Client Reports
Civic Consulting Alliance helps local government improve the quality of life for everyone in the Chicago region.
When our work leads to innovations that are important for other cities, governments or organizations, or when we are staffing public panels and commissions, reports are published.
We work “hand in glove” with our partners and clients, focusing on results.
2025
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First Year of Cutting the Tape: Laying the Foundation for Opportunity and Investment
May
A report on progress from the Mayor’s Cut the Tape initiative. More than 90% of the 107 report recommendations have been completed or are in progress. Key wins include strategic reforms to outdated zoning regulations that stifle development, streamlining approval processes by empowering departments to make administrative decisions, and consolidating review processes to move development along with greater expediency.
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Arts Education Plan 2.0: Cultivating Creativity
May
Chicago has long been a national leader in arts education, and with the release of the Arts Education Plan 2.0, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is taking another bold step forward to ensure arts for every student, in every school, across every neighborhood. Civic Consulting Alliance supported CPS to help define the approach, conduct a current-state and best practices analysis, and engage key stakeholders throughout the city to co-create the plan. Together with our pro bono partner, Zeno Group, we supported messaging and outreach to ensure voices from across the CPS community — students, families, educators, administrators, and arts partners — were central to the process. This plan lays out a forward-looking vision and a clear roadmap to expand access to quality arts education. We’re excited to see the impact it will have on Chicago. -
Community perspective on CPD: Synthesis of Focus Groups with Community Representatives
April
CPD sought input from established advisory, oversight, and advocacy partners (CPD District Advisory Council Chairs, Community Policing Advisory Panel Members, Community Commission for Public Safety & Accountability Commissioners, District Councilors, and the Consent Decree Coalition Members). Civic Consulting Alliance engaged 30 partners through interviews and focus groups. Members’ feedback included evaluation of the current state of community policing at CPD, desired future state mindsets and skillsets of officers, and opportunities for improvement, such as timely and proportionate responses to calls for service, a focus on de-escalation, as well as meaningful incident follow-up and community feedback processes. -
CPD member perspective: Synthesis of Focus Groups with Chicago Police Department Members
April
To gather perspectives from front-line Department members, Civic Consulting Alliance conducted interviews, surveys, and focus groups with nearly 150 CPD members across 15 districts to understand their current perceptions of community policing and perspectives on future implementation. CPD members at all levels shared their understanding of community policing, challenges that must be addressed to enable them to fully implement community policing practices, and suggestions to overcome these challenges. Many officers across the department appreciate the value of community policing as a department-wide way of work and describe it as demonstrating respect and professionalism, as well as engaging and developing solutions to problems facing residents. -
Black Student Success Plan
February
Chicago Public Schools (CPS) released its Black Student Success Plan, which sets a clear path forward for the next five years. The Civic Consulting Alliance team and a Protiviti pro bono fellow worked alongside community leaders to co-create and co-lead eight community roundtable discussions for CPS. As of March 2025, our team continues to support the Equity Office to develop a roadmap and project management structure to implement the Plan.
2024
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Mental Health System Expansion Working Group Report
May
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. -
Cut the Tape Report
April
The “Cut the Tape” Report includes over 100 recommendations to streamline the City’s processes and help speed up development for affordable and commercial housing options. Civic Consulting Alliance supported the process improvement initiative from the beginning.
2023
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People's Plan for Community Safety
December
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 (CMAP) are heading toward a fiscal cliff as emergency federal assistance is expiring and ridership remains below pre-pandemic levels. CMAP enlisted Civic Consulting Alliance to advise on a strategic approach for convening a cross-sector steering committee to develop transit recommendations. -
Building Bridges and Growing the Soul of Chicago
A Blueprint for Creating a More Just and Vibrant City for All
July
Civic Consulting Alliance was honored to support the creation of the report by providing stakeholder engagement strategy and guidance to the Transition Team.
2022
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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. These recommendations 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
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
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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. This foundational work supported the City in developing its Recovery Plan, which details the priority recovery initiatives it will pursue. -
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago Strategic Plan
2021-2025
June
Civic Consulting Alliance and our pro bono partners 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.
2020
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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
July
Civic Consulting Alliance and our pro bono partners are proud to have served a key role in coordinating the efforts of the cross-sector COVID-19 Recovery Task Force. 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
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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. -
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 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.
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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.
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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
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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. -
Residential Property Assessment in Cook County
February
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, CCA produced two accompanying reports:
Residential Property Assessment in Cook County - Assessment Transparency
Residential Sales Ratio Study of the 2018 Chicago Triad Assessment
2017
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South Suburban Economic Growth Initiative Phase 1 Report Executive Summary
July
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 succeed, or fail, together by recognizing and leveraging their connections. In this time of global economic transformation, neighborhoods and regions must find a linked path toward prosperity.
