The Dukakis Center does far more than just research and write urban and regional policy reports. From the start, the Center has sought to create innovative mechanisms for building on the results of its research efforts and ensuring the longer-term implementation of its policy ideas and recommendations. Thus far the Center has focused on two types of policy implementation efforts: the creation of “tools” that can be used by local governments and others to gain a deeper understanding of specific policy issues and the creation of broad-based “task forces” committed to act on the policy recommendations presented in Dukakis Center reports and publications.
The Center’s “toolkits” for policy solutions currently includes three innovative tools.
The Boston Renaissance Resource Kit is an interactive web and CD-Rom based multimedia product that allows students, teachers, community organizations, and government agencies throughout the Greater Boston region to manipulate data from the US Census and Greater Boston Social Survey.
The Economic Development Self-Assessment Tool or EDSAT is a web-based self-assessment test to help city and town officials determine how they can better compete for economic development.
The Labor Market Assessment Tool or LMAT, developed as a collaboration between the Dukakis Center and the Boston Redevelopment Authority, examines the labor market of a particular geography to determine occupational projections as well as the demographic characteristics of a potential labor supply.
In addition to these three tools, the Dukakis Center provides leadership and staffing for broad, collaborative efforts that seek to forge innovative, new policy solutions through a combination of research, advocacy, and technical assistance for implementation:
