How do you tell if an expansive new training program is making a difference? Vinson Institute research specialists are ready to respond to questions like this with objective, data-driven research and analysis.

For example, Office of Customer Service administrators enlisted survey research specialists to study the impact of customer service training that had been completed by employees across 12 state agencies. Utilizing phone interviews and random sampling, the Institute team compiled a thorough summary of the impact of the training program and provided an assessment of its perceived value among those who had completed it. The final report included analysis of responses from some 1,728 staff and 842 management personnel.

For the first time, Georgia state and local library officials have a better understanding of their funding and resource allocation processes and are better able to plan for the future as a result of research carried out by Institute faculty in 2009. Using budget and library service data from the previous five years, the study brings together information on the equity of resource allocation across the regions served by the 60-plus public library system and the funding mechanism that distributes both state and local dollars.