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Abt Global

Website:

www.abtglobal.com/
Tax ID:

04-2347643
Type:

Private Research Firm
Formation:

1965
Founder:

Clark Abt
President & CEO:

Kathleen Flanagan
DUNS:

05-8595539

Contact InfluenceWatch with suggested edits or tips for additional profiles.

Abt Global, formerly Abt Associates, is a for-profit research and consulting firm founded by Clark Abt that contracts for governments and private entities. 1 The firm undertakes contracts and research in areas such as healthcare and energy development in over 50 countries. 2 3 Abt Global has received over $2 billion from federal agencies, primarily the U.S Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), 4 and state governments for domestic research and project management in education, housing and homelessness, health care economics, environmental issues, 5 workforce training,6 and criminal justice. 7

It has also received grants for research from left-of-center nonprofits and foundations including the Open Society Institute funded by George Soros as well as the Gates Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. 8 9 10 11

History

Clark Abt started Abt Global as Abt Associates in 1965. The company has been a contractor from the beginning: Its first projects included government contracts for developing educational games for elementary students and computer simulations for military planning.1

Abt Associates grew substantially with the federal government as a major client. Among the federally funded domestic projects was the 1972 Housing Allowance Demand Study commissioned by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which was used to develop the Section 8 housing voucher program. Abt Associates completed the 1974 National Day Care Costs and Effects Study on child-teacher ratios in day cares. 1

The company also performed environmental studies beginning in 1987 for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Water, a 1993 study for the Justice Department on the racial disparities in federal drug crime sentencing, a 1996 evaluation of welfare-to-work programs, a 1999 national immunization survey for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and a 2004 study for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases on behavioral intervention efforts on gay men in preventing the spread of HIV. 1

Abt Associates also completed several Annual Homelessness Assessment Reports for HUD beginning in 2006, a series of studies for the CDC on possible connections between vaccines and autism beginning in 2007, and a 2008 assessment of the National Healthy Start Program for the Maternal and Child Health Bureau.5 In 2010, it completed a study for HUD indicating billions of dollars were needed to repair U.S. public housing.12

The federal government also contracts with Abt Global to manage and evaluate foreign aid projects. In 1983, Abt contracted with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to manage an agricultural project in Honduras. It managed 50 more projects for USAID over the next 15 years.5 In 2003, it won a contract to restore Iraq’s health care system.13 In 2005, it received more than $6 million to manage and consult on AIDS-related projects in Africa, Vietnam, and the Caribbean.14

In 2024, Abt changed the name of the company from Abt Associates to Abt Global. 15 Abt Global also acquired TSPi, an IT solutions company whose customers include the U.S. Navy, the Internal Revenue Service, the Food and Drug Administration, the United States Department of Agriculture, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Department of the Treasury. 16 17

Activities

Abt Global’s primary areas of operations include “Economic Growth,” “Social and Economic Policy,” “Housing and Asset Building,” “Health,” Governance,” “Education,” and “Environment and Energy.” The group operates in over 50 countries. 2 3

Abt Global has primarily focused on performing contract work for federal domestic programs. It has helped to update the Federal Justice Statistics Program for the Bureau of Justice Statistics, as well as helping to evaluate HUD’s programs. 18 19 In 2018, it performed a study for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services about the use of telemedicine to combat fatigue in doctors monitoring intensive care units.20 It performs evaluations about the quality of apprenticeship and other workforce training programs for the U.S Department of Labor. 6 Abt Global also provides research in support of clean water litigation by the U.S. Department of Justice. 21

Abt Global continues to receive federal contracts to manage and evaluate foreign aid programs. It also completed an evaluation of the Indonesia Compact, a project of the Millennium Challenge Corporation to produce “green prosperity” in Indonesia through green energy and land management.22 It established a program in Central America to get banks to loan money to “green energy” firms. One feature of the program is that the loans are partially guaranteed by the U.S. taxpayer.23 In 2015, it began competing for contracts to provide various services to the CDC’s Center for Global Health24 It manages a project for USAID to expand access to health care and health coverage in Senegal.25 USAID also pays it to manage a project to help West African countries develop food security and reduce poverty through trade.26 It manages a joint project funded by USAID and Jordan to improve health service delivery in Jordan.27 USAID has also contracted Abt Global to help Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan adapt to climate change and factor it into their development.28

Abt Global contracts with state governments. It completed a cost/benefit analysis of a Massachusetts welfare-reform program29 and a study of air quality and health outcomes for ten states in the northeast in 2016.30

