Atlas & Crown is an institutional effectiveness advisory firm. We enter at the cabinet level, anchor every engagement in a peer-reviewed diagnostic, and build governance and completion systems that survive leadership changes. Five engagement tiers. One operating architecture.
See the engagement model ↓The anchor engagement at Atlas & Crown is not a report or a scorecard — it's an embedded Senior strategic partnership. We function as a fractional Chief Strategy Officer or Chief Institutional Effectiveness Officer: present at the cabinet table, accountable to the governance and completion outcomes the institution claims to want, and working inside the decision cycle rather than alongside it.
Every fractional engagement begins with a diagnostic. The SSCI gives the advisory relationship an evidence base before strategy is recommended. The instrument is what makes the advisor different from every other fractional consultant who arrives with a framework and a slide deck.
Book a strategy call to discuss scope →Every prospect starts at Tier 0. Most start their first paid engagement at Tier 1 or Tier 2. Tier 3 and Tier 4 are reserved for institutions ready to embed the methodology system-wide.
Six instruments — SSCI Baseline Lookup, ROI Calculator, Policy Scorecard, Framework Explorer, Strategy Recommender, and Compliance Checklist. Designed to surface the systems gap before an engagement begins. Beta access by request; no contract, no account.
A scored snapshot of one governance or systems domain — completion infrastructure, data architecture, governance readiness, first-year systems, or transfer pathways. Delivered as a one-page memo within ten business days. Fast, low-friction, and built for leaders who need evidence before a budget or board conversation.
The full 147-item institutional systems audit. Layer 1 public data benchmarking plus Layer 2 internal governance audit, national peer comparison, evidence gap map, 90-minute cabinet briefing, and a written strategic priorities memo with named structural levers and projected effect sizes. Currently in founding cohort pricing at $4,500.
The complete SSCI audit paired with an embedded strategic systems plan — governance redesign, data architecture review, policy and completion framework, and implementation sequencing. Multi-month engagement. System-wide deliverables. Optional fractional advisory support across the implementation runway.
For state systems, multi-campus institutions, and platform partners seeking to embed the SSCI methodology system-wide. Scope is negotiated and may include instrument licensing, embedded methodology training, or system-level fractional leadership.
Each tier includes a Master Services Agreement with non-cancellable period, named deliverables, and acceleration provisions. Discount available for consortium engagements.
Regardless of tier, every Atlas & Crown engagement draws from one or more of four operational pillars. The diagnostic comes first; the systems work follows.
Free thirty-minute strategy call. We name the decision you're trying to make and identify the right tier. You walk away with a one-page summary of recommendation, scope, and price — no obligation to proceed.
A protective MSA covering scope, deliverables, payment schedule, non-cancellable period, acceleration clause for early termination, intellectual property, and confidentiality. Drafted to protect both parties.
The instrument is administered. For Tier 1 and Tier 2 engagements, this is the bulk of the work. Layer 1 IPEDS analysis is delivered first; Layer 2 institutional audit follows.
Every paid tier includes a written deliverable and a live briefing with your decision-making group. The priorities memo names three to five structural moves, sequenced, with projected effect sizes.
For Tier 3 and Tier 4 engagements, the post-diagnostic runway includes embedded strategy, quarterly assurance audits, and an annual assurance report. Optional for Tier 1 and Tier 2.
Most fractional advisory engagements begin with a thirty-minute strategy call. We'll map the decision you're trying to make, recommend an entry point, and tell you what the diagnostic will tell you before the work begins. No obligation to proceed.