Fractional talent · Research & Policy
Research and policy work runs on tight grant cycles, shifting legislative calendars, and the constant pressure to produce credible, well-sourced output on deadline. The administrative and coordination work that surrounds that output: managing references, scheduling briefings, tracking legislative activity, formatting reports, rarely gets the bandwidth it deserves. Nacho connects you with US-based assistants who understand how this work is structured and can step in without a long ramp-up.
The challenge
01
Federal and foundation grant cycles create predictable but brutal crunch periods where researchers are simultaneously delivering on existing work and writing for the next funding round. Administrative tasks that could be delegated: formatting citations, compiling appendices, tracking submission portals, end up eating senior staff time.
02
Policy work often involves maintaining relationships across government offices, advocacy partners, academic institutions, and funders, each with their own communication preferences and timelines. Keeping that network warm, scheduling convenings, and following up on action items is time-consuming work that rarely requires a PhD.
03
Staying current on published research, regulatory changes, and legislative developments is essential to credibility in this field, but systematic monitoring rarely gets built into anyone's formal job description. The result is reactive catch-up rather than proactive tracking.
04
Policy briefs, white papers, and research summaries often stall not because the thinking isn't done, but because formatting, proofreading, citation checking, and layout work sits in a queue behind higher-priority tasks. That delay has real costs when timing to a legislative window or news cycle matters.
How it works
Nacho's model is built around a Strategic Delegation Plan developed by a dedicated Client Success Manager at the start of your engagement: so instead of handing off tasks ad hoc, you begin with a clear map of what to delegate, to whom, and at what level of involvement. For research and policy organizations, that often means matching you with an Executive Assistant for day-to-day coordination and communications, and a Specialist for tasks like literature searches, data compilation, or report production. The flexible monthly Talent Budget means you can scale up during grant season or a major publication push and pull back during quieter periods, without carrying full-time overhead for work that isn't consistent year-round.
What we've learned
Research and policy organizations: whether think tanks, university-based research centers, advocacy nonprofits, or boutique policy consulting firms, tend to operate with lean staff relative to their output expectations. Program staff are typically hired for subject matter expertise, not administrative capacity, which means coordination, communications, and production work either falls to senior people who shouldn't be doing it or doesn't get done consistently. Many organizations in this space also deal with the complexity of managing multiple funders simultaneously, each with distinct reporting formats, compliance requirements, and relationship expectations. Building in flexible operational support, rather than trying to hire a full-time administrator who may not have enough work in slow periods, is increasingly how well-run shops in this space maintain quality without burning out their core team.
We've worked with research and policy organizations including Clayton Christensen Institute.
Talent Budget
Drag the sliders to build a monthly plan that fits your workload.
Starting at $1,000/month. One-time $300 onboarding fee includes your Strategic Delegation Plan.
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Ready when you are
Whether you're heading into a grant deadline, a major publication push, or just need consistent operational support, Nacho can match you with US-based talent that fits how your organization works. Start with a conversation about what you'd actually delegate.