OUR MISSION
The Bureau of Governmental Research (BGR) is a private, nonprofit, independent research organization dedicated to informed public policy making and the effective use of public resources for the improvement of government in the New Orleans metropolitan area.
WHO WE ARE
BGR is an objective resource on local public policy. Since our founding in 1932, we have monitored and analyzed government policies, structures, finances and processes to identify critical issues requiring best-practice problem solving.
BGR transcends administrations and politics. We are governed by citizens and not part of, or controlled by, any government body. Our financial support comes from a mix of individuals, businesses and foundations. And our work remains independent of all of them. We are nonpartisan and do not endorse any candidates for public office.
WHAT WE DO
We are a constructive voice in the local policy landscape. Our program of work consists of two primary components: (1) monitoring local government and (2) public policy research and reporting. These components inform one another and sustain the cycle of our work.
Monitoring helps BGR to stay abreast of current issues, identify new issues and understand the dynamics that affect decision-making. Monitoring allows BGR to craft a highly relevant annual work plan. It also allows us to sound the bell when a government entity has strayed from the tenets of effective government.
Objective, nonpartisan public policy research is BGR’s hallmark. We uncover facts, frame issues and recommend solutions. We inform citizens, decision makers and the media about policy issues significant to the New Orleans area. Since 1932, BGR has issued more than 1,500 reports to improve government function. For decades, our work has laid the groundwork for government reform initiatives.
MAINTAINING OUR INDEPENDENCE
We safeguard the independence of our work at the staff and board levels. This includes a board-adopted BGR Ethics Policy Statement that requires recusal from discussions of reports and recommendations where an actual or perceived conflict of interest exists. Read the BGR Ethics Policy Statement here.
LOOKING FORWARD
In January 2018, BGR’s Board of Directors completed a strategic planning process and adopted a series of five vision statements to guide organizational behaviors and chart the course for excellence in the coming years. The vision statements address strategies to build BGR’s membership base, enhance communications to foster broader visibility and understanding of BGR’s work, improve implementation and measurement, engage more effectively with community groups to support implementation, and seek diversity to enrich BGR’s work. Click here to read the vision statements.
NATIONAL AWARDS
BGR is a member of the Governmental Research Association, the national organization for governmental research professionals. The association has presented BGR with more than 40 awards throughout its history. These awards have recognized BGR’s distinguished research, effective citizen education, distinguished service, research presentation and policy achievements.