Hatfield Fellow Research Reports

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…

This report encompasses the activities and outcomes for the Recycle at Work (RAW) program for the Cities of Fairview and Troutdale. RAW was initiated by Metro to implement outreach and compliance efforts related to Metro's Business Recycling Requirements (BRR) in the region. In FY 2024, Metro provided funds to Community Environmental Services (CES) to develop and implement the program in the Cities of Fairview and Troutdale. CES provided assistance to businesses through on-site recycling evaluations, distribution of recycling resources and educational materials, and in-person…

The CPS research team analyzed financial data contained in some 7,000 revenue and expense line items in the city’s general ledger, reviewed budget and financial report data, and interviewed department heads and members of the city council. The goal has been to identify possible strategies for long term fiscal stability, identifying options on both the revenue and expenditure sides.

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.…

Thessalia (Lia) Merivaki, PhD | Associate Teaching Professor, Georgetown University, McCourt School of Public Policy | Associate Research Professor, The Massive Data Institute, Georgetown UniversityMara Suttmann-Lea, PhD | Associate Professor of American Politics, Connecticut CollegePaul Gronke, PhD | Professor of Political Science, Reed College | Founder & Director, Elections & Voting Information CenterResults from the 2024 Elections & Voting Information (EVIC) Local Election Official Survey and ongoing research by Merivaki and Suttmann-Lea identify three important lessons…

There are three main goals for this project: 1) develop a training curriculum that centers equity and support to employees; 2) ensure that all employees are informed on the availability of the training program and feel welcomed; and 3) create an ongoing assessment of Metro’s efforts towards innovation, trainings, and its focus on equity.

This was the first audit of Metro’s First Opportunity Target Area (FOTA) hiring program since its implementation in 1989. The goal was to evaluate processes and outcomes of the program and identify any risks to efficiency, effectiveness, or compliance. Findings are used to make recommendations to Metro, supporting their longstanding commitment to FOTA and their goals for equitable access to employment.

The Bureau of Technology Services (BTS) serves as the City of Portland’s in-house information technology service provider – supporting the technology needs of over 7,000 City employees and hundreds of thousands of community members seeking digital access to City Services.