Research and Analysis

• MDC pursues an applied research agenda of synthesizing information, communicating it in an accessible way, and disseminating it aggressively.
  
• MDC identifies and analyzes economic, social, and political trends that affect the well-being of the South - especially its disadvantaged people and communities.
  
• MDC identifies and assesses the efficacy of strategies that overcome barriers, ease trauma, and exploit opportunities.
  
• MDC translates findings into comprehensible and actionable language, communicates it through a wide variety of means, including the media; print and electronic publications; and video, multimedia, and in-person presentations.
  
  

Policy Development and Implementation

• MDC translates its research findings and experiences in demonstration programs into actionable policy recommendations and communicates them to local, state, and national decision-makers.
  
• MDC organizes leadership constituency groups or identifies preexisting constituency groups to develop and implement policies and programs that reflect our findings and experience.
  
• MDC works intensively over the long term on a small number of promising issues where potential for institutionalization is high.
  
  

Demonstration Programs

• MDC works in partnerships with institutions and communities to tap indigenous knowledge and leadership abilities, transfer new knowledge, and build capacity to address multidimensional economic and workforce challenges over time.
  
• Key elements of MDC?s approach are detailed in Building Communities of Conscience - building a research-based conceptual framework to guide program and policy development; creating a leadership cadre to develop and implement strategies; creating a multiyear plan for strategic action; organizing indigenous learning communities to apply knowledge to difficult problems.
  
• MDC trains other institutions to undertake this technical assistance.
  
  

Communications

• MDC informs the public dialogue to influence decision-makers.
  
• MDC strategically targets audiences to whom we convey our messages, using a variety of communication vehicles to convey the messages, and cultivates the audiences over an extended period of time.
  
• MDC cultivates a strong culture and formal systems of learning, both internally and externally.
  
• MDC maximizes the impact of our work by documenting our experience and disseminating the lessons learned to key audiences.