Evaluation Partners

NYC Opportunity is dedicated to assessing the impact of its programs. Since its start, evaluation has been used by NYC Opportunity to drive programmatic improvement, measure effectiveness and impact, and to help the City determine what programs are effective- or not.

A distinct evaluation strategy has been developed for each NYC Opportunity program, reflecting the availability of extant data, implementation status, the timing of expected program outcomes, and general knowledge of a particular intervention. These evaluations inform program and budget decision-making, and contribute to public policy and program development in the human service field more generally. NYC Opportunity hopes that rigorous evaluation and monitoring practices will become the standard among City agencies.

NYC Opportunity's monitoring and evaluation activities are led by an in-house team, in partnership with City agencies, and eight external research organizations. These organizations provide independent and objective analyses of NYC Opportunity programs. The evaluation effort is led by the NYC Opportunity Director of Programs & Evaluations, David Berman.

Evaluation Partners
Abt Associatesis a mission-driven, global leader in research, evaluation and program implementation in the fields of health, social and environmental policy, and international development. Known for its rigorous and interdisciplinary approach to solving complex challenges, Abt Associates is regularly ranked as one of the top 20 global research firms and one of the top 40 international development innovators.
The Center for Court Innovation is a nonprofit think tank, created to promote new thinking about how the justice system can respond more effectively to difficult problems like drug addiction, mental illness, juvenile delinquency, and gun violence. The Center achieves its mission through a combination of demonstration projects, technical assistance, and rigorous research to determine what works and what does not.
Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago is a research and policy center, focused on a mission of improving the well-being of children and youth, families, and their communities. Chapin Hall takes a broad perspective, embracing an interest in policies that promote the well-being of all children and youth while devoting special attention to those facing significant problems. Chapin Hall researchers come from a variety of academic backgrounds, including social work, public policy, education, economics, sociology, psychology, and law.
McClanahan Associates, Inc. (MAI), are committed to strengthening programs based on flexible, yet rigorous, evaluation practices that help organizations and funders achieve their mission of improving people's lives. MAI works closely with the organizations they partner with--capitalizing on their deep knowledge of the local context, the population served, and their own program--and generate information and recommendations for clients that are understandable, practical, and useful. MAI staff is comprised of expert researchers, evaluators, and technical assistance providers. As a team, MAI believe that meaningful evaluation efforts respond to each program's unique needs, align with the developmental stage of the program, and produce information that is immediately relevant to practitioners.
MDRC is committed to finding solutions to some of the most difficult problems facing the nation — from reducing poverty and bolstering economic self-sufficiency to improving public education and college graduation rates. They design promising new interventions, evaluate existing programs using the highest research standards, and provide technical assistance to build better programs and deliver effective interventions at scale. MDRC works as an intermediary, bringing together public and private funders to test new policy-relevant ideas, and communicate what they learn to policymakers and practitioners — all with the goal of improving the lives of low-income individuals, families, and children.
The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decision-making through research and analysis. RAND focuses on the issues that matter most such as health, education, national security, international affairs, law and business, the environment, and more.
The Urban Institute - Policymakers and the public look to the Urban Institute for spin-free facts, objective analyses, and the knowledge and insight needed to address the nation's challenges, strengthen social and economic opportunity and secure the safety-net.
Westat, demonstrating technical and managerial excellence since 1963, is recognized as one of the foremost research and statistical survey organizations in the United States. The provide research and evaluation services to agencies of the U.S. Government, as well as businesses, foundations, and state and local governments.