Curtis Consulting - Needs Assessment & Evaluation

Jennifer Curtis has played an instrumental role in shaping our agricultural work at World Wildlife Fund. Her skills in project design and management are numerous and include quality research and documentation, thoughtful analysis and effective presentations. She is a valuable emissary for the environmental community, facilitating trust-building and direct dialogue with farmers and other agricultural stakeholders. And, on top of all that, she’s a lot of fun to work with.

Sarah Lynch
Senior Program Officer
World Wildlife Fund

Taking the time to assess the needs and feasibility of a project creates the opportunity to strategically tighten a project's focus. It identifies and builds the commitment of key stakeholders. Articulating measurable benchmarks from the outset ensures effective documentation of project outcomes and selection of appropriate evaluation tools. Evaluation supports continuous improvement and assists with accountability and future funding.

Cabarrus County Food Systems Assessment

On behalf of the Center for Environmental Farming Systems, Curtis Consulting is working with Durham-based agriculture writer/researcher, Sidney Cruze, to develop a comprehensive assessment of Cabarrus County’s existing food system and opportunities for supporting growth in the local food economy in the region.

Southeastern Rivers & Streams Agricultural Assessment

In 2002, Curtis Consulting conducted a feasibility assessment to determine the potential for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to work with agricultural partners in the southeastern rivers and streams eco-region (part or all of Tennessee, Alabama, and Kentucky). The assessment involved meeting with the client to understand opportunities and constraints, a literature review to provide background information about agricultural production and water quality concerns within the eco-region and interviews with stakeholders to better understand likely partners. Curtis Consulting sub-contracted with colleague, Danyelle O’Hara, to conduct research and prepare a final report.

The Food Alliance

The Food Alliance—a nonprofit organization that conducts certification and consumer marketing of sustainably grown products hired Curtis Consulting in 1997 to conduct a confidential evaluation of the environmental content of their standards and overall eco-label certification program. The assessment involved development of criteria to evaluate the credibility and integrity of TFA’s environmental claims. It also involved a survey of major national environmental organizations to better understand their needs for environmental performance within eco-labeling programs.

More strategic plans and feasibility assessments from Curtis Consulting.