The Regional Institute was contracted by the Government Law Center of Albany Law School to assess examples of collaborative municipal service delivery in the region. Examples of municipal partnerships, including the Southwest Erie County Regional Water Project and collaborations between the Town of Lancaster and Village of Depew, were reviewed, with case studies completed in March 2007.

The Regional Institute has provided similar research support for past shared services initiatives. In 1998 and 1999 the New York State Senate Committee on Local Government commissioned the institute to administer a legislative grants program for municipal-school district partnerships in Western New York and across the state.