Florida Institute of Research & Education, Inc.    850.723.7200

Organizational members at all levels come to an understanding of their stake in both problems and solutions. At the Florida Institute of Research & Education [fire-HELP], we offer concrete advice concerning implementation processes that lead to critical change and enhancement of an organization's operations. The outcome of this strategy is that the client has the tools to continue successful operations long after our involvement.

Members of an organization know best the nature of their operations-- what works and what does not. Our approach capitalizes on this knowledge with an intensive information-gathering initiative to begin any project, drawing on the expertise and insight of individuals at all levels of the organization. We also look at the community as a whole; gathering information on the community's expectations and the social, political and legal environments. We develop a detailed profile not only of the current organization and challenges, but also with a view toward the future as it should be after the intervening changes. With these "before" and "after " sketches, we help organizational leaders diagnose their challenges with enhanced information and begin to map creative processes for organizational improvement.

Because a fire department's ultimate purpose is to serve its customers, our work focuses on change in organizational tasks, structures, processes, and labor/management relationships that lead to enhanced service provision. Thus, identifying the needs of internal and external customers and developing structural systems become critical parts of our approach to various projects. We take an approach to analysis and planning, integrating a variety of tools into the process.

With a variety of well-targeted recommendations, we help clients realize the transforming goals they set for themselves in ways that will sustain them long after the initial project is formally completed.