Our Approach

The principals of Clarus Group, Dan Ahern and Pamela Bloomfield, have decades of experience designing and implementing evaluation projects; conducting in-person and remote interviews that yield valuable factual and contextual information; collecting, analyzing, and synthesizing large quantities of quantitative and qualitative data, including survey data; writing accurate, analytically sound, lucid, informative reports for the public clients commissioning these studies; and developing and delivering high-quality training.

We design and conduct effective, action-oriented research. We work closely with our clients to understand their unique needs and tailor our research and solutions to those needs. Our work is objective, evidence-based, and methodical. Where appropriate, Clarus Group triangulates the evidence from multiple sources to ensure its reliability and validity.

We routinely research the relevant laws, regulations, and other requirements that affect the environment in which the organization operates; review relevant documents and data pertaining to the issues under review; and undertake other preliminary research necessary to inform additional data collection and analysis.

We work to obtain and analyze valid, reliable evidence that may include additional documents, data, and carefully structured interviews and surveys. Clarus Group has decades of experience in designing and conducting interviews and focus groups; we are particularly skilled at conducting interviews in highly sensitive situations. We have designed and conducted surveys of public officials, employees, board members, and other public and private stakeholders, and this work has included pretesting survey instruments and following up to increase response rates.

The products of our work, whether a written report, a summary memorandum, or an oral briefing, typically provide relevant contextual information as well as an objective analysis and synthesis of the evidence.