Land Acknowledgement

NPC Research is located on the ancestral homelands of the Willamette Tumwater, Clackamas, Mollala, Watlala, Multnomah, other Chinookan people, as well as the Tualatin Kalapuya who resided in what is now called Portland, Oregon. The Portland area continues to be a home to indigenous people from all directions; this legacy is apparent in a thriving Native community today. We are forever indebted to indigenous peoples for their stewardship of the land before there was a United States, as well as their continued leadership and advocacy for both their lands and their peoples who have endured the unimaginable with perseverance, strength, and resilience.

About

NPC Research provides quality social services evaluation, policy analysis, research, and training. We are dedicated to improving the effectiveness of human services offered to children, families, and communities. Our highly skilled staff work closely with community partners and policymakers to implement research strategies that provide timely answers to policy-relevant questions. To support staff in realizing our vision, we maintain a flexible friendly work environment that promotes staff well-being and fosters excellence, productivity, cultural responsiveness, and creativity.

Our Approach to Research and Evaluation

A team approach to project management and implementation enables us to offer clients access to a wealth of experiences and skills. Our research staff is skilled in:

  • evaluation research design
  • measurement development and testing
  • organizing and managing complex, multi-site projects
  • consultation and training for community-based programs
  • gathering and compiling archival and administrative data
  • quantitative data analysis
  • qualitative data analysis
  • program development

NPC Research strives to involve key program, community, and policy partners in the development, implementation, and interpretation of the research to ensure that information produced is timely, relevant, and useful. As facilitators, we provide technical assistance, feedback, and coordination throughout a project. Our collective experience in developing and implementing evaluation, research, and training projects has taught us to be aware of emerging complications and unexpected issues, and to solve problems creatively.

All employees at NPC have role in supporting our organization’s 4 core objectives:

  • Employee well-being
  • Quality in our work
  • Diversity, equity, and inclusion
  • Financial success
NPC Research Objectives

Our Cultural Responsiveness Guidelines

NPC strives to maintain a workplace conducive to cultural awareness, sensitivity, and respect. This applies to our relationships with co-workers and clients, and our approach to research and evaluation. To assist in this effort, staff are asked to consider the following guidelines, which are reviewed periodically to assess the guidelines’ relevance and degree to which we achieve these goals.

  1. Have a consistent, visible message regarding NPC’s organizational commitment to cultural responsiveness.
  2. Recruit, develop, and maintain a diverse staff.
  3. Provide a safe and supportive environment for all employees, where all staff members feel included and part of the NPC community.
  4. Promote and encourage education, awareness, growth, and professional development of individual staff.
  5. Understand and address the cultural context of our projects.
  6. Work with clients to gather and analyze data to assess outcomes across different groups.
  7. Commit to information sharing to promote cultural knowledge within our company.
  8. Review company policies and practices to assess the impact on diversity, equity, and inclusion goals.
  9. Ensure that NPC leadership continuously supports cultural responsiveness goals.
  10. Use an equity lens in our decision making and project work.

NPC has integrated Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion into its strategic plan and is working toward implementing strategies and initiatives that help us make progress toward this company objective.

NPC’s Evolution

Founded in 1989 by Dr. Michael W. Finigan, NPC Research (Northwest Professional Consortium, Inc.), began with a consortium model as Dr. Finigan collaborated with experts in the fields of crime prevention, substance abuse, and adolescent risk behavior, among other areas.

In January 2015 Dr. Finigan and his wife, Veronica Roth-Finigan, who was the company’s Vice President of Finance, retired after 25 years of service. NPC’s three Vice Presidents took over leadership of the firm through a collaborative management model as Co-Presidents. Each has specific responsibilities in addition to sharing overall leadership and management.

Dr. Shannon M. Carey
Co-President
Director of Development

Dr. Juliette R. Mackin
Co-President
Director of Quality and Training

Jerod M. Tarte, M.A.
Co-President
Director of Finance and Operations

NPC maintains the company focus on policy relevance and program improvement; dedication to high-quality services; cultural responsiveness; and being a family friendly, flexible, and caring workplace. These qualities reinforce employee engagement and commitment to our purpose and clients.