Inforum Research Agenda, 2006-2007

Federal Agencies

Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

Office of the Chief Actuary (OCA) of CMS uses Inforum's LIFT model to help illustrate and project the industrial and economic implications of long-term (to 2080) increases in social and private medical expenditures. It also uses several inputs from LIFT for CMS's medium-term projections for National Health Expenditures. Inforum's work in these areas is used for OCA's reports to the Medicare Technical Panel which advises the Meidcare Board of Trustees.

Department of Defense (DOD)

One important function of the Program Analysis and Evaluation (PA&E) branch of the Office of Secretary of Defense (OSD) is to evaluate the effects of Defense spending on the U.S. economy. It accomplishes this through the use of Defense Employment and Purchases Projection System (DEPPS), which is developed, maintained, and operated by Inforum. Each year, DEPPS is used to compute the macroeconomic, industrial, regional and occupational implications of defense spending anticipated over the next five to six years. The resulting publication is distributed to federal decision makers, including members of Congress, and to the general public.

Department of Commerce (DOC)

The Economic and Statistics Administration (ESA) if the office within the DOC where economic and social changes are chronicled, understood, and explained. Economists at ESA use the LIFT and ILIAD models to counsel this analysis. Specifically, over the last year Inforum collaborated with ESA to produce studies on the economic and industrial effects of higher energy prices, immigration, and avian flu. These studies are often distributed to the public and used to counsel Commerce officials on these key issues.

Congressional Budget Office (CBO)

For a CBO report to Congress on the impact of container port closings, Inforum provided simulations of the effects on the U.S. economy of shutdowns of several west coast ports. The port closures would significantly affect the amount of freight sent and received by shipping containers.

Other U.S. Government Agencies (OGA)

Inforum builds and maintain interindustry-macroeconomic models for several foreign countries, including all of the U.S.'s major trading partners including China. These models are linked together via an bilateral trade model. Inforum has also created a model of China's regional economies. Government analysts use these tools to investigate global economic issues such as trade and energy use.

Private Sector

Securing America's Future Energy (SAFE)

SAFE is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization committed to reducing America's dependence on oil and improving U.S. energy security. In December 2006, SAFE proposed a comprehensive strategy for reducing petroleum demand, expanding the use of alternative fuels, and enhancing domestic petroleum supply. Inforum used the LIFT model to simulate the U.S. economic implications of this plan through 2030. The results of this study were used to brief the Senate Energy Committee as part of their deliberations on energy legislation.

Integra Information, Inc.

Developed and maintained a historical and forecast data base for the revenue generated by detailed (6 digit NAICS) industries.

Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH)

Using its international modeling system, Inforum investigated the impact on Southeast Asian nations of an extended closure of U.S. ports.

Centro de Estudios Economicos Tomillo (CEET), Madrid Spain

CEET is a major Spanish Economic think tank. Over the past year, Inforum assisted CEET with model development, a study on the global energy market, and simulations on the impact of America's Cup on the Spanish economy.