Information Insights coordinated Fairbanks’ successful response to the Base Closure and Realignment (BRAC) Commission in 2005 when Eielson Air Force Base was listed among the military installations recommended for closure by the Department of Defense. Research by the Information Insights’ team helped build the case for keeping the base open. The team also coordinated planning for presentations before the BRAC Commission and helped orchestrate the large public turnout that filled the Carlson Center Arena during the public hearing.
Echoing the Constitutional Convention in 1956 and the first Conference of Young Alaskans (COYA) held in 2006, the 2009 conference included 55 delegates who addressed past, current, and future challenges and opportunities facing Alaska and her people. Momentum for the Conference was built through a multimedia-driven Forum of Young Alaskans held simultaneously in multiple communities around the state and an interactive project website.
Representing 26 communities, the COYA delegates deliberated on five topic areas: Economy, Government and Global Relations; Energy; Natural Resources and the Environment; Education and Leadership; and Healthy Communities. A number of COYA delegated presented their Conference report to the legislature.
Information Insights worked closely with the steering committee on all aspects of planning this event including venue selection, travel logistics for all delegates and speakers, shaping the Forum and the Conference, facilitation of the events, media coverage and publication of results.
Information Insights teamed up with the McDowell Group in both 2005 adn 2008 to measure the economic impact of the oil and gas industry in Alaska. The projects, commissioned by the Alaska Oil and Gas Association (AOGA), estimate the direct, indirect and induced economic impacts of oil and gas industry activity in the state. The 2005 study provided regional impacts for the Municipality of Anchorage, Fairbanks North Star Borough, Kenai Peninsula Borough, Matanuska-Susitna Borough, the City of Valdez, and “other” Alaska as well as for the state as a whole. In the 2008 study, regional impact information is also provided for the North Slope Borough.
Provided training logistics and scholarship processing for up to 7 sites throughout Alaska. Maintained a website for scholarship and registration information and prepared agenda and training materials for each session.
Provide social marketing to Ch’eghutsen’, a federal grant funded program that serves severely emotionally disturbed children and youth in Fairbanks and some Interior villages. Advertising created for the program won first place in competition among grantee social marketing efforts.
Between June 2002 and May 2005, Information Insights served as meeting planner and facilitator for a series of convocations that brought together the tribal Chiefs, Elders, often a youth representative, the Tribal Administrator, and senior staff of Tanana Chiefs Conference. The role of Information Insights included facilitating joint decision-making with the rest of the steering committee to determine when the invitations would be issued to the Tribes, how many people would attend, times and locations of events, refreshments, speakers, entertainment, structure of each day and desired results. Our staff then facilitated the two- and three-day conferences, provided meeting supplies, transcribed easel notes from breakout sessions, and produced reports.
In 2006 Information Insights collaborated with Macleod Institute, HDR Engineering and other partners on a Strategic Environmental Assessment for an Alaska Canada Rail Link. Information Insights assessed the social and economic impacts of linking Alaska’s rail system to existing railroads in Canada and the U.S. The assessment forms part of an initial scoping of issues that need to be understood by policy-makers and affected communities before deciding whether to move forward on the proposed Alaska-Canada Rail Link.
As a subcontractor for Lockheed Martin to the Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs in 2005, Information Insights provided data collection and documentation of current emergency communications systems in Alaska, followed by analysis and recommendations based on findings for actions that should be taken by the State of Alaska. Information Insights is again being contracted for implementation work in 2006.