From our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Innovation Officer, Krystel Reid Heath, MSW -

As I’ve been moving toward the 2026 legislative cycle, one trend has become increasingly clear to me:
organizations are beginning their policy readiness work far earlier than in prior years.

Over the past several weeks, I’ve seen a growing number of leaders evaluating exposure and mapping risk windows before pre-filing even begins. To me, this shift signals that volatility is now shaping operational decisions long before lawmakers return.

1. What I Saw During the Early Policy and Program Resilience Framework™ Release

During the initial rollout of the Policy and Program Resilience Framework™ (PPRF™), I saw significantly more engagement than I expected this early in the cycle.

Many leaders were seeking structured ways to identify vulnerabilities before January committee activity accelerates.

These interactions gave me valuable insight into how organizations:

• assess exposure

• prioritize internal readiness

• navigate uncertainty

• and interpret early policy signals

This early engagement clarified where many teams are struggling to gain clarity.

2. Why I’m Launching the Policy Vulnerability Diagnostic™ (PVD) Today

Because so many organizations asked for a faster, more accessible entry point for identifying risk, I decided to accelerate the release of the Policy Vulnerability Diagnostic™(PVD™).

I’m officially launching PVD™ today as a direct response to the engagement patterns I’ve been seeing.

Organizations needed a streamlined way to quickly surface vulnerabilities and understand their 60–90-day risk window heading into January.

PVD™ provides this clarity. PVD™ is a rapid, tech-enabled diagnostic to identify organizations' policy, funding, and legislative exposure. Within 5 business days, I'll review organizations' diagnostic, and provide a 1-Page executive diagnostic report of their risk profile, and if desired, I'll provide a 20-minute review with organizations to review their report and key findings. Learn more about PVD™: https://policyreview.impactechsystems.com.

3. Why I’m Refining the PPRF™ for a Mid-January Second Release

The first PPRF™ release surfaced important patterns in how leaders interact with resilience tools. Those insights are guiding a refined PPRF™ release planned for mid-January.

I’m strengthening:

• priority-setting

• exposure-mapping clarity

• workflow usability

• and alignment to how organizations pace strategic planning

These refinements aren’t theoretical—they’re based on real engagement and real feedback.

4. What These Early Signals Mean Heading Into January

The organizations that are preparing now—before pre-filing, before committee activity, before January—are the ones gaining clarity and reducing reactive posture.

As I continue tracking these early signals, I’ll keep refining the tools and insights leaders rely on to navigate the volatility ahead.

With pre-session legislative activity already shaping the landscape and organizations' exposure, it is essential organizations understand their risk profile and take proactive measures to protect their organization while advancing their mission. I hope these tools will be essential components of their preparedness and support leaders in their planning.