Client Reports
Civic Consulting Alliance helps local government improve the quality of life for everyone in the Chicagoland region. We work “hand in glove” with our partners and clients, focusing on results, not reports. When our work leads to innovations that are important for other cities, governments or organizations, or when we are staffing public panels and commissions, we publish reports, such as those below.
2024
Mental Health System Expansion Working Group Report
May
The Mental Health System Expansion Working Group Report marks a significant step forward for the City to expand mental health clinical services, non-police response to behavioral and mental health crises, and community awareness of available mental health resources.
Civic Consulting Alliance along with pro bono partners supported goal two in the report by helping to develop a roadmap to expand CARE, Chicago's mental health crisis response program. The City’s 2024 budget investment for this was a direct outcome of contributions from our partners Kearney and Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila. Our staff also provided pro bono project management support to the Mental Health System Expansion Working Group to develop an outline of the report and a roadmap to finalize it within the required timeline.
Cut the Tape Report
April
For many years, developers have voiced concerns about the challenges of the City’s development approval process. In December 2023, Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order that required 14 City departments to evaluate the existing development process and propose solutions to accelerate review and approval timelines. The “Cut the Tape” Report includes over 100 recommendations to streamline the City’s processes and help speed up development for affordable housing options and commercial development.
Civic Consulting Alliance supported the process improvement initiative from the beginning. We conducted peer city research, interviewed City staff, and organized feedback from stakeholders (developers, architects, contractors, attorneys, lenders, and more) into key themes. We helped our clients refine and prioritize over 300 initial recommendations into a final “Cut the Tape” report, which includes 107 short and long-term recommendations and an implementation plan that will lead to a more efficient approval process.
2023
People's Plan for Community Safety
December
The People’s Plan for Community Safety is a community-led initiative that unites Chicagoans from all walks of life to address historic disinvestment, work toward healing our communities and make all of Chicago safe for everyone. This work harnesses the full force of government, community organizations, businesses, philanthropy, and more to solve a decades-long problem in a new way.
Deputy Mayor of Community Safety, Garien Gatewood and his team engaged nearly 300 stakeholders to develop a new comprehensive community safety plan to harness the collective efforts of government together with community organizations, philanthropy, youth leaders, faith organizations, organizers, researchers, and businesses. Civic Consulting Alliance and partners provided pro bono project management to help convene cross-sector stakeholders, and build and communicate a plan that addresses the root causes of violence.
Plan of Action for Regional Transit (PART)
December
CTA, Metra, and Pace are heading toward a fiscal cliff as emergency federal assistance is expiring and ridership remains below pre-pandemic levels. To address this critical issue, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) was required by law to make recommendations to the State legislature by January 2024. The recommendations needed to address both the immediate budget crisis and the underlying reforms needed for a sustainable, thriving transit system, which is crucial for our region’s growth.
CMAP enlisted Civic Consulting Alliance to advise on a strategic approach for convening a cross-sector steering committee to develop transit recommendations. Our pro bono partners Analytics8 and Crowe contributed to educational materials for the steering committee to help them better understand the fiscal, environmental, and equity impact scenarios to consider.
Building Bridges and Growing the Soul of Chicago: A Blueprint for Creating a More Just and Vibrant City for All
July
Nearly 400 Chicagoans, representing a wealth of diverse perspectives, served on 11 transition committees that offered robust ideas and recommendations for Mayor Brandon Johnson's administration. They represent an unprecedented diversity of voices and perspectives—including diversity based on race, gender, generation, income level and neighborhood, and with representatives from business, civic, social justice and community-based organizations.
As an expert in launching cross-sector collaboratives, Civic Consulting Alliance was honored to support the creation of the report by providing stakeholder engagement strategy and guidance to the Transition Team, and worked with our partners to provide project management for the 11 issue-focused subcommittees and overarching transition committee that was tasked with delivering recommendations to the Mayor.
