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Research & Planning

Our Role

The Research & Planning Division works within the Department, County, and the community to find solutions to complex human service issues. The four overarching work areas of R&P include:

1. Informing our Community:

We support informed decision making by creating access to data and promoting quality data standards through:

  • Collecting, analyzing, and providing data
  • Writing and presenting reports and research
  • Conducting primary, secondary and best practices research
  • Legislative and policy analysis
  • GIS mapping

Read the Division’s latest reports.

2. Finding Solutions:

We support group processes that improve productivity and encourage collaborative problem solving and informed decision making through:

      • Planning, supporting, and participating in Department, County, and community collaborative group processes
      • Designing and facilitation of meetings and retreats
      • Developing and conducting workshops and trainings

The Research & Planning Division is involved in numerous community and department planning initiatives that include:

      • Aging services
      • Austin/Travis County Community Health Plan
      • Children’s Mental Health Plan
      • Austin/Travis County Success by 6 Coalition
      • Family Pathways
      • Food policy
      • Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Alliance of Central Texas (IDDACT)
      • Immigration Services
      • One Voice Central Texas
      • Substance Use Disorder Community Planning
      • Travis County Family Violence Task Force
      • Workforce Development master plan
      • Youth Community Planning

3. Ensuring Effectiveness:

We promote effective and transparent allocation of Travis County resources through planning, evaluation, and process improvement by:

      • Promoting and implementing performance measurement and evaluation processes and tools
      • Providing program- and performance-related technical assistance
      • Developing management and measurement tools
      • Designing and conducting surveys and focus groups

View the annual performance report of HHS Social service investments.

4. Social Service Investments:

We coordinate, plan, and implement social service investments that are strategic, targeted, and responsive to community needs through:

      • Assessing and scoping department issue area investment portfolios
      • Implementing procurement processes for community investments
      • Evaluating proposals and negotiating contracts
      • Overseeing programmatic and performance contract management

Social Service Investment Issue Areas include:

      • Access to Basic Supports
      • Behavioral Health
      • Child & Youth Development
      • Housing Continuum
      • Planning & Evaluation
      • Public Health
      • Safety Intervention Services
      • Supportive Services for Community Living
      • Workforce Development

Learn more about the HHS social service investment strategy.

Lawrence Lyman, Division Director

Phone: (512) 854-4278

5325 Airport Blvd. (3nd Floor), Austin, TX 78753 (Map)

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TAX RATE: TRAVIS COUNTY ADOPTED A TAX RATE THAT WILL RAISE MORE TAXES FOR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS THAN LAST YEAR’S TAX RATE. THE TAX RATE WILL EFFECTIVELY BE RAISED BY 3.5 PERCENT AND WILL RAISE TAXES FOR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS ON A $100,000 HOME BY APPROXIMATELY $9.12.