Ronald W. Schack

Adjunct Professor and Managing Director, Charter Oak Group, LLC

Ron Schack is Managing Director of Charter Oak Group, LLC., which provides decision support services to organizations that address specific public policy or service delivery issues. Ron holds a doctoral degree in Political Science from the University of Connecticut. His areas of expertise include public budgeting, resource allocation modeling, revenue forecasting, structural equation modeling, activity-based costing, performance measurement development, and multi-mode program evaluation.

Prior to co-founding the Charter Oak Group, LLC in 2000, Ron managed the performance measurement unit of the Connecticut Department of Labor. He has published articles on performance management in Public Administration Review and PA Times, and often presents at state and national conferences on performance measurement issues. Ron consults to federal, state, and local agencies on performance management, problem-solving, program evaluation and decision support issues.  Over the years, Ron has taught managerial statistics, research methods, program evaluation and public budgeting and financial management, most recently at Trinity College in Hartford.

Some of Dr. Schack’s recent projects include: an evaluation of a US DOJ Project Safe Neighborhoods project in New Haven and Bridgeport; a data analysis of 6 years of Hartford Summer Youth Employment data; developing an integrated approach to data collection and analysis of CT Project Longevity; creation of a population and system metrics report for the CT Juvenile Justice System, and acting as facilitator and analyst for the Hartford Data Collaborative.  Over a 10-year period, Dr. Schack also provided technical assistance to the CT General Assembly Appropriations Committee in applying Results-Based Accountability (RBA) to the CT State Budget Process.  Ron also provides on-going technical assistance to the USDOL Older Worker Program in developing their performance measurement and goal setting approach.

Dr. Schack recently completed a book, Confessions of a Data Scientist—Or Warrior Priest? Lessons from 25 Years of Data Science, Performance Measurement, and Decision Support.