2022
Where Worlds Connect
July
In February 2022, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced the formation of the Museum Campus Working Group, charged with developing recommendations to enhance and reimagine the visitor experience and elevate the appeal of the Museum Campus as a global, year-round destination. Composed of distinguished civic leaders from across the community and supported by City Departments and Sister Agencies, the Working Group has developed a set of recommendations to serve as a framework for future improvements to the Campus.
Creating a More Equitable Recovery: Addressing the Economic Barriers COVID-19 Exacerbated for Women in Chicago
June
37% of women in Chicago were not in the labor force in 2020, compared to 35% in 2019. The driving forces behind this disparity, particularly for women of color, began long before COVID-19. Mayor Lori Lightfoot's Women’s Advisory Council, in collaboration with World Business Chicago, Women Employed, and Civic Consulting Alliance, released a report that unpacks the inequities in the labor market and proposes potential solutions.
2021
Chicago Recovery Plan
September
Since March 2021, Civic Consulting Alliance and our pro bono partners have supported the Mayor’s Office to plan for deployment of $1.887 billion in flexible funding from the federal American Rescue Plan Act. Specifically, we have provided capacity and expertise to analyze and understand the breadth and nature of funding available, and to develop frameworks of strategic priorities to best leverage this critical funding. This foundational work supported the City in developing its Recovery Plan, released in September 2021, which details the priority recovery initiatives it will pursue.
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago Strategic Plan 2021-2025
June
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) is an award-winning, special-purpose district responsible for treating wastewater and providing stormwater management for residents and businesses in Cook County. Civic Consulting Alliance and our pro bono partners Arup and Kearney facilitated the development of the district's 5-year Strategic Plan, which was developed against the backdrop of a global pandemic and the growing threat of climate change, using the lens of racial and social equity in the communities served by the MWRD.
Mayor's Office Violence Reduction Dashboard
May
The City of Chicago launched an updated Violence Reduction Dashboard, which was developed with advisory support from Civic Consulting Alliance pro bono partner Slalom, who provided thought partnership on the dashboard's UX design. The dashboard makes real-time data on violence accessible to city residents and community organizations, and aims to enable improved collaboration between the public, the Chicago Police Department, and the City as they plan for summer safety initiatives and implement the strategies laid out in "Our City, Our Safety," the City's comprehensive violence reduction plan.
2020
Our City, Our Safety: A Comprehensive Plan to Reduce Violence in Chicago
September
In September 2020, the City of Chicago released its first-ever comprehensive violence reduction plan, which will guide public safety initiatives over the next 3 years. Civic Consulting Alliance provided program management support to help stakeholders across the public and civic sectors understand the complex causes of violence and what we can do together to stop it.
Forward Together: Building a Stronger Chicago Forward Together
July
In April 2020, Mayor Lori Lightfoot launched the cross-sector COVID-19 Recovery Task Force to provide recommendations for the economic and social recovery of Chicago. Civic Consulting Alliance and our pro bono partners are proud to have served a key role in coordinating the efforts of this Task Force, led by its co-chairs, Mayor Lightfoot and former White House Chief of Staff Sam Skinner. In July 2020, the City released the Recovery Task Force Advisory Report ‘Forward Together’ outlining 17 bold recommendations to ensure an inclusive and equitable recovery for the city of Chicago and our region.
Cook County COVID-19 Response Plan: From Rapid Response to Equitable Recovery
May
As the second-largest county in the country, Cook County Government worked tirelessly to respond to the COVID-19 crisis over the first few months of the pandemic. In May 2020, the County released its COVID-19 response plan, developed with support from Civic Consulting Alliance, which lays out how the County planned to continue its commitment to advancing racial equity while moving towards recovery.
2019
Cook County Assessor’s Office Commercial Assessment Market Research
May
In March and April 2019, on behalf of the Cook County Assessor’s Office, Civic Consulting Alliance conducted interviews with a broad range of commercial real estate industry participants, on a pro bono basis. The objective was to provide the Assessor’s Office feedback on user experience and satisfaction with the commercial property assessment process, and to identify opportunities for improvement. This report is a summary of the feedback provided to Civic Consulting Alliance in those interviews.
