Program & Project Support

At Lewis-Burke Associates LLC (Lewis-Burke) we appreciate the effort and the risks undertaken by clients when they develop, propose and invest their own resources and prestige in high risk, innovative, and potentially controversial state of the art research projects. Lewis-Burke has the knowledge and the experience to help in the successful advocacy of such ventures. Lewis-Burke can design and implement the strategy necessary to move a project through both the executive branch budget process and then the Congressional budget process so that funding is provided and the project moves forward. Equally important, Lewis-Burke’s experienced staff can help an organization anticipate and prepare for shifting budget and policy trends, allowing them to act rather than react to Federal policy changes.

Case Study

Establishing Support for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Flight Test Centers

Working on behalf of a university client, Lewis-Burke successfully crafted and executed a lobbying strategy to integrate an established Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Flight Test Center (FTC) into the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Flight Test Site program through the FAA Reauthorization Act extension. Leveraging understanding of the FAA reauthorization process and extensive knowledge of the university’s capabilities, Lewis-Burke drafted an amendment to the FAA Reauthorization Act, and developed a proposal for congressional delegation staff to use when discussing the request with Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee staff. The legislative proposal demonstrated the importance of the UAS FTC in the FAA Flight Test Site program, including its historical impact on and relationship with the FAA and UAS research, development, test and evaluation. Lewis-Burke complemented the lobbying strategy with outreach to the FAA to ensure effective implementation of the amendment. While the comprehensive reauthorization of the FAA was delayed, Lewis-Burke leveraged existing support for adoption of the UAS FTC amendment into the FAA authorization extension bill. The FAA extension, including the UAS FTC amendment, was signed into law in July 2016, integrating the university’s UAS FTC into the FAA Flight Test Site program.
Shepherding a Major Research Facility through Recompetition

After many years of successfully running a major federally funded research facility, a Lewis-Burke client faced a recompetition for the first time. The client felt confident that they had solid relationships with agency and key congressional staff, but needed assistance putting together a cohesive strategy. Working with the client, Lewis-Burke prepared and implemented a multi-year tactical plan that helped ensure successful recompetition. Execution of the plan included identifying key contacts at agencies and on governing boards for outreach ahead of the competition, working with congressional allies and agency contacts to foster favorable conditions for the solicitation that kept the facility intact, engaging in specific discussions and providing intelligence regarding potential competitors, providing feedback on draft proposals, securing congressional support for the bid, and monitoring and neutralizing potential political advocacy for competitors. Ultimately the client’s bid was successful and they will continue to manage the facility for the foreseeable future.
Protecting Teaching Hospitals from Disproportionate Impact of Cuts

Teaching Hospitals have a unique role. They not only train the next generation of healthcare providers in the use of cutting edge technology and treatments, but also provide care to safety-net patients throughout the United States. Over the last few years, as Congress and the Administration have considered various budget proposals to reduce the federal deficit, they have often proposed cuts without regard to the unique impact on teaching hospitals and the underserved populations these hospitals treat. Lewis-Burke has worked with clients to ensure that federal agencies, Congress, staff, and other relevant individuals understand the role teaching hospitals play in the healthcare infrastructure, and how proposals often disproportionately and unfairly impact teaching hospitals. For example, many congressional staffers did not take into consideration that cutting indirect medical education (IME), proposed in several budget measures, unfairly targeted teaching hospitals. Nor did they fully realize the complexity of this funding as payment for care provided to patients. Lewis-Burke helped clients develop a strategy to convey this message, and helped develop strategies to advocate against other funding reductions such as cuts to outpatient hospital departments.

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Program & Project Support

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SERVICES

Program & Project Support

Case Study

Contact Us