Often non-profit organizations choose to consult with local researchers who operate out of academic institutions. While Q2 is organized around academic experts, it operates independently, existing as a for-profit organization. This arrangement is often the most cost-effective one for providing research and consulting on social programs. The reasons include:

• Less expensive: Universities often take up to 50% or more of grants (“indirect costs”) in order to fund parts of the university infrastructure. That money is then unavailable for the research or evaluation project. Further, academic research typically requires time-consuming (and therefore expensive) review by Institutional Review Boards. Program evaluation that is not undertaken to produce publishable results is often exempt from such review, and is therefore less expensive.
  
  
• Professionalism: At times professors support graduate students by delegating primary project responsibilities to them. Inexperienced graduate students may not be the most appropriate people to oversee research activities. Q2 does not rely upon graduate students in this way.
  
  
• Real World Orientation: Professors usually hope to publish results from their research. Sometimes practical program needs take a back seat to the academic’s highly specialized concerns. Q2 does not typically mix its consultancy with academic work.