Research and Consulting Center

GFOA’s Research and Consulting Center (RCC) is nationally recognized for its comprehensive analytical and advisory services, as well as for research on issues specific to state and local governments’ financial, human resource, procurement, payroll and operational management. Since beginning operations in 1977, the RCC has assisted hundreds of cities, counties, public utilities; and other forms of government to create best practice solutions to meet their unique challenges.

Research and Consulting

RCC uses a unique combination of both "research" and "consulting" to leverage better outcomes. Our consultants engage in research to ensure we understand best practice, can advise clients based on data, and continually work to improve our services. Our researchers also engage in consulting projects to better understand the needs of local government. We fully understand that for recommendations to have value, they must be implemented and work to focus on pragmatic solutions to solve problems.

RCC Values

Value

Purpose

Honest / Trustworthiness

We engage, communicate clearly, and can be consistently relied on in pursuit of the GFOA mission.

Process and Solution Focused

We develop pragmatic solutions to solve problems.

Analytic

We use our experiences, collect evidence, seek feedback, and keep an open mind to facilitate ongoing improvement.

Networked

We leverage each other, our members, and other contacts to deliver the best.

Transformative

We aim high and go big by introducing new ideas and seeking to change behaviors.

Consulting Services

Together with its practitioner-focused, highly skilled staff and unparalleled access to the profession of public management, GFOA leverages its member network, ongoing research initiatives and lessons learned from our past consulting engagements to each new project. As a not-for-profit membership association, our mission-driven orientation means that we place your government's success above all else.

GFOA Project Areas

ERP Advisory Services

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Risk Based Reserve Analysis

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Organizational Assessment

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Rethinking Budgeting Workshops

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Research Publications

GFOA’s consulting services work in partnership with research and educational initiatives. The consulting work that we do provides real-world experience to inform research. The research provides resources to power consulting. With both research and consulting our goal is to improve capacity among or members and their organizations. Recently, GFOA has invested heavily in building our Financial Foundations Framework, which we expect to leverage on this engagement as a change management framework for promoting project collaboration, change management, and effective sustained governance.

Featured Research

Rethinking Budgeting

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ERP Advocacy

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Behavioral Science

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Fairness and Public Finance

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Fragmentation and Government

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Rethinking Revenue

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Reserve Policies

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