Economic and Policy Analysis

“What are the policy options?” “Who is affected?” “What are the costs and benefits?” We help decision-makers answer these questions using a multitude of decision tools, including financial and economic impact modeling, survey design and implementation, statistical analysis, and market and econometric modeling. We apply these tools to help decision-makers define policy options and evaluate the costs and benefits of these policies on economies, industries, communities, and individuals, as well as society as a whole. We have researched and developed plant, firm, industry, and market models covering every major industrial sector. From Coast Guard rules on shipboard waste disposal practices, to assessing the safety of imported pharmaceutical ingredients, to wage and hour rules, to offshore drilling practices, to studies of the costs and benefits of mammograms, we’ve been there. We also help academic institutions and other organizations measure their performance and profitability through productivity, operations cost, and revenue analyses. Our staff includes Ph.D. economists/econometricians, social scientists, survey experts, program evaluation specialists, and financial analysts.

Regulatory Impact Analysis and Rulemaking Support
  • Regulatory scope
  • Industry profiles
  • Baseline industry practices
  • Producer and consumer surplus estimation
  • Benefit identification and quantification
  • Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA)
  • Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)
  • Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA)/Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA)
  • Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA)
  • Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance
  • Executive Orders
    • 12866 and 13248 (Regulatory Review)
    • 12898 (Environmental Justice)
    • 13045 (Children's Health)
    • 13211 (Energy Supply, Distribution, and Use)
    • 13212 (Actions to Expedite Energy-Related Projects)
    • 13272 (Proper Consideration of Small Entities in Agency Rulemaking)
  • Public comment documentation, management, and response
  • Litigation support
Benefit-Cost Analysis
  • Marginal cost analysis
  • Distributional cost analysis
  • Life-cycle costing
  • Industry-specific tax considerations
  • Benefit identification and quantification
  • Benefit monetization
  • Present value analysis of benefits stream
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis
  • Efficient options
  • Marginal cost and effects
  • Cost and health impacts modeling
Financial Analysis
  • Discounted earnings before interest and taxes and cash flow analysis
  • Present value analysis
  • Affordability analysis
  • Corporate financial health
Statistical/Econometric Modeling and Analysis
  • Industry-specific market and multi-market models
  • Linear and non-linear regression modeling (using cross-sectional, time-series, and panel data)
  • Factor, principal component, and cluster analysis
  • Probability modeling
  • Simulation models
Input-Output Analysis
  • Direct effect inputs
  • Regional input-output modeling system
  • Community, regional, and national impacts
Data Collection and Management
  • Statistical survey and sample design
  • OMB clearance
  • Data collection (mail, phone, Web)
  • Data management
  • Focus groups
  • Expert elicitations
  • Data analysis
Ecosystem Service Valuation
  • Benefit transfers
  • Choice experiment modeling and contingent valuation
  • Stakeholder identification and assessment
  • Outreach to decision-makers


Service Area Leads

Photo of Susan Day

I always appreciate when our government clients ask us to help them quantify the benefits and costs of actions they are considering. The more complex assignments, such as accurately characterizing behavioral changes under multiple compliance scenarios, put a premium on our creativity and experience.

Susan Day

Calvin Franz

At ERG, our economic projects often take us into uncharted territory where standard, regularly collected data are few or unavailable and the analytic path to answer our client’s questions is not obvious. This is exactly where I like to be! I find it deeply satisfying to explore new territory, address unique challenges, and use my expertise and creativity to develop approaches that provide meaningful, defensible results.

Calvin Franz

Photo of Charles Goodhue

As an economist, I have come to appreciate that the qualitative context—including co-benefits, benefits distribution, environmental and health impacts, and social and political obstacles—can be as essential to decision-making as the numerical outputs. I enjoy working holistically with my government and community clients to determine how best to meet their needs and communicate the results.

Charles Goodhue

Lou Nadeau

Agencies tend to manage what can be readily measured, but with a large toolbox of analytical and data collection techniques and some creativity, so much more is possible! I am proud and inspired to apply my program evaluation and economic valuation expertise to help agencies manage better—by providing them with valid, reliable data to enhance decision-making and by effectively communicating this information to my clients, their stakeholders, and upper management. 

Lou Nadeau

Aylin Sertkaya

Economic analysis has been my field ever since my early 20s, when I first discovered its complexities, potential, and power. At ERG, I’ve had the good fortune to work with great colleagues and clients to research issues and develop solutions for a wide variety of highly consequential public health questions. It has been a consistent joy to do work that is not only impactful but also a path of continuous learning and deepening. 

Aylin Sertkaya

Photo of Mary Ziegler

As a longtime ‘policy wonk,’ I appreciate the foundational role that economic analysis plays in policy development. Understanding the likely impacts of proposed policies on society as a whole is critical to making good policy.

Mary Ziegler