Allio Consulting

Services and Support that Work for You
Allio Consulting provides a range of services that include — but are not limited to — Research and Evaluation, Program Design and Program Development and Strategic Facilitation.

Our services are designed to meet the unique needs and requirements of each of our clients. We will develop our work side by side with you to make sure it fits your needs and complements your strengths. From philanthropic scans for field building and grant making, to providing the design, programmatic and evaluative support you need — Allio Consulting provides the expert services and support that can allow your work to move to the next level.

Areas of Expertise
Our list of services details our expertise in the areas of research, assessment, and evaluation products; program design and development; strategic facilitation; and technical assistance and capacity building. In each of these areas we are dedicated to finding the right approach for you and provide you with a range of options. Please contact us to discuss your specific needs.

Research and Evaluation
Allio Consulting provides expert research support in a wide variety of areas utilizing an array of methodologies including:

• Case studies: Do you want to tell the story about your work or the work of a grantee? Is it important to track the unfolding of a program or initiative? A case study might be the right approach for you.
• Focus groups: Focus groups can enable you to get a quick sense of answers to your questions. Are you interested in learning from your grantees or your clients directly? We can design an appropriate focus group guide, conduct groups and prepare a report to your specifications.
• Mapping: Geographic Information Systems: Sometimes a map can tell a story that a report cannot. We integrate GIS analysis and other map-based tools into our work where appropriate and believe that maps are exceptional tools for managing and communicating information about place based issues.
• Policy Research: Do you need policy analysis that looks at an issue from the grass roots all the way to the highest levels of government. We are expert in political and policy analysis, with experience in analyzing policy issues and systems change domestically and internationally. With our analytical experience ranging from analysis of local policy implementation to national level policy change, we our confident we can find the right approach to answering your policy questions.
• Scans of the Field: want to have more information on what is happening in a particular sub-field of philanthropy? Are you interested in learning about best practices in a certain area? A scan consisting of literature review and/or primary interviews can be designed to fit your particular information needs.
• Community Research: Allio Consulting has supported the development of innovative community research approaches relying on popular education tools and community participation.
• Community Assessment: We have experience doing assessments in neighborhood and community contexts. These assessments are culturally sensitive, able to reach key stakeholders and integrate multiple perspectives.
• Organizational Assessments: Do you need an assessment of the internal strengths and opportunities for a particular organization. Allio consulting can work with you to develop the right assessment approach that results in information you can use to improve your work.
• Evaluation:
  • Evaluation Design — Allio consulting can design an evaluation and/or your evaluation RFP/RFQ. We are experts in formulating research approaches that take your learning goals into consideration.
  • Outcome Evaluation — Outcome evaluation requires particular focus and a mix of methods. We are able to work with our clients to clarify learning goals and that results in confidence in your outcomes and impacts.
  • Formative Evaluation — Formative evaluation allows you and your grantees to learn as you are implementing your work. This allows for real time improvement and a better programmatic result.
  • Participatory Evaluation — if you are committed to participation and partnership in evaluation, we can structure an evaluation process with significant and meaningful participation and input from those whose work is being evaluated. This can amplify learning opportunities and ensure that your results reflect the perspectives of key stakeholders.

Program Design and Program Development

• Program Design: Are you trying to create a program that will better fulfill your mission? Are you trying to have impact on a particular issue, but you are uncertain how to best achieve that? Allio Consulting can partner with you to design new programs and develop current ones to achieve your grantmaking or program goals. We start with a clear understanding of your vision and then work to provide you with the right information, key insights and program options that will allow you to make the best decisions. We pride ourselves on being able to bring voices from the field, social science information, best practices, and solid research and analysis to the table to support your program. We can provide this type of strategic design and developmental support in a way that is discrete, practical, and utilitarian. We can help you to operationalize your vision.
• Program Development: Is a current program of yours stuck? Do you have an effective program that you would like to take to the next level? We can do an analysis of your program and suggest funding, capacity building, programmatic, evaluation or other strategies that can move your program moving towards further success.
• Participatory Program Design and Development: Do you want to design or further develop a program hand in hand with program participants? Allio Consulting has an excellent combination of facilitation skills and programmatic skills that can achieve results from a participatory process.

Strategic Facilitation
Allio Consulting provides skilled facilitation in a variety of settings. With certification in consensus based facilitation and graphic facilitation we can work with you to make sure that your meeting, whether it is large or small, achieves your desired goals and outcomes. We are particularly good at engaging groups from multiple backgrounds in effective participatory conversations using a variety of techniques.

• Meetings and Convenings: We can help you design and facilitate your next conference or meeting.
• Board Retreats: Is your board facing key decisions that require an outside facilitator to lead the conversation. We work with you to design approaches to board retreats that result in shared vision and board commitment.
• Strategic Planning Facilitation: We can provide simple approaches to complex strategic planning challenges that will quickly and effectively move your organization forward in its planning process.
• Foundation Planning Retreats: Is your organization setting out in a new direction? Developing new strategies or initiatives? We can facilitate planning retreats that keep you and your staff engaged and which result in the kind of outcomes you need.
• Consensus Building Facilitation: We are trained in ICA facilitation and consensus based techniques. This involves all participants in creating a common vision and a common result. This can be particularly important where diverse stakeholders are being brought together.
• Visual Practice: We are committed to bringing in visual practice into our work where appropriate. From graphic facilitation to popular education techniques, we believe that visual engagement will result in better meeting results and more intense participation and buy in from meeting participants.