This report summarizes sessions that RAND researchers convened during the 2010 Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations conference to generate a national policy agenda addressing challenges to effectively engaging nongovernmental organizations in disaster response and recovery and to identify potential policy and program recommendations to address these challenges.

This report concludes that, although evidence is mixed and effects difficult to measure, consolidating the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County could enhance economic development by unifying leadership, improving policy direction and coordination, and sharpening economic-development initiatives. Increased collaboration with the private sector also is important, and combining only two governments still leaves the region highly fragmented.The City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, Pennsylvania could enhance the economic progress of the region if its governments are consolidated, although evidence of such gains in other consolidations is mixed.