In 2017, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services launched BEES, a program aimed at researching and addressing unemployment. BEES is led by MDRC, which is assisted by Abt Global and MEF Associates. 31

Abt Global led the Mongolia Energy Governance program of USAID in 2022. The program is aimed at bolstering and diversifying Mongolia’s energy infrastructure. The program had the additional goal of addressing “the underrepresentation of women as leaders and decision-makers.” The point of the program was to “build broad coalitions around politically sensitive reforms and promote self-reliance in Mongolia by bolstering energy sector governance,” according to Abt Global. 32

Sometime in late January or early February 2025, Abt Global changed its website regarding “Inclusive Economic Growth.” Prior, Abt Global’s website had a tab labeled “Inclusive Economic Growth,” which stated “Abt Global collaborates with national governments, smallholder farmers, and business associations to fully engage women, youth, and other disadvantaged individuals, multiplying economic opportunities for all,” according to an archived version of the page. 33 After the change, the tab was renamed “Economic Growth,” which states “Abt Global collaborates with national governments, smallholder farmers, and business associations to fully engage individuals and communities, multiplying economic opportunities for strong societies.” 34

Controversies

Prior to its name change in 2024, Abt Global, then known as Abt Associates, acquired Stratus Consulting, an environmental consulting firm, in 2015.35 In 2011, Stratus had helped win an $18 billion award against Chevron on behalf of Ecuadorean Amazon villagers for ground water pollution caused by oil drilling in the 1970s. Stratus ghost wrote an Ecuadorian “independent” investigator’s scientific analysis of the damage. When Chevron sued Stratus for fraud and racketeering, Stratus recanted its research on the groundwater damage.36 Stratus’s 2004 $8.9 billion estimate of Exxon’s environmental damage to New Jersey was also questionable. When New Jersey settled with Exxon in 2015 for $225 million, Abt Associates defended Stratus’s original valuation of the damages.37

In 2012, Abt Associates, with several other research organizations, evaluated the effectiveness of the federally funded Head Start program. When the study’s results showed that Head Start was largely ineffective,38 one of the study’s authors, Abt researcher Stephen Bell, warned against “presuming studies that fail to prove program effectiveness have proved program failure.”39

Abt Global also uses lobbyists to advance its interests in Congress. It has hired outside lobbying firms40 and employed at least one in-house lobbyist, Jeffrey Lubell, who was to “lobby and educate policymakers on how to solve ‘the nation’s pressing housing challenges.’”41 In 2022, Abt Global, at the time known as Abt Associates, contracted BGR Group, a lobbying firm, paying $180,000. 42 43 On behalf of Abt Global, BGR Group participated in lobbying the Agency for International Development (USAID) which awarded $107 million in federal funds to Abt Global in 2022. 44 45

Abt Global provides technical assistance for the Climate Economic Analysis for Development, Investment, and Resilience (CEADIR) program for USAID. CEADIR encouraged banks in El Salvador to loan money to environmentalist energy businesses. CEADIR gives partial loan guarantees to these banks using U.S. taxpayer dollars through the USAID’s Development Credit Authority. Abt Global has expanded the CEADIR program other Central American countries and Bangladesh46 and plans to expand it to to East and West Africa, using more U.S. taxpayer dollars to guarantee loans to these businesses.47

Funding

Abt Global has what has been described as “a long and lucrative history as a contractor for the U.S. government.” Its revenues from the federal government have grown rapidly. From 1990 to 2002, it was awarded more than 400 government contracts for which it received more than $900 million, averaging about $70 million annually.48 Between 2009 and 2014, it received $1,559,667,491 in federal contracts, or about $259 million a year.49 In 2017, Abt Associates received $311,191,000 in federal contracts.50

Abt Global has received $2.2 billion in federal awards from 2,364 transactions as of January 2025. The majority of these federal awards to Abt Global were from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), followed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). 4 In fiscal year 2024, Abt Global received $309 million in federal awards. 51

Abt Global has received income from market research. It was named as one of the top 25 research firms by the American Marketing Association with reported revenue of $147.2 million in market research for 2017 receives a significant income from market research. It was named as one of the top 25 research firms by the American Marketing Association with reported revenue of $147.2 million in market research for 2017.52

From 2010 to 2012, Abt Global, then known as Abt Associates, received $8 million from the Open Society Institute. 8

Abt Global has also received funding from nonprofit organizations including the Rockefeller Foundation, Johns Hopkins University, the Education Development Center, the Gates Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and the Ford Foundation. 53 54 55 9 10 11

