2021 Monthly Updates and 2021 By the Numbers

With the holiday this month IPI reached out to those in the community with acts of kindness.

Project updates include:

• Distribution of the 2021 City Go Annual Awareness Survey,
• Approval of the Educational Programming Attitudinal Awareness Survey
• Final report of the analysis for Idaho Literacy Intervention Program Evaluation
• Webcams for STEM learning are being researched through a partnership of Boise State and the Peregrine Fund quantifying the learning potential of the webcams
• Learning about stakeholder perceptions of the Teton River Recreation Management Policy
• Survey was distributed to waste water and public drinking water system operators to assess infrastructure needs

Matthew May, Vanessa Fry and Cheong Kim published “Responses of Municipal Governments to the Covid-19 Pandemic.” Matthew May also published on the Hatch Act. Saleh Ahmed, Vanessa Fry and Elizabeth Eklund were published in the Blue Review discussing changes the pandemic has brought. Aisha Kayed shone in the staff spotlight.

IPI looks at the impact they have and the balance of sponsored and non-sponsored projects. They ask if the institute can keep scaled with the growing city. In 2020 there were 7 projects and in 2021 there were 17 projects, of which many were new sponsors. A survey will be completed to see the impact IPI’s projects are having.

The issue spotlights the Communities of Excellence Charter School Program project. IPI was chosen as the third party evaluator with three questions leading their analysis. This months issue details some of the findings from the second year of evaluation.

The issue also updates several projects including:

• CASC Streamflow Data Survey
• Connected Canyon County
• Covid-19 Travel Behavior Study
• Division of Motor Vehicles Service Delivery Analysis

The Women in Leadership Conference welcomed Vanessa Fry who spoke on the process of applying the concepts of pragmatic inquiry.

IPI is getting ready for students to come back to campus. They are also launching a series of new projects as others come to an end. Research on housing with emphasis on New Path Housing stirred up quite a bit of media attention. More research on this topic is anticipated.

IPI is also working with Idaho Department of Welfare to evaluate the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. This project includes housing aspects as well.

The issue also updates several projects including:

• Emergency Shelter Research
• Division of Motor Vehicles Service Delivery Model
• Permanent Supportive Housing Comparative Analysis
• Rural Industry Cluster Needs Assessment

More on housing, this month IPI members participated in a panel discussion about addressing and preventing homelessness. The panel was organized by Insight Information.

The core IPI team continues to work despite summer vacation. One project that came to a close was the Cluster Needs Assessment Project which helped show was the education and career plans of high school graduates in two areas of the state were. IPI also saw a location move to the Environmental Research Building.

This month’s issue included a project spotlight on Lincoln County Community Health EMS cost-benefit analysis. The cost benefit looks at best, middle and worst case scenarios. An infographic was also created to show takeaways and how this cost benefit helps different stakeholders.

The issue also updates several projects including:

• Municipal Covid-19 Responses by Government Manuscript
• Rural Industry Clusters Needs Assessment
• Out of School Youth Needs Assessment
• Treatment and Transitions Program Evaluation

IPI announced their first National Science Foundation grant. Several projects wrapped up including one analyzing evictions. This was a second annual assessment. IPI also has done beneficial work with Idaho rural areas being assessed for needs in dairy and dairy processing industries.

This month’s project spotlight is 2020 Idaho Evictions. This is a second annual study of statewide eviction filings.

The issue also updates several projects including:

• Idaho Transportation Department DMV Service Delivery
• Industry Cluster Needs Assessment
• Master of Environmental Management Workforce Analysis
• Oregon Nonprofit Compensation and Benefits Survey

Young adults between the ages of 16-24 and who are neither in school or working are considered out of school youth. This population is being assessed to determine what they are looking for in a workforce program.

Key findings of the Sixth Annual Idaho Public Policy Survey are provided in this month’s issue. Changes for IPI include new elected officials in the Idaho State Capitol and continued changes to the way we work during the pandemic. IPI performed a survey on Idahoan’s opinions on Covid-19.

The issue also updates several projects including:

• Lincoln County EMS Cost Benefit Analysis
• West Central Mountains Creative District
• Master of Environmental Management (MEM) Needs Assessment
• Covid-19 Reporting

The project spotlight for this month’s issue was the Annual Statewide Survey. This was the sixth annual survey and surveyed 1,000 adults on various topics. The key findings are highlighted and the survey was presented to elected officials at the Idaho Capitol.