

• Health Insurance Feasibility Study for a Major U.S. City – Assessed health insurance funding, plan component and organizational options for a major U.S. city seeking health coverage of independent taxi drivers. The project, which was the result of city bargaining mandates, included the collection and aggregation of industry data, applicable insurance aggregation models, tax structure implications, benchmarks from similar projects in similar conditions, stakeholder analysis, and valuation of the revenue and use impact of an increase in fares.

• Needs Assessment for New Graduate Program in Health and Social Sciences – Conducted multi-method assessment of need and feasibility for an innovative doctoral program at a major university. Project included an initial research review of analogous efforts, design and implementation of a multi-method survey and interview study, data analysis (including both quantitative and qualitative measures), and final document production.

• New Venture Development and Launch in Consumer Services – Provided strategic planning and advising support to a new consumer support consultancy. Strategic partnership involved conducting a competitive intelligence analysis, completing a business plan, and coordinating implementation for a successful launch of the new entity.

• Comprehensive Needs Assessment and Feasibility Study for Community Center – Conducted market feasibility and community need analyses for new community recreation center. Contract also included stakeholder surveys and analysis, pricing and demand estimates, and public presentation of interim and final reporting.

• Business Development Assessment for Biomedical Non-profit – Led funding and business development initiatives for an international research center focusing on biomedical imaging. Activities included assessing market opportunities for new research products and services, developing strategic partnerships with pharmaceutical and other industry interests, and building a portfolio of new business opportunities in the United States and abroad.

• Industry Research for Pension Consultancy - Conducted market and industry survey research for financial services consultancy serving pension intermediaries. Research covered product and service offerings, operational structures, pricing strategies and client profiles for key firms.

• Establishment of National Election Commission – Identified, recruited, and managed expert panel on election issues drawn from private, public, and NGO sectors. Project involved determining priorities and facilitating implementation of commission, hiring and managing staff, overseeing research support unit, and preparing public communications for diverse constituencies.

• Investment Consulting Research – Conducted macroeconomic and investment research for an investment consulting firm serving the defined-benefit and defined-contribution market. Research included broad political and economic analyses of countries and industries, as well as assessments of investment classifications and strategies.

• Technology Research for Global Financial Data and Analytics Provider – Provided data research and analysis for technology customization and enhancement project for a global financial data and analytics provider. Project included an assessment of appropriate measures for a financial technology reporting application, mapping of measures, coordination of the creation of a custom data feed, oversight of data testing, and the development of a new analytics measure.

• Strategic Planning for Large Philanthropy – Designed, implemented, and supervised multi-disciplinary national planning initiative on behalf of a major healthcare philanthropy. Handled initial scoping and needs assessment of policy area, scoping and interview studies with key leaders and institutions, planning and execution of a two-day workshop involving over 90 participants, facilitation of meetings, and proceedings reporting to client and public stakeholders.

• International Military Personnel Research – Conducted research and wrote a series of reports for a public policy think tank on military gay and lesbian personnel policies around the world. The multi-year project included evaluation of policy transitions, interviews with military personnel and other experts, and assessment of legal, political and personnel impacts. Comparable research on domestic police policies was also performed.

• Economic and Social Impact Analysis – Managed a market feasibility study for a multi-use development project for a large real estate development group. Project included a study of local and regional market needs, benchmarks from similar projects in similar conditions, and projections for each component of the project.

• Public Satisfaction Survey for Local Arts Organization – Conducted community feedback survey for arts initiatives sponsored by a large regional philanthropy. Project included designing survey instrument, developing sampling methodology, conducting survey, and data analysis.

• Launch of International Business Development Group – Coordinated and advised on the successful launch of a new cross-Atlantic non-profit to facilitate entrepreneurship. Strategic oversight included forging new stakeholder alliances across sectors and regions; pursuing additional sponsorships, managing public communications; and coordinating inaugural conferences.

• Strategic Development Support for Large City’s Business Education Arm – Led outreach and growth strategies for a large urban business association’s educational division. Activities included advising and outreach to strengthen capacity and public visibility, developing new curriculum and teaching partnerships, and identifying new mechanisms to support city’s entrepreneurial sector.

• Competitive Intelligence Reporting on Public-Private Pricing Negotiations – Evaluation for a global pharmaceutical company on how a new pricing negotiation system between the French government and pharmaceutical companies was affecting market prices for specific categories of products. Project involved the development of a quantitative model to analyze the impact of the new political system on market prices and to examine various negotiation hypothesis using industry panel data and numerous public records.