People

Abt Global has over 3,500 members operating in over 50 countries. 56

Founder

Clark Abt founded Abt Global, then known as Abt Associates, in 1965. Prior to that he graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with an engineering degree in 1951, Johns Hopkins University with an M.A. in English in 1952, and a Ph.D from MIT in political science in 1965. Prior to founding his company, Abt worked as an engineer for Bechtel Corporation, the U.S. Air Force, and the Raytheon company. He was also president from 1965 to 1985, and then chairman of the board from 1986 to 2005. 57

President and Chief Executive Officer

Kathleen Flanagan has been president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Abt Global since 2009. She first worked for Abt in 1983 as a health policy analyst. She later worked in Abt’s Labor Economics Research Area, started the International Workforce and Education Practice and Housing and Community Revitalization practice, and became group vice president for social, economic, and health policy in 2005.58 Flanagan is a board member of the Maryland World Trade Center Institute and the Professional Services Council (PSC). She is also a founding member and former president of Jobs Have Priority. 59

References

  1. “Who We Are.” Abt Associates. Accessed July 13, 2018. https://www.abtassociates.com/who-we-are.
  2. “Today at ABT.” Abt Global, January 22, 2025. https://www.abtglobal.com/today-at-abt.
  3. “Where We Work.” Abt Global. Accessed February 3, 2025. https://www.abtglobal.com/locations.
  4. USAspending.gov. Accessed January 25, 2025. https://www.usaspending.gov/recipient/4b2f02c9-273a-8c69-ef1f-2e98bf47f78b-C/all?section=overview.
  5. “Who We Are.” Abt Associates. Accessed July 31, 2018. https://www.abtassociates.com/who-we-are.
  6. “How Can the U.S. Help Workers Get Jobs?” Abt Associates. Accessed August 07, 2018. https://www.abtassociates.com/projects/how-can-the-us-help-workers-get-jobs.
  7. “Federal Justice Statistics Program (FJSP).” Abt Associates. Accessed July 16, 2018. https://www.abtassociates.com/projects/federal-justice-statistics-program-fjsp.
  8. “Open Society Institute,” Return of Private Foundation Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990 PF) 2010, 2011, and 2012. Part XV Line 3.
  9. “Gates Foundation,” Return of Private Foundation Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990 PF) 2021. Page 11 Part XIV Line 3.
  10. “Grants Database: Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.” Home. Accessed January 25, 2025. https://sloan.org/grants-database.
  11. “Grants Database.” Ford Foundation. Accessed January 25, 2025. https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grants-database/?search=abt%2Bassociates.
  12. “Abt Finds Billions Are Needed To Renovate Aging Public Housing.” Abt Associates. June 28, 2011. Accessed July 16, 2018. https://www.abtassociates.com/projects/abt-finds-billions-are-needed-to-renovate-aging-public-housing.
  13. “Turning on the Lights.” The Washington Times. May 31, 2003. Accessed July 16, 2018. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2003/may/31/20030531-112935-6451r/.
  14. Varsalona, Devin. “Abt Associates.” Center for Public Integrity. May 19, 2014. Accessed July 17, 2018. https://www.publicintegrity.org/2006/11/30/6391/abt-associates.
  15. Houleymata, Dr. Diarra, and Kathleen Flanagan. “Impact.” Abt Global. Accessed February 3, 2025. https://www.abtglobal.com/impact.
  16. “Abt Global Acquires TsPI, Expanding Digital Capabilities and Expertise to Accelerate Client Success.” Business Wire, May 16, 2024. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240516938153/en/Abt-Global-Acquires-TSPi-Expanding-Digital-Capabilities-and-Expertise-to-Accelerate-Client-Success.
  17. “Customers.” TSPi, November 29, 2023. https://tspi.net/customers/.
  18. “National Prisoner Statistics and Corrections Reporting Programs.” Abt Global. Accessed January 25, 2025. https://www.abtglobal.com/projects/national-prisoner-statistics-and-corrections-reporting-programs.
  19. Pinkett, Randall, Christopher Jones, Kenya Crumel, Jie Dong, Melissa Vandawalker, Gretchen Locke, and Jill Khadduri. “HUD Section 811 PRA Project Rental Assistance Program Process Evaluation.” Individual Development Accounts: A Vehicle for Low-Income Asset Building and Homeownership | HUD USER. February 8, 2018. Accessed August 07, 2018. https://www.huduser.gov/portal/publications/section-811-processeval-report.html.