Cook County Assessor’s Office Audit
May
Civic Consulting Alliance is proud of our ongoing work with the Cook County Assessor's Office to move towards a more equitable assessment practice. The Assessor’s Office recently released a comprehensive external audit conducted by IAAO.
Mayoral Transition Report
May
In preparation for the inauguration of Chicago’s new Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Civic Consulting Alliance and our pro bono partners managed 10 issue-focused transition committees. Over 400 Chicagoans shared their energy, hopes, and ideas for the new administration, resulting in a final report of recommendations for Mayor Lightfoot as she begins her term.
Cook County Assessor’s Office 100-Day Report
April
New Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi took office in December 2018. Civic Consulting Alliance worked with Kaegi to prepare for and implement a 100-Day Plan, which came to a close on March 13, 2019, setting the course for Kaegi’s work going forward. In April 2019, the Office released a report on the results of the Assessor’s first 100 days in office.
Gubernatorial Transition Reports
February
As part of the transition process that culminated in the inauguration of Illinois Governor Pritzker, Civic Consulting Alliance and pro bono partners managed topical transition committees with over 400 members to gather insight for an effective transition. These committees produced 11 Transition Reports, which outline recommendations, risks, and opportunities to guide Governor Pritzker as he begins his term.
2018
Cook County Policy Roadmap: Five-year Strategic Plan for the Offices Under the President
November
The Cook County Policy Roadmap: Five-year Strategic Plan for the Offices Under the President lays the foundation for the next five years of work by the Offices Under the President (OUP) of Cook County, under the leadership of the President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners. The 5.2 million residents of Cook County are served by local governments that include the City of Chicago, 135 suburban towns and municipalities, hundreds of school districts and special purpose governments, as well as Cook County government itself.
Residential Property Assessment in Cook County
February
At the request of the President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners and the Cook County Assessor, Civic Consulting Alliance and a nationally-recognized expert analyzed, on a pro bono basis, Cook County’s residential real estate assessment processes and outcomes. The evaluation focused on four goals: uniformity, timeliness, compliance, and transparency.
In addition to the analysis above, Civic Consulting Alliance produced two accompanying reports:
2017
South Suburban Economic Growth Initiative Phase 1 Report Executive Summary
July
Neighborhoods do not have economies: they have people, business, real estate, and other assets that participate in larger markets, most often regional in scale. A healthy neighborhood develops and deploys its assets into the regional economy that, in turn, maximizes investment in all of its assets in order to sustainably grow. Neighborhoods and regions thus succeed, or fail, together by recognizing and leveraging their connections, from local workforce to regional labor markets, business to industrial supply chains, and so forth. In this time of global economic transformation (to the “knowledge” or “next” economy), neighborhoods and regions must find a linked path toward prosperity.
2016
Labor Market Polarization and a Changing Recovery in the Chicago Metropolitan Area
December
Over the past decade, Chicago’s regional labor market has polarized, with net job growth coming exclusively from high-wage jobs (paying more than $53,000) and low-wage jobs (paying less than $32,000). Between them, the vast majority of job growth has been in the lower tier (two out of three net new jobs pay less than $32,000), while the number of middle-wage jobs (paying between $32,000 and $53,000) has declined.
This polarization has occurred on a national scale, but not to the same extent as in Chicago. The report analyzes data on the 14-county Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area (Chicago MSA) from the Bureau of Labor’s Occupational Employment Statistics.
Cook County State’s Attorney Transition Report
December
The report outlines the new Cook County State’s Attorney’s vision for transforming the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office into a fairer, more forward-thinking agency focused on restoring the public trust, promoting transparency and being proactive in making all of our communities safer. It details the key policy objectives and Day One priorities for the incoming administration as well as steps in the plan of action to address them.
