BETHESDA, MD – Manhattan Strategy Group (MSG), a social sciences and management consulting firm based in Bethesda, MD, had a record year, which MSG executives credit to the company’s adoption of “social capitalism,” a business philosophy that emphasizes mission and meaning over profit maximization.

Shezad Habib, MSG Founder, President and Managing Director, describes social capitalism as “a non-transactional connection of people to purposes that contribute to societal improvement.” Organizations with mission-driven employees foster loyalty and interdependence and strengthen internal and client relationships. Companies that apply social norms in a business setting often achieve great... read full article

MSG has been awarded Blanket Purchase Agreements with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), Department of Labor, and Department of Education. Awards include:

National Endowment for the Arts’ Research & Evaluation Services BPA

• NEA has pledged “to promote public knowledge and understanding about the contributions of the arts.” In pursuit of this mission, MSG will pursue task orders to identify and cultivate new and existing data sources in the arts; investigate the value of the U.S. arts ecosystem and the impact of the arts on other domains of American life; and elevate the public profile of arts-related research. Work may include research and analysis services ... read full article

MSG has been awarded the Department of Labor’s “Evaluation Support” Task Order under the Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA). This opportunity provides logistical and evaluation support to CEO in leveraging existing data and expertise to assemble knowledge and answer questions of interest to the Department.

Under this work, MSG will facilitate the identification of topics (such as on programs and policies of interest to the Department; methodological advancements in social science research and evaluation; and knowledge gaps in the evidence base); assemble expertise relevant to the topic; plan and convene meetings, symposiums, or other opportunities to buil... read full article

MSG has been awarded the Department of Health and Human Services’ “Peer-Based Training and Technical Assistance” contract. This opportunity seeks to sustain and broaden a peer-based network that builds upon the promising employment, economic security, and family well-being strategies administered by TANF programs and partners. The “PeerTA” contract will support state, tribal, and local TANF programs in adopting innovative and comprehensive approaches to work preparation for TANF participants.

Under this work, MSG will provide evidence-informed, direct and timely technical assistance to state, tribal, country and territory TANF programs and partners on predetermined or reactive topic... read full article

MSG has been awarded the Department of Education’s “Supporting Excellence in Adult Education” (SEAE) contract. This opportunity will enable OCTAE to recognize and disseminate effective practices in adult education that reflect statutory requirements, administration priorities, and result in meaningful outcomes for participants.

Under this work, MSG will create a process for identifying high performing adult education programs based upon data-driven criteria derived from Departmental priorities, vetting and selecting programs, recognizing the successes of the selected programs, and then disseminating information about their successes to adult education stakeholders.

MSG has been awarded the Department of Education’s “National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition and Language Instruction Educational Programs” (NCELA) contract. NCELA is the premier dissemination vehicle within the Department of Education’s Office of English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement and Academic Achievement for Limited English Proficient Students (OELA). Its purpose is to support State and local implementation of Title III by serving as a centralized source of information on the education of children identified as English learners.

To advance this mission, MSG will leverage the Clearinghouse to increase state capacity to improve English Learner student ... read full article

MSG has been awarded the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s “Extent of Trafficking in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: 2015-2017”. Although SNAP retailer trafficking does not increase costs to the Federal Government, it is a diversion of program benefits from their intended purpose of helping low-income families purchase nutritious food. This study will update the series by calculating the retailer trafficking estimates for the period spanning 2015-2017.

Under this work, MSG will update retailer trafficking estimates by generating the “current” estimates for the period spanning 2015-2017 and produce the eighth report in the series on retailer trafficking estimates.

MSG has been awarded a 5-year technical assistance (TA) contract with the U.S. Department of Education through the EDTASS contract vehicle to support the Statewide Family Engagement Center (SFEC) project. The SFEC program seeks to promote high-impact cradle-to-career family, school, and community engagement by funding centers that build the capacity of all stakeholders, including families, State Education Agencies (SEAs), Local Educational Agencies (LEAs), school-level staff and personnel, and community-based organizations to engage in effective partnerships that support student achievement and school improvement and increase the number of high-quality educational options available to fam... read full article

MSG has been awarded the U.S. Department of Labor’s “National Veterans Technical Assistance Center” (NVTAC) contract. The Center provides technical assistance, support, and training to Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program (HVRP) grantee staff and provides Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) staff with subject matter expertise and technical assistance in developing effective approaches to serving homeless veterans; establishing linkages with other entities with similar interests and concerns; and identifying underserved areas and subpopulations of homeless veterans.

MSG will support NVTAC by providing technical assistance designed to increase grantees’ ability to est... read full article