Public-choice incentive diagnostics
Mapping who pays, who decides, and who is rewarded across a program, agency, or association — then redesigning the measure so it tracks the mission.
Washington, DC
Public-sector incentive design in Washington, DC
Our DC practice works where incentives are written into law, budget lines, and procurement rules — the places where a well-meant rule reliably produces the behavior nobody wanted.
The Washington economy, read as an incentive system
Washington concentrates federal agencies, contractors, trade associations, think tanks, and nonprofits. Its defining feature is distance between the people who set the reward and the people who feel it — the classic principal-agent gap at national scale.
In DC, the metric usually becomes the mission. Programs are funded on obligation rates and activity counts, so teams optimize for spend and output rather than the outcome the statute intended. Goodhart's Law with a budget attached.
Services in Washington
Cultural Performance Audit™ for institutions
The same instrument used with corporate clients, tuned for civil-service constraints, union agreements, and appropriations cycles.
Board and association briefings
Closed-door sessions for boards, committees, and leadership councils working a specific policy incentive problem.
Where we work locally
Capitol Hill · Downtown DC · Dupont Circle · Foggy Bottom · Navy Yard · Arlington · Alexandria · Bethesda
Also serving
Maryland · Northern Virginia · Baltimore · Philadelphia · New York
Questions from Washington teams
Do you work with federal agencies and contractors?
Yes — agencies, contractors, associations, and nonprofits. Engagements are scoped to fit appropriations and procurement timelines.
Can you brief a board or committee in DC on short notice?
Briefings and half-day sessions can usually be scheduled within a few weeks. Full audits run four to eight weeks.
Other locations