Southern Office staff are available to answer research requests for state legislators, officials and staff in the legislative, executive and judicial branches of state government. In addition to the numerous forums, conferences and workshops convened by the SLC’s standing committees throughout the year, the Atlanta staff coordinate an array of programs and publications.

Spot Research Requests	The staff of the Southern Office are available to answer questions on a wide variety of policy and practice areas. Whether it is national, regional, or state-specific, our policy research offers timely results from a source you trust.
CSG Innovations Awards Program	Begun in 1975, this program identifies best practices in state government and publishes them as models of efficiency and effectiveness to be emulated by state governments nationwide. Innovations Awards applications and guidelines are available to state officials from the Southern Office each spring. Two programs from the South are selected as award winners annually from a field of more than 100 applicants.
Legislative Hearing and Testimony	At the request of state legislatures, the Southern Office provides experts in any given field or specialty to testify before legislative committees in an attempt to provide a state-specific, regional and national focus on issues identified as important by lawmakers.
Georgia Council for International Visitors	When requested, the staff of the Southern Office meet with visiting policymakers, reporters, professionals, and bureaucrats from around to globe to provide briefings on American government and the U.S. federal system. Over the years SLC staff have exchanged views and information with numerous guests from Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.
Rural Forum and the Rural Working Group	Recognizing the unique needs of rural areas and the importance of rural communities to the South, rural development has been a component of SLC programming for decades. Recently the Conference has expanded its activities in this area with extensive research and meetings that established the SLC as one of the premier rural development policy organizations in the country.
Legislative Librarians Service Enhancement Program	The Southern Office sponsors a one-on-one exchange program for legislative librarians in the Southern region. Developed with input from the librarians themselves, this evolving program reflects the changing needs and technological demands of legislative librarianship in the states.
Research	The staff of the Southern Office are available to answer questions on a wide variety of policy and practice areas. Whether it is national, regional, or state-specific, SLC and CSG policy research offers timely results from a source you trust. Call 404/633.1866 or e-mail your request to slc@csg.org.