  20. Serrie, Jonathan. “Hospital ICUs Bring Daylight to Night Shifts via Telemedicine.” Fox News. June 14, 2018. Accessed August 07, 2018. http://www.foxnews.com/health/2018/06/14/hospital-icus-bring-daylight-to-night-shifts-via-telemedicine.html.
  21. “Supporting Litigation to Enforce the Clean Water Act.” Abt Associates. Accessed August 07, 2018. https://www.abtassociates.com/projects/supporting-litigation-to-enforce-the-clean-water-act.
  22. “Indonesia Compact.” Millennium Challenge Corporation. Accessed July 16, 2018. https://www.mcc.gov/where-we-work/program/indonesia-compact; “Supporting Green Prosperity in Indonesia.” Abt Associates. Accessed July 16, 2018. https://www.abtassociates.com/projects/supporting-green-prosperity-in-indonesia-0.
  23. “CEADIR: Expanding Clean Energy Lending in Central America.” Abt Associates. March 2, 2018. Accessed July 16, 2018. https://www.abtassociates.com/who-we-are/news/feature-stories/ceadir-expanding-clean-energy-lending-in-central-america; “Climate Economic Analysis for Development, Investment, and Resilience.” Abt Associates. Accessed July 16, 2018. https://www.abtassociates.com/projects/climate-economic-analysis-for-development-investment-and-resilience.
  24. Wilkers, Ross. “CDC Selects 5 Firms for $150M Global Health Center Data, Technical Assistance BPA.” GovCon Wire. December 11, 2015. Accessed July 20, 2018. https://www.govconwire.com/2015/12/cdc-selects-5-firms-for-150m-global-health-center-data-technical-assistance-bpa/.
  25. “Making Senegal Healthier Through Health Governance and Local Engagement.” Abt Associates. Accessed July 16, 2018. https://www.abtassociates.com/projects/making-senegal-healthier-through-health-governance-and-local-engagement.
  26. Forrester, Anna. “Abt Associates, USAID Partner for West African Trade Project; Constantin Abarbieritei Comments.” GovCon Wire. March 26, 2014. Accessed August 07, 2018. https://www.govconwire.com/2014/03/abt-associates-usaid-partner-for-west-african-trade-project-constantin-abarbieritei-comments/.
  27. “Jordan Health Service Delivery (HSD) Activity.” Abt Associates. Accessed August 07, 2018. https://www.abtassociates.com/projects/jordan-health-service-delivery-hsd-activity.
  28. “The C5 1 Project Helps Nations Plan Climate Change Adaptation.” Abt Associates. Accessed August 13, 2018. https://www.abtassociates.com/projects/the-c51-project-helps-nations-plan-climate-change-adaptation.
  29. “Abt Associates Releases Interim Cost-benefit Analysis of Compass Programs.” Compass Working Capital. March 15, 2018. Accessed August 07, 2018. https://www.compassworkingcapital.org/blog/abt-associates-releases-interim-cost-benefit-analysis-of-compass-programs/3/20/2018.
  30. Belova, Anna, Michelle Manion, Claire Zarakas, Stefanie Wnuck, Jacqueline Haskell, David Cooley, Jonathan Dorn, Marissa Hoer, and Lisa Mayo. “Analysis of the Public Health Impacts of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.” Abt Associates. January 11, 2017. Accessed August 07, 2018. https://www.abtassociates.com/insights/publications/report/analysis-of-the-public-health-impacts-of-the-regional-greenhouse-gas.
  31.  “Building Evidence on Employment Strategies (Bees).” Abt Global. Accessed February 3, 2025. https://www.abtglobal.com/projects/building-evidence-on-employment-strategies-bees.
  32. “Building a Self-Reliant Energy Sector in Mongolia.” Abt Global. Accessed February 3, 2025. https://www.abtglobal.com/insights/impact-briefs/building-self-reliant-energy-sector-in-mongolia.
  33. “Inclusive Economic Growth.” Abt Global. Accessed February 3, 2025. https://web.archive.org/web/20250114220928/https://www.abtglobal.com/expertise/inclusive-economic-growth.
  34. “Economic Growth.” Abt Global. Accessed February 3, 2025. https://www.abtglobal.com/expertise/economic-growth.
  35. “Boulder’s Stratus Consulting Merges with Abt Associates.” Longmont Times-Call. February 11, 2015. Accessed August 13, 2018. http://www.timescall.com/business/local-business/ci_27505988/boulders-stratus-consulting-merges-abt-associates.
