An annual measurement tool designed to foster partnerships and support initiatives to address local and regional challenges and improve overall quality of life. In addition to assisting with project mangagement, Kari is the primary developer of indicators in the following sections: County Profile; Business, Technology and Employment; Income and Housing; Education; Community Health and Wellbeing; Public Safety; and Environment and Infrastructure. Link to Report

Parsons Consulting, Inc. is the project manager and lead contractor for a team of professionals which developed the first ever Orange County Family Financial Stability Index for the Orange County United Way. The Index is a compilation of housing, income and employment data which serves to estimate financial stability at the neighborhood (census tract) level in Orange County. Detailed maps show areas were there is a high concentration of families experiencing financial instability, enabling the United Way to target resources more strategically and track progress in these areas as the Index is updated. To date, five vintages of the FFSI have been calculated. A summary of the 2018 results can be found on pages 42 and 43 of the Orange County Community Indicators Report.

Modeled after the Orange County Community Indicators Report, and customized to reflect the unique attributes of San Bernardino County and Riverside County, these reports provide the context for community dialogue on a host of critical issues. Link to Reports

Parsons Consulting worked in partnership with Burke Consulting to review and assess the content and presentation of information in the annual Report on the Conditions of Children in Orange County. The Parsons/Burke team conducted a scan of children's reports nationwide, interviewed key stakeholders and topical experts, and proposed indicator selection criteria, which were then selected and applied with the input of the Orange County Children's Partnership (OCCP) and its sub-committee. The recommendations included detailed indicator selections and specifications, along with a sample layout that would convey the information in a clear and concise format. The recommendations were approved by the OCCP in February 2014 and implementation will be phased over two years. Link to sample draft layout.

This effort looks at the social determinants of health in Orange County, California by mapping and analyzing the social, economic, and environmental factors that impact health at the local level. Parsons Consulting provided narrative development, editing and research/literature review services. Link to Report

In partnership with Program and Policy Insight, LLC, this project implements selected elements of research and planning presented in the Options for Implementation report (see below). The plan includes community-identified human service priorities and develops a set of resource scenarios based on identified priorities and varying levels of funding. Primary data collection tasks include a scan of sociodemographic and needs assessment data, best practices literature review, key stakeholder interviews, targeted focus groups, and a community-wide web- and paper-based survey. Link to Report

Developed in partnership with Program and Policy Insight, LLC, this research project is aimed at helping the Lane County Human Services Commission assess options for low-income needs assessment and master planning activites. The report includes decision points for each activity to aid the Commission with decision-making.

This nationwide randomized assessment was conducted by a partnership of Abt Associates (lead), the Urban Institute, and Berkeley Policy Associates to determine the effectiveness of the U.S. Department of Education's Upward Bound program. One of the Office of Post-Secondary Education's TRIO programs, Upward Bound provides intensive mentoring, tutoring and counseling services for high school students from low-income families who would be the first in their family to attend college. The goal of the evaluation was to determine the short- and long-term effectiveness of Upward Bound on the students the program serves, particularly students starting the program in 9th grade and those considered "higher risk" (lower GPA, lower test scores or failure to take preparatory or higher-level math courses).

Ms. Parsons acted as the study coordinator for five colleges or universities in Nevada, Colorado, Utah, and South Dakota. In this role she facilitated baseline data collection and conducted site visits to two of the study sites. Under intense political pressure from TRIO program advocates, Congress passed a bill in December 2007 discontinuing funding for the evaluation in the 2008/09 fiscal year. All work was terminated in March of 2008.

This 8-page fold-out piece targeted at policymakers, service providers, and advocates aims to focus community-wide attention on high-priority issues within the four topical areas of the Conditions of Children report: Good Health, Economic Well-Being, Educational Attainment, and Safe Homes and Communities.  Each topical area includes a goal, why the issue is important, the facts of the issue, promising practices in place, and attainable action items and milestones specific to three age groups (young children, school age, and teens).

This article focuses on the problem of homelessness and overcrowding in Orange County and its impact on children. It includes discussion on the contested definitions of homelessness and the extent to which families with children are homeless. A full literature review summarizes the contributing factors to homelessness and the health, developmental, emotional, nutritive, criminal, and educational impacts homelessness has on children.  Agencies and services working to minimize these negative impacts are summarized along with prevention strategies.  Link to Report

This project involved the development of an Internet-administered multiple cohort survey and subsequent survey analysis for this professional organization for jewelers and metalsmiths. Members, the Board of Directors and three other targeted groups were surveyed. The results summary included individual survey results, charts and tables, cross-cohort comparisons, and subpopulation analysis. For presentation to the Board, survey results were further refined into a color-coded matrix where readers could easily discern high priority issues and compare responses among cohorts. For the strategic plan itself, Kari provided the structure for a performance measurement matrix that included strategic goals, outcomes, indicators, objectives, strategies, and implementation (action steps, actor, timeline). She provided input into indicators, objectives and strategies. Sample excerpts of survey analysis and matrix available upon request.

This young nonprofit organization offers dance and developmental movement to children of all incomes and abilities, including children with developmental, physical or cognitive disabilities. With one paid staff member this rapidly growing organization relies on its board of directors for significant staff support. Kari conducted an analysis of key functions of this volunteer "staff" based on observation and a board survey, and strategized ways to improve and streamline service delivery. A key conclusion was the need to hire a part-time administrator - an achievement that was realized through grant funding shortly following the analysis. Sample excerpts available upon request.

This Special Report focuses community-wide attention on the growing problem of overweight and obesity. This report was released originally in 2003 with a focus on children and updated and expanded in 2005 to include adults in the analysis. Ms. Parsons provided start-to-finish report development services including a full literature review, data analysis, charts and tables, writing, stakeholder input, and graphic design oversight.  Link to Report

Ms. Parsons provided technical report editing services for this study. Drawing from two existing introductions to this study, she added background and context-setting data and reframed the approach.

Ms. Parsons provided technical report editing services for this feature which was originally a detailed technical report on children and the environment aimed at an academic audience. The feature was recast for a more general audience and key messages were drawn out and highlighted.

Ms. Parsons facilitated the update of the five-year old strategic plan. This task included verification or modification of mission, goals and objectives, obtaining new or updated data to support and track goals, and generally revising and updating content.

Drawing on concern for declining physical fitness of children, this map was developed to show, by school district, the proportion of children meeting areobic capcity standards (areobic capacity is considered one the most important compoents of being "fit"). Link to Map

Working with a graduate student in planning from Cornell University and the Executive Director of the nonprofit Eastside Neighbors in Partnership, Ms. Parsons provided advice on a start-up community development initiative that became known as "Action Eastside." This program targeted a specific low-income neighborhood in Syracuse, New York and sought public input on goals for the neighborhood, needed improvements, and steps necessary to achieve the goals and improvements. (After many years serving the Syracuse community, this nonprofit organization closed its doors in 2006.)

This effort of the Maxwell School of Syracuse University and Governing magazine evaluated the performance of 50 counties nationwide in five core competencies: fiscal management, capital management, human resources, information technology, and performance management. As a former county government manager, Kari was instrumental in developing the county selection rationale, communicating with sites, and developing data input and tracking systems. She also served as interim project manager and provided assistance on a spin-off evaluation, New Jersey Initiative.