IMMEDIATE RELEASE

College Park, MD – September 8, 2010 - At the upcoming 50^th National Association for Welfare Research and Statistics (NAWRS) Annual Workshop, Optimal Solutions Group, LLC (Optimal) Research Analyst II, Lindsey Cramer, will present on Optimal’s growing efforts to promote the data efficacy focus within two of Optimal’s fatherhood programs in Maryland: Strong Father/Strong Families and Winning Fathers Demonstration Project.

Cramer’s presentation, entitled “Utilizing Business Intelligence Practices to Improve Outcomes – Case Study of Responsible Fatherhood Programs,” will highlight the innovative ideas Cramer and her Optimal colleagues have implemented within these programs. These ideas aim to encourage program administrators and decision-makers to pursue data and form evidence-based decisions. Optimal’s incorporation of novel reporting tactics and business intelligence tools provides the analytics necessary to deliver real-time performance monitoring, tracking, and reporting. The business intelligence approach has allowed for the fatherhood programs to utilize evidence-based tactics for improving parenting and relationship programs.

The NAWRS symposium, “Joining Up: Interagency Collaboration and Coordination in Social Policy Research and Practice” will be held September 26 through 29, 2010 in Los Angeles, California.

Cramer has expressed excitement about presenting at the symposium: “I’m looking forward to sharing Optimal’s newest work in the areas of fatherhood and marriage initiatives. NAWRS is a great forum and this is a fantastic opportunity to share our research and findings with fellow researchers.”

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Founded in 2000, Optimal Solutions Group, LLC is a non-partisan public policy research firm dedicated to rigorous and evidence-based research. Optimal's clients are local, state, and federal governments; non-governmental organizations; and corporations and foundations. Located in the M Square Research Park, Optimal has grown quickly by building on a reputation of exceptional services and products. Our clients benefit from our innovations, value, and efficiency, which we have been able to establish through a robust technology-based infrastructure, uncompromising and documented quality-control procedures, and effective employee recruitment techniques. Optimal has four research centers: health, education, workforce development, and housing.

For more information, please contact Optimal's Communications Department at 301.306.1170 or info@optimalsolutionsgroup.com.