Connecting Cook County: 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan
June
To develop the county’s first transportation plan in 70 years, Civic Consulting Alliance worked closely with the Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways. The collaboration yielded a comprehensive and forward-looking document to guide the region through 2040.
Police Accountability Task Force: Full Report and Executive Summary
April
The Police Accountability Task Force was charged by Mayor Emanuel to lay the foundation for the rejuvenation of trust between Chicago’s police and the communities they serve. Chaired by Lori E. Lightfoot, the Task Force set out to face hard truths and create a roadmap for real and lasting transparency, respectful engagement, accountability, and change. The Task force was launched in December of 2016, in the wake of the release of the video that depicted the shooting death and apparent cover-up of teenager Laquan McDonald. At the conclusion of their work, the Task Force released a 190-page report outlining systemic and long-established racism within the Chicago Police Department and sweeping recommendations for reform of the CPD.
Working Families Task Force Final Report
April
The Mayor launched the Working Families Task Force to identify reforms to strengthen the protections in place for the city’s workers, specifically around three issue areas: paid sick leave, schedule predictability for shift workers, and paid family and medical leave. After 6 months of research, community engagement, and deliberation, the Task Force, aided by Civic Consulting, released their final report with recommendations in April 2016.
Making a Big Change on Campus
March
Helping low-income students turn their lives around through education is central to the mission of the City Colleges of Chicago. Six years ago, that institution launched its own turnaround effort — a bid for “reinvention” — and now it’s earning high marks for improved performance. This Stanford Social Innovation Review case study dives into the success of City College’s Reinvention as supported by Civic Consulting Alliance.
2015
Treasurer’s 90 Day Action Plan
December
On December 1, 2014, Kurt Summers, Jr. took office as the City Treasurer. In preparation for Mr. Summers’ inauguration, Civic Consulting convened a team of pro bono partners to prepare a transition plan for the Office. Over the course of three weeks, the team explored best practices from other cities, tested promising policy initiatives, and crafted a 90 Day Action Plan.
Chicago Public Library Strategic Plan
June
In June 2014, Chicago Public Library released to the public its 3 year strategic plan, the result of work by Civic Consulting staff and several pro bono partners that started in December 2013. The plan itself is divided into five priority areas — three programmatic areas and two how the Library serves the public — and lays out a path for how CPL, which has already won several national and international awards, can continue to evolve as the library world changes.
Lucas Museum of Narrative Art Site Selection Report
May
In April 2014, Mayor Emanuel appointed a Task Force to recommend a site for the Lucas Cultural Arts Museum. With pro bono support from Civic Consulting Alliance, Downtown Partners Chicago, Classic Color, and Leff Communications, the Task Force made its recommendation. In June 2014, it became official: Chicago will be home to the (newly named) Lucas Museum of Narrative Art!
2014
Chicago Procurement Reform Taskforce
November
Appointed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel in 2015, the Procurement Reform Task Force released this report detailing best practices that the city and sister agencies should implement to make contract management and procurement more uniform, efficient and cost-effective, while also increasing accountability. The report includes 31 recommendations to be accomplished in the immediate, intermediate and long term.
Improving Productivity, Opportunity, and Growth in the New Economy
October
The economy continues to improve and unemployment has declined markedly over the past five years. But as a result of structural changes in the labor market, the middle class continues to shrink and job growth has been concentrated in low-wage positions. To understand how we can make more progress in providing economic mobility for workers, drive economic growth for the region, and reduce public sector expenditures, Civic Consulting Alliance produced this white paper, and, on October 2, hosted a roundtable discussion on “win-win job strategies.”
Emanuel Administration Second Term Priorities Committee Recommendations
August
On April 14, 2015, Mayor Rahm Emanuel appointed a panel of respected business, community, nonprofit, and labor leaders to develop recommendations for making progress on three of the Administration’s top priorities: expanding public engagement, accelerating neighborhood economic growth, and moving toward universal pre-kindergarten (pre-K).
