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Issue 5, July 2009 |
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RAND and University Partners Strategize on CollaborationRAND Gulf States met with its University Partners June 25th at Auburn University in Montgomery to discuss Building Effective RAND and University Partnerships. RAND Vice President Debra Knopman welcomed 15 participants from the University of South Alabama, the University of Southern Mississippi, the University of Mississippi, Auburn University, the University of Alabama, Alcorn State University, Mississippi Valley State University, Troy University, Alabama A&M, and the University of West Alabama. Sally Sleeper, RAND Gulf States Director of Programs, led the meeting which began with a panel discussion of the "hows and whys" of collaboration. The RAND-university partnerships were established to support open communication about the challenges facing the region, foster collaboration to find solutions, and add research capacity; i.e., step up the pace and volume of objective, policy-oriented research to produce the facts needed by regional leaders for decisionmaking. The partnerships have been successful in bringing interested parties together, identifying federal, state, and philanthropic opportunities for collaboration, and combining strong local knowledge with policy research expertise. They have increased research capacity in specific areas and attracted new sources of funding. However, the processes to fund and begin new research can be very slow, and it has been challenging to sustain relationships once they are established, to put together appropriate working groups at the time funding is available and teaching loads allow, and to collaborate for shrinking dollars. The group agreed to continue to identify areas of shared interest and to develop stronger researcher-university relationships. Faculty from the Pardee RAND Graduate School will explore offering modular courses on public policy at the universities. Both RAND and the university partners will seek grant funding from public and private sources to foster proposal development and to sponsor pilot research, joint publications, seminars, and workshops. Policy Forum Focuses on Alabama
The RAND Gulf States Policy Forum, Building on Alabama Assets and Opportunities was held in Montgomery on June 26. The forum brought together key stakeholders and decisionmakers from Alabama with RAND researchers to discuss regional priorities and the role of research and data in problem solving. Presentations highlighted RAND research and follow-up discussion groups focused on the state's and region's needs in four areas. Early childhood. Becky Kilburn reported findings from RAND research on the costs and benefits of early childhood programs. Economists and business leaders Increasingly support early childhood investments because programs can generate government savings that more than repay costs and produce societal returns that outpace most public/private investments. Quality matters, however; research shows that higher quality programs produce better outcomes for children. Yet there may be a tradeoff between quality and the number of families that can be served when higher quality programs are also more expensive. The follow-up discussion included Marquita Davis, Commissioner, Alabama Department of Children's Affairs and Linda Tilly, Executive Director, VOICES for Alabama's Children. Education. Sue Bodilly, Director of RAND Education, described RAND's research findings related to preschool programs, charter schools, pay-for-performance measures for K-12 teachers, school accountability for student achievement, and the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Research shows that federal policy can improve preschool quality and access—by fully funding Head Start, for example, and supporting state efforts to identify best practices to improve data systems and quality improvement methods. The follow-up discussion included Caroline Novak, President, A+ Education Partnership, and Thomas Bice, Alabama Deputy State Superintendent of Education. Health and social services. Anita Chandra provided a snapshot look at RAND Health and described a RAND-developed tool—COMPARE—for understanding and evaluating the health and financial effects of various health policy changes. Other health research findings emphasize the need to focus on whole communities and prevention and building individual and community disaster preparedness. The follow-up discussion included Terri Reid, Deputy Commissioner, Family Resources, Alabama Department of Human Resources, and Kathy Hall, Deputy Commissioner for Program Administration, Alabama Medicaid Agency. Workforce development. Key issues for the 21st century workforce as described by RAND's Lynn Karoly will include redefined employer-employee relationships and work arrangements and the continued need for workers with a college education but also the ability to retrain in mid life. Research shows that worker skills will determine the competitiveness of the U.S. labor force and, as labor force growth rates decline, employers will compete to attract currently underrepresented groups. The follow-up discussion included Matthew Hughes, Director, Alabama Governor's Office of Workforce Development and Debby Wood, Assistant Director of Family Resources, Alabama Department of Human Resources. While the issues within sessions varied widely, consensus emerged on a number of common, interrelated themes for approaching systemic problems that have plagued Alabama and the Gulf region. Next steps include convening key state agencies and stakeholders to pursue priorities identified in each session, to foster collaboration among organizations, and to connect and transmit findings on all the issue areas. The staff of RAND Gulf States is excited about the opportunity to work with state agencies and key nonprofit organizations to develop a research strategy to support the assets and opportunities in Alabama. This community event followed two earlier policy forums; the first was held in New Orleans in August 2008 and the second in Jackson, Mississippi, in January 2009. Local, State, and Federal Policymakers Draw on RAND Energy Policy Research
Policymakers turn to RAND and its substantial research on energy policy for guidance on issues related to the U.S. dependence on oil and associated economic, energy-security, and environmental concerns. The findings of one study suggest that expanding the use of renewable fuels (such as wind and solar power, ethanol, and biodiesel) would lower the long-term price of crude oil and reduce the carbon dioxide emissions that are contributing to global warming. However, to reap these benefits requires major investment in renewable-energy technology.
