Consulting and Applied Research Reports

This fellowship project aims to assess the effectiveness of the Behavioral Health Division’s (BHD) program areas and develop data-driven recommendations for improvement. Working closely with the BHD Quality Management team, including senior researchers and leadership, the Hatfield resident fellow will focus on evaluating existing programs, identifying areas for growth, and proposing best practices to optimize performance. The findings will help guide BHD leadership in reorganizing resources and strategies for better service delivery. 

To support ODOT's Climate Office and Adaptation Team in enhancing Oregon's transportation infrastructure resilience through grant development, data collection, progress tracking, and innovative climate adaptation research. This project aims to strengthen ODOT's capacity to address climate-related challenges and implement effective adaptation strategies across the state's transportation network.

The project goal was to establish a clear standard operating procedure, with an accompanying infographic, for Professional Services and Maintenance Services (PRMS) staff to follow when performing and managing playground closures throughout the Portland Parks and Recreation (PP&R) system, whether the closure was partial, permanent, or temporary. 

The Fire Adapted Communities (FAC) Inventory is an ongoing compilation of wildfire response and mitigation related efforts in and around the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area (NSA). The map compliments the inventory to get a spatial depiction of where these efforts are happening. The inventory and map are a step in the process of fulfilling the Gorge Commission’s Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) priorities for mitigating wildfire risk. The electric vehicle charging station mapping project consists of a mapping effort to map out current and potential EV charging…

On behalf of the Multnomah County Central Budget Office, the Hatfield Resident Fellow (HRF) prepared a research report that examines the advantages and disadvantages of biennial budgeting at the local level. This report was written in direct response to a 2023 Audit asking the County to consider the feasibility of budgeting on a biennial, rather than an annual, basis. The goal of this research report was to inform the Board of County Commissioners and other Multnomah County decision-makers.

To determine the reasons for, and barriers that prevent, providers actively participating in the Medicaid network with the Oregon Health Authority. This includes provider network adequacy, retention, recruitment, and communication strategies that are and are not working.

The goal of the project was to coordinate community outreach efforts and voter education activities, ensuring that all relevant tasks are completed for successful community engagement. This included scheduling briefings, processing presentation requests, supporting Government Transition Advisory Committee (GTAC) members in outreach.  Additionally, the project involved organizing voter education tabling events, tracking event outcomes, managing GTAC meetings, and compiling monthly community engagement reports. The overall aim was to facilitate effective communication and…

The project primarily focused on two key areas. First, a qualitative analysis of Community Health Improvement Plans (CHIPs) was conducted to contribute to the draft of the Senate Bill 902 report for the state legislature. This work involved restructuring the report to ensure clarity, accuracy, and relevance for policymakers, offering critical insights into the progress and impact of CHIP initiatives. Second, a qualitative and quantitative analysis of Coordinated Care Organization (CCO) Health-Related Services (HRS) spending reports was performed, aiming to visualize and analyze the data…

The overall goal of the project was to support the City’s Transition Team as Portland prepares to shift to a new form of government. Portland voters elected to change the city charter, ushering in a 12-member City Council and ranked-choice voting starting in the 2024 general election. To make sure these changes are successfully initiated, significant community outreach has been needed, including feedback on how this new government will function. This outreach has culminated in a research report measuring the priorities and procedures desired by various community members and…

The overarching goal of this project was to provide a more equitable experience for the public when accessing Oregon Health Authority’s (OHA) online information and services. A recent rule change to the Americans with Disabilities Act establishes digital accessibility standards and governments’ responsibilities to comply with them. The Hatfield Fellow developed a comprehensive implementation plan to increase digital accessibility and advance OHA’s equity goals by bringing the agency into compliance with the new federal accessibility standards.

The overall goal of the project was to develop a comprehensive performance management plan to augment data-driven budget decisions within Multnomah County’s Central Budget Office. The report “Performance Outcome Framework” is an organizational document to define, illuminate, and measure the outcomes of Multnomah County’s programs.

ShakeAlert is an Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) system from the U.S. Geological Survey. It uses a network of ground-motion sensors and sophisticated algorithms to detect an earthquake seconds after it begins, calculate its location and magnitude, and estimate the resulting intensity of shaking. Alerts can then be sent to people and systems, allowing them to take automated protective actions. The city was awarded a grant to assess facilities and infrastructure for installation of ShakeAlert. I am the project manager overseeing this project. This has involved researching the EEW technology…

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) Equity and Inclusion Division carries out more than 16 distinct functions for the agency and state, providing expertise and technical assistance on equity, inclusion, anti-racism, anti-oppression, universal accessibility, and social justice topics. The project goal was to create a means for OHA staff to incorporate inclusive and accessible practices in public meetings. 

The overall goal of this fellowship project was to assess the state of youth respite care in Oregon and make recommendations for overcoming barriers to respite service access for youth. The System of Care Advisory Council (SOCAC) oversaw the research and recommendation development while also heavily relying on input from youth and family partners. Ultimately, this project will help the SOCAC to advocate for youth respite services to legislators and state agencies.

In anticipation of the City of Portland’s charter transition, the four major public safety bureaus – Police, Fire, Emergency Communications (911) and Emergency [Disaster] Management – were asked to create a joint strategic plan for the community safety service area. The plan would guide integration of the bureaus as they transition to a city manager form of government, and prepare them to tackle the changing safety landscape in the City of Portland. A comprehensive Organizational Assessment of the bureaus was undertaken to provide a foundational understanding of the service area that…

The overall goal of the project was for the Hatfield Resident Fellow (HRF) to provide project management support, planning analysis, and document design and development to the transportation planning team at the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Western Federal Lands (WFL) office based in Vancouver, WA.

Also appearing in Electionline WeeklyThe Elections & Voting Information Center (EVIC) Local Election Official (LEO) Survey has been conducted annually from 2018-2024, except in 2021. This coverage over time has allowed our research team to identify trends and changes in the election official community across two midterm and two presidential election cycles.A deeper dive into job satisfaction provided in this policy brief shows a very worrisome trend – a steep and enduring decline in job satisfaction among LEOs serving in the smallest (< 5,001 registered voters) jurisdictions.…