Projects

Project Overview

The Administration for Children and Families’ Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation’s (OPRE) research portfolio addresses poverty, employment and training, child and youth development, child welfare, family strengthening and fatherhood, childcare and other work supports, and cash assistance. OPRE provides guidance and technical assistance across these program areas, supporting research and evaluation methods, dissemination, policy analysis, and performance measurement. OPRE also engages experts across government, academic, and private research organizations to keep up to date on innovative methodologies. OPRE shares information with stakeholders through regular meetings, seminars, and a larger annual conference to help ensure rigor in the methods used to assess government programs.

The goals of this project are to support OPRE in advancing the knowledge base about research and evaluation methods, enhancing the use of rigorous research methods and evidence-based policy, and developing technical assistance resources to support the evaluation capacity of human services programs and other external stakeholders. Key tasks follow:

• Facilitate OPRE’s annual Methods Meeting.
• Facilitate the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation’s Evidence Day meeting.
• Develop and disseminate products associated with the learning generated from the meetings.
• Adapt and develop research and evaluation technical assistance materials, to include updating OPRE’s Program Manager’s Guide to Evaluation.

Products

Meeting websites, final report, dissemination plan, dissemination products; technical assistance materials and resources; updated Program Manager’s Guide to Evaluation