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• Open request queue for briefings and reports.
  • Learn more about open request topics and potential presentation dates.
• Policy briefing request volume.
  • Review requests for policy briefings, which individual councilmembers can request.
• Analysis and report request volume.
  • Review requests for policy reports, which a majority of council can request.
• Completed briefings and reports.
  • Review all completed briefings and reports from the City Auditor’s Policy and Research Division.

Terms to know

Policy briefings

• May be requested by an individual council member.
• Intended to provide preliminary research or estimates to councilmembers and staff in support of reviewing a range of options on a subject or identifying where items may align with legislative goals.
• Information may include an initial assessment of comparative data, potential barriers, and potential options. 
• Intended to:
  • Provide information as the first step towards possible legislation.
  • Address general questions.
  • Cover an issue brought to a councilmember by a constituent or other party.

Research reports

• Initiated by a majority vote of Council or Council Committee(s).
• May cover topics being brought forward to, or reviewed by, the City Council.
• May include public presentations, data visualizations, or interactive data dashboards.
• Content will vary depending on Council Member needs.
• Reports may include the following types of content:
  • Scoping:
    • Analysis of the feasibility, opportunities, and potential barriers to realizing a specific policy or program goal.
  • Landscape analysis:
    • Overview of similar policies/programs in other localities, applicable lessons learned and/or good practices.
    • For example: Comparing MPD organization, staffing, and capacity to other police departments under consent decrees.  
  • Opportunities assessment:
    • Estimate of required resources to implement specific policy/program, analysis of potential impacts.
    • For example: Estimating potential impact of TOPA on housing affordability, real estate market, and racial gaps in home ownership.
  • Case study:
    • Assessment of effectiveness, impacts, and lessons from one or two comparable policies/programs.
    • For example: Comparing and contrasting results of St Paul and Minneapolis' approaches to auto theft.

Source of data

Individual research reports and policy briefings are on the City's public website.

View the City Auditor research reports and policy briefings