In another study, a RAND comparison of alternative fossil-based fuels with conventional petroleum products suggests that the alternative fossil fuels have the potential to diversify fuel supplies at a competitive price, but they do not move the country toward the significant carbon-dioxide emission reductions needed to arrest climate change over the longer term.
However, RAND research also indicates that large U.S. coal reserves and viable technology give promise to a domestic industry producing liquid fuels from coal. Weighing benefits, costs, and environmental issues, it makes sense for the United States to promote a limited amount of early commercial experience in coal-to-liquids production and prepare the foundation for managing associated greenhouse-gas emissions.
RAND convened three workshops in its Washington, D.C. office on Challenges and Opportunities Related to the Interconnection of Climate, Energy, and Transportation Policies. Private- and public-sector representatives at the workshops discussed their competing views on climate-change mitigation, finding commonality on such issues as technological innovation, potential legislative and regulatory solutions, international cooperation, and public engagement. Workshop participants generally agreed that policymakers and the public differ in their recognition of the problem and that leaders at all levels of government—from the president to governors and mayors—ought to take the lead on developing, building public support for, and implementing climate-change policies.
Charities Use RAND Analysis to Demonstrate a Return on InvestmentsBeing able to show results is more important than ever for nonprofits seeking government funding. A recent article in the Chronicle of Philanthropy references RAND's 2005 evaluation of the Nurse-Family Partnership, a nonprofit program that provides nurse home visits to low-income first-time parents and their children. RAND's analysis of the program showed a return on investment of $5.70 for every $1.00 spent. This nonprofit program can demonstrate results, and RAND's analysis made those results clear.  Promising Practices RAND supports nonprofit organizations and successful programs in another way. It operates the Promising Practices Network, a web-based resource that provides high-quality, evidence-based information about practices and programs that improve the lives of children, youth, and families. RAND Gulf States is working with the Community Foundation in Shreveport, Louisiana to develop an asset based approach to identifying community priorities in the areas of health, education, and poverty. Dr. Becky Kilburn, director of Promising Practices, is leading this project which is focused on a data driven approach to identify innovative strategies and best practices for community interventions. The community planning leadership team includes foundation, business, nonprofit, faith based, and community leaders.
City of New Orleans Funds Public-Private Partnership for Economic Redevelopment Architecture Recommended by RAND Gulf States
Following Hurricane Katrina, the Horizon Initiative, a group of 400 diverse business and civic leaders from New Orleans, asked RAND to analyze the city's economic landscape and identify a course of action that could lead the city to a future that is more prosperous, diverse, dynamic, and rich with opportunities. The project led to the RAND report An Economic Redevelopment Architecture for New Orleans. After reviewing the results of the study, the Horizon Initiative began its efforts to develop the type of strategic public-private partnership that would accomplish its objectives. On June 4, the New Orleans City Council, backed by the mayor, unanimously passed a resolution to immediately develop the public-private partnership and to provide the fledgling organization with $2 million in seed capital. City Council members called the initiative "momentous" and "historic."
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