Public Opinion & Survey Science

The Public Opinion and Survey Science (POPSS) Research Team is an audience and public opinion research group within CZI that designs and executes first-party, rigorous social science research to understand different groups of people in service of CZI’s mission.

Working with teams across the organization and often directly with grantees, POPSS applies expertise in public opinion, survey science, and advanced statistical techniques to inform and accelerate CZI’s strategy and goals. The group also regularly advises CZI teams on the design and execution of complex surveys, public opinion research projects, and the evaluation of external research products.

2018 | POPSS experts regularly advise and collaborate with teams across CZI to design and execute complex social science research projects | Photograph by Solstock via iStock

How We Do It

POPSS informs and advances CZI’s strategy and goals through the following types of work:

Public Opinion Monitoring

Designing, executing and maintaining ongoing surveys that monitor shifts in attitudes and behaviors related to CZI’s program areas.

Deep Audience Understanding

Designing and executing qualitative and quantitative research to deeply understand how different groups of people feel or think about issues relates to CZI’s strategy and goals.

Public Will Building

Designing and executing research in close collaboration with CZI partners to inform evidence-based approaches to growing broad coalitions of support for CZI’s core issues.

Consulting

Serving across CZI as survey science and research methodology experts. This includes advising on partner and grantee research, analyzing external research products, advising on complex survey projects, identifying learning opportunities across CZI, and developing data-driven best practices to address challenges.

POPSS’ research, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing results in better outcomes in our work toward building a more inclusive, just, and healthy future for all.

Statewide Narrative Framework

A unifying, in-depth narrative can help advance efforts to improve housing affordability — and foster stronger collaboration between advocates. After nearly three years of deep listening, careful design, rigorous research, analysis, and iteration, CZI’s Public Opinion and Survey Science (POPSS) Team has identified an evidence-based narrative framework that is effective at engaging with California voters in support of housing reform. Learn more about our work, which advocates can utilize as a resource in their outreach, community conversations, neighborhood organizing, and more.

Learn More

Meet Our Team

Laura Lazarus-Gardner, PhD Director, Research Science

Adina Abeles, PhD Research Science Manager

Jonathon Baron, PhD Research Scientist