Resources for the Future (RFF), founded in 1952, is a 501(c)(3) independent, non-profit research and educational organization that conducts work on a broad array of policy and economic issues concerning the environment, energy, natural resources, public health, and food safety and security. RFF provides research and analysis for the evaluation and improvement of international and U.S. programs to achieve their stated policy objectives. RFF helps develop process and productivity improvements in the administration of these programs. RFF routinely receives funding from the United States Agency for International Development, the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, the Global Environment Facility, the United Nations Development Programme, foundations, and other major funders of international environmental development assistance and support. RFF's mission is to provide research and analysis of the highest quality to help improve the present system by which our society addresses risks to human health and the environment. Its staff comprises more than 40 professional economists, policy analysts, lawyers, geographers, political scientists, and other social scientists. RFF also has professional staff responsible for finance and administration, computer support, communications, development, and library support, as well as its own book program, the RFF Press.

RFF researchers have proven expertise in:

Evaluating the pros and cons of alternative approaches to achieving policy goals
Iidentifying key implementation obstacles to achieving desired outcomes
Evaluating what data are needed to measure program performance
Estimating the costs and benefits of programs
Developing market incentive approaches to achieve desired energy and environmental policies
Developing tools for ranking the risks of different policy approaches.

Illustrative project activities

RFF researchers employ a range of approaches in their work, depending on the needs involved. These approaches include: developing the agenda and hosting workshops on emerging issues to help identify key issues and research needed to move forward on important policy and management objectives; conducting independent research and analysis of controversial issues and disseminating the products of this analysis to stakeholders and policymakers; developing policy options that are creative and yet grounded in the real-world constraints facing regulatory agencies and bodies; providing expert advice on substantive and methodological issues; developing surveys to gather reliable information about the costs and benefits of different programs and policies, proposed and implemented; and hosting major conferences to present the results of research on a range of issues. These skills allow us to conduct a wide-range of research and to bring unique insights to any single project.

www.rff.org