Improving Government Efficiency: How RAND Research Can Help
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RAND is a trusted nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that conducts high-quality and objective research and analysis. We provide our clients in the federal government with the best possible information so that those decisionmakers can make the best possible decisions at their discretion.
While the contours of any study vary based on the client's needs and the nature of the policy problem, RAND findings and recommendations often result in efficiency gains—whether by helping a client anticipate and address an emerging risk, charting a path for government to move faster to seize a time-sensitive opportunity, or shining a light on potential cost savings.
Our long-running publication, Saving the Government Money, highlights some recent ways that research and analysis conducted by our federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs) have either already saved the government significant amounts of money or could do so if acted upon. These include
- preparing the U.S. Air Force's tanker fleet for future operations ($30 billion cost spike avoided between 2028 and 2038)
- better aligning military pay with the civilian market ($17 billion saved over ten years; potential to save billions more)
- helping the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) manage COVID-19 reimbursements for hospitals and health systems ($2.2 billion saved over two years; potential to save an additional $2 billion by 2026).
As of January 2025, we're developing a similar publication illustrating how RAND's social and economic policy research has saved the government money. We'll update this page once that publication is ready.
In the meantime, here are some examples where RAND research identified opportunities that, should decisionmakers choose to act on them, could address social or economic problems in a way that pays for itself—and sometimes even boosts the broader economy:
- RAND research quantifies the economic power of a good night's rest, finding that shifting to later school start times could add $83 billion to the U.S. economy within a decade. Researchers also find that insomnia may be costing the U.S. economy more than $200 billion per year in lost productivity.
- Our analyses add to the evidence that high-quality early childhood education can produce economic returns of $2 to $4 for every dollar invested.
- An influential 2014 RAND study finds that every dollar invested in correctional education could save nearly five dollars in reincarceration costs over three years.
- A 2017 RAND report finds that investments in supportive housing programs can produce a return on investment by saving health care and other social service costs.
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To learn about how RAND research can help in this area, use the contact form below or check out our Work with Us page to connect with a specific research division.