ABOUT US

What We Do

The Ochs Center is the only organization in the Chattanooga region that provides a full array of research and data analysis services for local non-profit organizations and local government:

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• Collects and analysis of administrative data from government agencies or non-profit programs

• Public policy and best practices research

• Survey design and analysis

• Roundtables and focus groups

• Program evaluation

• Economic impact analysis and modeling

• Budgetary and operational reviews

• Assessment of community conditions

History

The Ochs Center for Metropolitan Studies began serving the Chattanooga community as the Metropolitan Council for Community Services in 1962. The Metropolitan Council was the community’s first non-governmental health and human services planning agency. Acting as the planning arm for the local United Way, the Metropolitan Council was instrumental in the development of numerous community based efforts to provide services to children and the poor.

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In 2000, the Metropolitan Council became the Community Research Council (CRC). CRC provided data collection and analysis services to non-profit organizations and local government. In addition, CRC housed the Southeast Tennessee Neighborhood Information Service, which in 2004 produced a major study on literacy in Hamilton County.

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CRC became the Ochs Center for Metropolitan Studies in August 2008, to better reflect an increasing focus on policy issues that affect both the Chattanooga region metropolitan areas nationally.

Vision, Mission, and Values

Vision: 

“Empower organizations to better serve community needs.”

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Mission:

“Providing independent evaluations and research to inform decision making that impacts the way communities think, live, work, and interact.”

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Values:

• Accuracy

• Collaboration

• Objectivity

• Ethical Practices

• Equity