  36. Krauss, Clifford. “Chevron Pollution Case in Ecuador Takes Unexpected Turn.” The New York Times. April 12, 2013. Accessed August 13, 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/13/business/research-recanted-in-oil-pollution-case-in-ecuador.html.
  37. Markay, Lachlan. “NJ Exxon Settlement Revives Criticism of Controversial Environmental Firm.” Washington Free Beacon. April 27, 2015. Accessed August 13, 2018. https://freebeacon.com/issues/nj-exxon-settlement-revives-criticism-of-controversial-environmental-firm/.
  38. Puma, Michael, Stephen Bell, Ronna Cook, and Camilla Heid. Head Start Impact Study Final Report: Executive Summary. January 2010.
  39. Bell, Stephen. “Bell: Base Policy Decisions on the Best Research.” Roll Call. April 25, 2012. Accessed August 13, 2018. https://www.rollcall.com/news/stephen-bell-base-policy-decisions-best-research-214105-1.html.
  40. Bogardus, Kevin. “Lobbyists Slipping into Obama Administration.” TheHill. March 05, 2009. Accessed August 13, 2018. http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/3950-lobbyists-slipping-into-obama-administration.
  41. “Lobbying World.” TheHill. May 14, 2013. Accessed August 13, 2018. http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/lobbying-hires/299779-lobbying-world.
  42. “1 Disclosure Form.” LD. Accessed January 25, 2025. https://lda.senate.gov/filings/public/filing/06fcf979-2013-4c82-b6c8-e7b8f8194844/print/.
  43. “Abt ASSOC Hired Firms.” OpenSecrets. Accessed January 25, 2025. https://www.opensecrets.org/federal-lobbying/clients/hired-firms?cycle=2022&id=D000031270.
  44. “2 Disclosure Form.” LD. Accessed January 25, 2025. https://lda.senate.gov/filings/public/filing/e823d762-6c1a-4c78-b004-cfa322fbcfd8/print/.
  45. USAspending.gov. Accessed January 25, 2025. https://www.usaspending.gov/recipient/4b2f02c9-273a-8c69-ef1f-2e98bf47f78b-C/2022.
  46. “Climate Economic Analysis for Development, Investment, and Resilience.” Abt Associates. Accessed August 20, 2018. https://www.abtassociates.com/projects/climate-economic-analysis-for-development-investment-and-resilience.
  47. “CEADIR: Expanding Clean Energy Lending in Central America.” Abt Associates. Accessed August 20, 2018. https://www.abtassociates.com/who-we-are/news/feature-stories/ceadir-expanding-clean-energy-lending-in-central-america.
  48. Varsalona, Devin. “Abt Associates.” Center for Public Integrity. May 19, 2014. Accessed August 04, 2018. https://www.publicintegrity.org/2006/11/30/6391/abt-associates.
  49. “Federal Prime Contractor Profile – DUNS# 043397520 : ABT ASSOCIATES INC : ©FEDMINE™.” Federal Prime Contractor Profile – DUNS# 043397520 : ABT ASSOCIATES INC. : ©FEDMINE™. Accessed August 04, 2018. http://cloud.fedmine.us.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/userDownloadedfiles/Co_DUNS_043397520-ABT_ASSOCIATES_INC_1422909516_213631.html.
  50. “2017 Top 100.” Washington Technology. Accessed August 06, 2018. https://washingtontechnology.com/toplists/top-100-lists/2017/abt-associates.aspx.
  51. USAspending.gov. Accessed January 25, 2025. https://www.usaspending.gov/recipient/4b2f02c9-273a-8c69-ef1f-2e98bf47f78b-C/2024.
  52. Brereton, Michael, and Diane Bowers. “The 2017 AMA Gold Global Top 25 Market Research Companies.” AMA. Accessed August 04, 2018. https://www.ama.org/publications/MarketingNews/Pages/2017-ama-gold-global-report.aspx.
  53. “Rockefeller Foundation,” Return of Private Foundation Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990 PF) 2023. Part XV Line 3.
  54. “Johns Hopkins University,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2022. Schedule I.
  55. “Education Development Center,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2022. Schedule 1.
  56. “About Us.” Abt Global. Accessed January 27, 2025. https://www.abtglobal.com/about-us.
  57. “Clark C. Abt.” Abt Associates. Accessed August 21, 2018. https://www.abtassociates.com/who-we-are/our-people/clark-c-abt.
  58. “Kathleen Flanagan.” Abt Associates. Accessed August 21, 2018. https://www.abtassociates.com/who-we-are/our-people/board-of-directors-executive-leadership/kathleen-flanagan.
  59. “Kathleen Flanagan.” Abt Global. Accessed January 27, 2025. https://www.abtglobal.com/our-people/board-of-directors-executive-leadership/kathleen-flanagan.
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