Using Policy Research to Improve the Well-Being of California’s People
Policymakers need access to information and analysis that they can trust. This is particularly important in politicized environments where stakeholders with differing ideologies compete to advance their perspectives. The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) helps provide this information through objective, evidence-based research on a range of policy topics. However, information alone is not enough to support effective policy. PPIC helps to inform policy by engaging key audiences in constructive dialogue, anticipating critical policy issues, and producing compelling communications products.
Engage R+D partnered with PPIC to create a logic model articulating how these different elements work together to improve state policy. We facilitated a series of meetings involving more than a dozen senior leaders from across the organization. Through these meetings, we helped staff identify language that was reflective of PPIC’s mission, vision, and values. This resulted in a clear-cut visual showing the relationship between PPIC’s operations, outcomes, and ultimate desired impact. PPIC is now using the model as a tool for communicating with both internal and external stakeholders about its work and for evaluation, learning, and continuous improvement.
