Intergovernmental Policy Analysis Program (Rec. Gr. 128)

Historical note

The Intergovernmental Policy Analysis Program (IPAP) was created in February 1978 by the University of Rhode Island as a means of improving the University's responsiveness to the needs of state government. IPAP, organized as a research unit under the Vice-President for Academic Affairs (later the Provost's Office), institutionalized the research relationships between members of the URI academic community and policy-making officials in Rhode Island state government by conducting research on issues and problems of state government, applying best practices and technical information to define problems, formulating policy and programmatic solutions, and planning for their implementation. The majority of studies were conducted for Rhode Island state agencies, but many were done for corporations, non-profit agencies, organizations, and government agencies outside the state, and addressed regional and national issues.

As a multidisciplinary research unit, IPAP was staffed by researchers with a variety of academic backgrounds, including those with experience in environmental engineering, business administration, community planning, and economics, among other fields. The Director of IPAP was Associate Professor Glenn Kumekawa, Chairman of the graduate curriculum of Community Planning and Area Development at URI. Kumekawa had previously served as Director of City Planning for the City of Warwick, R.I from 1958-1972, as Executive Assistant for Policy and Program Review to Governor Philip Noel of Rhode Island from 1973-1977, and as Executive Director of the Coalition of Northeastern Governors (CONEG) Policy Research Center from 1977-1979.

IPAP, aside from a portion of the Director's salary, did not receive its funding from the University, but acquired its operating funds through grants. The funds generated by the grants were used for operating costs, overhead, equipment, and supply costs. In 1997 due to competition from other firms and shrinking state grant funds, IPAP ceased operations.