The Power of Parks – An Assessment of Chicago Parks’ Economic Impact
July
At the end of 2013, the Chicago Park District partnered with Civic Consulting Alliance, Global Economics Group, and Roland Berger Strategy Consultants to determine the impact of Chicago Park District-owned assets on the City of Chicago’s economy. Having hypothesized that parks do have a positive impact, the project aimed to help the Chicago Park District test this theory and quantify the effect.
Building a Better Illinois – Report of the Transition Co-chairs to the Governor-elect
January
On Friday, January 9th, Governor-elect Rauner’s transition team released its report, one of the most comprehensive transition plans ever produced at the state level for an incoming governor. The report, a comprehensive assessment of policy and operational issues facing the incoming administration, represented the work of 12 committees and 132 committee members, all supported by Civic Consulting Alliance and 8 pro bono partners.
2013
City-County Collaboration Year 2 Report
October
In October 2013, the City and County released a report highlighting their second year of Collaboration, which has resulted in over $70M of annual savings and new revenue and a host of service improvements for residents. The cumulative results are a testament to the work of many of our clients across the City and County as well as our staff and partners over more than 2 years.
City of Chicago Technology Plan
September
In September 2013, the City of Chicago unveiled its Technology Plan, a first-of-its-kind roadmap to guide Chicago’s growth, fueled by technological innovation. Created under the direction of the City’s Chief Technology Officer and staffed by Civic Consulting Alliance and our partners at Digitas, KPMG, and The PrivateBank, received favorable coverage among media outlets such as the Associated Press, Chicago Tribune, and Crain’s Chicago Business. The Plan highlights 28 initiatives, driving impact across 7 areas, within 5 broad strategies: (1) Next-Generation Infrastructure; (2) Every Community a Smart Community; (3) Efficient, Effective and Open Government; (4) Civic Innovation; and (5) Technology Sector Growth.
2012
Chicago New Americans Plan
December
Civic Consulting Alliance helped the Chicago Office of New Americans to write the Chicago New Americans Plan, a roadmap to making Chicago the world’s most immigrant-friendly city. This document is the first in the nation to contain such a high level of comprehensive, actionable detail on supporting immigrants and economic development. It lays out twenty-seven initiatives, spanning across the City of Chicago’s governmental departments, schools, colleges, and community-based organizations. The initiatives in the plan will help immigrant-owned businesses to succeed; support children of immigrants in their education; and ensure critical City services are accessible to immigrants.
Ethics Reform Task Force Final Report – Part II
August
The Ethics Reform Task Force, established December 2011 by Mayor Emanuel, was tasked to consider improvements to the existing ethics ordinances in three areas: regulation, prevention and education, and investigations and enforcement. In Part II of its report, the task force outlined the role of a Legislative Inspector General and enhanced whiteblower protections.
Community Anti-Violence and Restoration Effort, City-County Action Plan
July
Over the course of a year, Civic Consulting Alliance, 13 pro bono partners, and 160 community members collaborated to create the CARE for Chicago Plan, which outlines a Prevention, Intervention, Response strategy to reduce violent crime across the city.
Joint Committee on City-County Collaboration Final Report
June
The Joint Committee on City-County Collaboration (Joint Committee) was established in March 2011 to recommend ways the City and County could streamline services, improve residents’ interactions with government, and reduce costs. To date, it has saved taxpayers over $140 million.
Ethics Reform Task Force Final Report – Part I
April
The Ethics Reform Task Force, established December 2011 by Mayor Emanuel, was tasked to consider improvements to the existing ethics ordinances in three areas: regulation, prevention and education, and investigations and enforcement. In Part I of its report, the task force outlined 34 recommendations to strengthen these ordinances.
