The Center for Governmental Studies is a public service, technical assistance, and public policy studies organization. Its mission is to provide services contributing to the economic well being of the State of Illinois and enhance the capacities of governments and not-for-profit organizations to develop policies and to manage and evaluate their own programs and services. The center is part of the regional development initiative of the university’s Division of Administration and University Outreach.
The center provides technical assistance to a variety of local governments, state and federal agencies, regional councils, not-for-profit organizations, and professional associations. This involves conducting economic development studies, including fiscal impact analysis and labor market analysis; engaging in strategic planning; providing data and analytical studies, including the mapping of data; and conducting community surveys. The center also continues a long-standing emphasis on assessing performance management and evaluations of workforce development programs. In recent years, the center has developed a reputation for providing expertise in facilitating the formation of regional organizations and advocating for regional solutions to problems.
The center is not a degree-granting unit, but cooperates closely with a number of academic departments throughout the university. Through externally funded projects, the center provides graduate students from a wide variety of disciplines with unique opportunities to become involved with research and technical assistance programs.
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