Our Services & Approach

Monitoring Evaluation & learning

Aurora has developed years of expertise in leading and supporting Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning processes. As social scientists, Aurora dovetails high level complex primary source data gathering and evaluation methods with pragmatic actionable policy recommendations.We tailor our evaluation methods specific to each client and each project, taking into consideration the complexities of project’s socio-political landscape. 

Aurora has conducted evaluations for European Union institutions, UN agencies, U.S. government agencies, as well as many non-governmental organizations and global nonprofits.

When leading global evaluations, the Aurora team oversees all aspects of the evaluation, including:

  • Evaluation design and methodology 

  • Drafting of an inception report, including evaluation matrix data sources and sampling methods 

  • Generate data collection tools, including interview guides, focus group discussion template, and survey questionnaires 

  • Conduct primary source research, both in-country and remotely 

  • Conduct data analysis of primary and secondary source data 

  • Conduct out briefing presentations and workshops with stakeholders on data collection

  • Draft final evaluation report, incorporating feedback from implementing partners, beneficiaries and relevant stakeholders 

Examples of Our Work:

Aurora has experience with both quantitative and qualitative evaluation approaches and employs a whole-systems approach that can capture system dynamics, inter-dependencies, and emerging interconnections to produce context-specific program results. Recent Aurora work includes final evaluations for human rights and governance programming in Nigeria, Sri Lanka, and Ethiopia.

Grant Writing & Development

The best grant proposals come from organizations who can synthesize data as a means to show how their program offers a theory of change. Aurora can help you analyze public health, human rights, and justice sector data to develop targeted programming solutions for communities. Bringing data alive is the core of our work and we can help you develop award winning proposals in a timely and efficient manner.

Examples of Our Work:

Dr. Katie McLain worked with an international NGO to highlight trends, metrics, best practices and effectiveness of U.S. Department of State funded programs as well as recommendations for improved grant compliance. As part of this work Dr. McLain developed a tool kit for grant writing and management, specifically tailored to US government funding. The final tool kit was designed to target both grant writing basics as well as internal grant management within the organization. As part of the internal management this included operational policies and procedures for compliance with grant requirements.

Dr. McLain has also worked with organizations across Montana to build consensus with coalitions as they plan for federal funding applications. She served as the lead grant writer for numerous projects including a continuum of care project on homelessness initiatives, a family drug court grant, and opioid prevention & treatment grants.

Strategic Planning

Aurora works with organizations in strategic planning of organizational goals and future opportunities. We help clients generate new data to strategically guide decisions about strategic planning, funding needs and opportunities. Our support includes conducting needs assessment, developing theories of change and logic models, and designing metrics to inform program decisions.

In our strategic planning work, Aurora helps organizations: 

  • Create and design new internal and external strategic objectives 

  • Highlight key opportunities both in the democracy, human rights and governance sector

  • Ascertain organizational progress in advancing and externally communicating their key offerings and value added in the industry  

  • Identity coordination needs between headquarters and country offices for global programs 

  • Assess how the client is working to address key operational challenges

  • Identify opportunities for improving strategic planning and implementation processes in future initiatives  

Examples of our work:

Aurora principals have been thought partners to U.S. government agencies, donors, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on evidence-based program strategy, management, and learning. Both Dr. McLain and Dr. Rainer have worked closely with organizations during all stages of their program cycle: including conducting needs assessment; designing theory of changes and strategic frameworks; and developing results-oriented metrics and analytical tools. 

Applied Research

Our comprehensive scholarship and applied research endeavors to build knowledge in the field of international relations, gender and human rights, and global security.

Examples of Our Work:

Dr. Rainer serves as the Principal Investigator for multiple applied research projects in the areas of democracy, governance and human rights. Dr. Rainer is part of an ongoing research network based out of the University of Gothenburg, Sweden called “Gender and Diplomacy.” This group recently submitted work for publication with the Hague Journal of Diplomacy. 

Dr. Rainer celebrates with student Dr. Isabelle Vladoiu, a prominent international human rights advocate based in Washington, D.C., when she was awarded the 2025 Dr. Wallace E. Boston Leadership Award by American Public University.