City of Chicago Youth Violence Prevention Plan
April
Civic Consulting Alliance helped the City of Chicago draft this Youth Violence Prevention Plan, outlining the City’s ongoing and planned initiatives to stop youth violence through Prevention, Intervention, and Response. The plan was presented to the Department of Justice, other federal agencies, and peer cities at the Second Annual Summit on Preventing Youth Violence in Washington, D.C. on April 2nd, 2012.
Joint Committee on City-County Collaboration Report
February
This report marks six months of City-County Collaboration. Since the last report, this partnership has continued to evolve, with teams meeting more frequently and, where feasible, broadening the scope and impact of their collaboration.
2011
TIF Reform Panel Final Report
August
In August 2011, with the support of Civic Consulting Alliance and partners, Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s Tax Increment Financing (TIF) reform panel presented this report outlining its recommendations for improving Chicago’s use of TIF, a development tool that generates roughly $500 million in incremental property tax revenue each year.
100-Day Mayoral Progress Report
August
At the 100-day mark of his administration, Mayor Rahm Emanuel released this progress report on his Transition Plan. Many of the accomplishments reported were achieved with the support of Civic Consulting Alliance and our partners.
Cook County STAR Report
July
In July 2011, Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle released the initial report of the County’s new performance management program, STAR (Set Targets, Achieve Results). STAR is a cornerstone of President Preckwinkle’s plan to establish a new culture of performance in Cook County. The program aims to lower the cost of government, improve services, and allow the public to judge the County’s effectiveness.
Final Report of the Joint Committee on City-County Collaboration
June
On June 13, 2011, Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle and Mayor Rahm Emanuel released a report outlining $66 million to $140 million in annual savings and revenue that could result from unprecedented collaboration between the City and County. The report was developed by the Joint Committee on City-County Collaboration, a seven-member group of non-profit, community, and business leaders. Schiff Hardin LLP, Alvarez & Marsal, and Civic Consulting Alliance worked pro bono with the committee and City and County staff to develop the report. Accenture and Mayer Brown provided pro bono research support.
Michael Reese Hospital Site Tech Park Advisory Panel Report
May
On May 11, Mayor Daley released this report, showing that a successful technology park developed on the Michael Reese site–approximately 37 acres of mostly vacant land on the city’s South Side–could create as many as 20,000 – 25,000 jobs across the region when fully developed. The report is the work of an advisory panel named to assess the future use of the site, which is located between 26th and 31st streets and between Martin Luther King Drive and Lake Shore Drive.
The Chicago 2011 Transition Report
May
Over a period of two and a half months, Mayor-elect Emanuel’s transition team and 15 Civic Consulting Alliance partners conducted a review of the City’s priorities and developed proposals for improvement. The final product of this work, the Chicago 2011 Transition Report, was published on May 10th, 2011. The report contains more than 50 ideas that the administration will launch immediately, as well as ideas for the term that will position Chicago for the next 40 years.
City-County Collaboration First Quarter Report
March
In March 2011, the Joint Committee on City County Collaboration issued this first quarterly report on the status of collaboration between the City of Chicago and Cook County. In the first quarter, an estimated $11 million was saved for the 2012 budgets of both governments, and services were improved in many areas.
Cook County 100-day Report Card
March
On March 16, 2011, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle released a report detailing her first 100 days in office. Of the 37 initiatives in her Transition Report, 11 were completed within the first 100 days.
2010
Cook County Transition Report
December
At the request of President-elect of the Cook County Board Toni Preckwinkle, a team from Accenture, PeopleScout, SNR Denton and Civic Consulting Alliance worked with the President-elect’s team to identify strategic, 100-day, and first term priorities for the new administration, which are published in this report.
Chicago Recovery Partnership: Twelve-Month Report
April
The Chicago Recovery Partnership has strengthened collaboration between government and the private sector in a time of need. In this report, you will learn how the expertise of foundations and pro-bono business helped the City effectively distribute nearly $2 billion in stimulus funds, track and report progress, and make services more efficient and transparent for Chicago residents.