Social & Economic Policy

Abt identifies effective practices and programs to improve the well-being of children and families and prepare young adults for adulthood. Our state-of-the-art research and evaluation build evidence and helps answer hard questions about what works. We deliver the resulting data and technical assistance to guide informed choices about approaches to advance family economic independence, address adolescent behavioral health, and expand effective services for children and families.

Over 1 billion people worldwide are experiencing disability, and most people will experience it in their lifetimes. Abt’s evaluations and technical assistance advance disability research and inclusion of disability in U.S. public policies and programs in employment, income support, education, housing, and health. Our multi-disciplinary team of disability professionals includes experts in labor economics, evaluation methods, health policy research, survey methodology, qualitative analysis, quantitative analysis, and information technology. We combine experience implementing studies and systems, deep knowledge of a wide array of programs and issues, and quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research methods to understand needs, make changes, and measure impact.

Abt partners with federal agencies and others to build food security solutions for healthy communities while making food systems more resilient through sustainable agriculture. For decades, our studies have informed national policy decisions and legislation to prevent and mitigate food insecurity and promote nutrition—especially for children and families. Today, we also deliver climate vulnerability, impact assessments, and cost-benefit analyses for new climate-smart agricultural strategies. We regularly engage communities and other stakeholders as we compile data into best practices, enabling scaling of multisectoral programs to reach those most affected by food insecurity. 

Abt builds evidence and identifies promising practices to help workers find and retain jobs and advance to higher-paying positions. Our experts provide technical assistance to partners such as U.S. federal, state, and local government workforce agencies; education institutions; and community and philanthropic organizations. Our strategies include a wide range of research-informed approaches generating actionable evidence to improve economic well-being. To promote fairness, our approaches address the needs of certain populations, such as healthcare workers and those with disabilities, substance use disorders, and justice system involvement.