The system office for community college institutional research (SOCCIR) plays a role in the drama of higher education that states must orchestrate to help community college systems operate effectively and efficiently over the long term. But how exactly does the SOCCIR enable a state to accomplish what the separate institutional research (IR) offices at each college cannot do in terms of this role in higher education? This is an important question to policymakers in higher education and the general public, considering the pressures on public sector budgets in the United States and the frequent cynicism among laypersons about public offices. The answer comes in parts. The SOCCIR plays its role through its use of the following basic assets: (1) Multi-institutional data; (2) An organizational focus on the big picture; (3) The ability to plan and implement standards; (4) Status as a statewide body that can act and speak for the individual community colleges; and (5) Economies of scale. This article discusses these five basic assets and highlights some differences between a SOCCIR and a system office for IR on baccalaureate-granting institutions.