Mathematica Policy Research (MPR)

Organizational Structure

MPR was incorporated under its current name in 1975, and it became an employee-owned entity in 1986. Headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey, the organization also has offices in Washington, D.C.; Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Ann Arbor, Michigan. The organization has partnered with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to establish the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC), which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mathematica, Inc. The HSC and MPR [Page 715]share administrative resources and collaborate on key studies and research projects.

Two major divisions of MPR are the surveys and information services division and the research division. The surveys and information services division gives clients the tools, technology, and customized surveys that help them gather appropriate and meaningful facts and figures. The research division builds on these efforts, providing findings and scientific evidence that policymakers can use in their decision making.

In the surveys and information services division, staff members help clients (a) identify the best data collection methods, (b) design custom survey instruments for small and large samples, (c) recognize the special needs of data collection in diverse populations, (d) conduct statistical analysis and modeling, and (e) use advanced technology for surveying and data management. MPR takes into account factors that may cause bias and skew survey results such as language barriers and subject disabilities. The organization also employs Internet technology and Web-based techniques to enhance its surveys.

The research division conducts research for the public and private sectors, strengthening an evidence-based approach to shaping policy agendas. The division is responsible for (a) developing experiments and demonstrations; (b) quantitatively evaluating programs by looking at econometric and statistical analyses of their effects, benefits and costs, quality, and value of output; and (c) qualitatively evaluating implementation and operations, using process and case study analyses. Researchers also predict the effects of proposed changes through the use of microsimulation and provide ongoing support to bolster research infrastructure. Through the expertise of systems analysts, social psychologists, economists, sociologists, demographers, and education specialists, the division is focused on conducting policy analyses to better understand the implications of policy choices in key research areas. The organization strives to communicate and disseminate its findings to policymakers and the general public.

Main Research Areas

MPR has conducted studies on programs and policy in the following areas: education, labor, welfare, nutrition, disability, early childhood, and healthcare. The organization focuses on these areas because they remain central to local, state, and federal policy.