scholarly journals From “what works” to “making it work”: A practice perspective on evidence‐based standardization in frontline service organizations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vidar Bakkeli ◽  
Eric Breit
Keyword(s):  
Service Organizations ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
What Works ◽  
Practice Perspective ◽  
Frontline Service

What Works to Reduce Victimization? Synthesizing What We Know and Where to Go From Here

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 285-319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen A. Fox ◽  
John A. Shjarback
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Program Evaluations ◽  
What Works ◽  
Future Program

While some attention has been paid to “what works” to reduce crime, little is known about the effectiveness of programs designed to reduce victimization. This study systematically reviews 83 program evaluations to identify what works to (a) reduce victimization, (b) enhance beliefs/attitudes about victims, and (c) improve knowledge/awareness of victimization issues. Evidence-based findings are organized around 4 major forms of victimization, including bullying, intimate partner violence, sexual abuse, and other general forms of victimization. Determining whether certain types of programs can reduce the risk of victimization has important implications for improving people’s quality of life. Based on our findings, we offer several promising directions for the next generation of research on evaluating victimization programs. The goal of this study is to improve the strength of future program evaluations, replications, and other systematic reviews as researchers and practitioners continue to learn what works to reduce victimization.

The search for impact in British probation: from programmes to skills and implementation

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Raynor
Keyword(s):  
Evidence Based ◽  
Quantitative Methodology ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
What Works ◽  
Evidence Based Policy ◽  
History Of ◽  
Evaluative Research ◽  
The Impact

Social scientists have often had difficulty evaluating the impact of probation services, partly because expectations and political circumstances change and partly because appropriate methodologies have been slow to develop. This chapter outlines the history of evaluative research on probation. It describes the limitations of early probation research which led to erroneous conclusions that ‘nothing works’, and goes on to show how more recent research has been based on a fuller understanding of practitioner inputs through research on programmes, skills and implementation. This is starting to lead to a better understanding of which practices are effective (‘What Works’). The chapter advocates a mixed qualitative and quantitative methodology for evaluative research which combines understanding, measurement and comparison. Finally, it points to some risks to evidence-based policy which arise from current populism and post-truth politics.

What Can Feminist Epistemology Do for Surgery?

Hypatia ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 404-421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Jean Walker ◽  
Wendy Rogers
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Feminist Epistemology ◽  
Cultural Barriers ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Surgical Practice ◽  
Lack Of Fit ◽  
What Works ◽  
Based Medicine ◽  
Contemporary Health Care

Surgery is an important part of contemporary health care, but currently much of surgery lacks a strong evidence base. Uptake of evidence‐based medicine (EBM) methods within surgical research and among practitioners has been slow compared with other areas of medicine. Although this is often viewed as arising from practical and cultural barriers, it also reflects a lack of epistemic fit between EBM research methods and surgical practice. In this paper we discuss some epistemic challenges in surgery relating to this lack of fit, and investigate how resources from feminist epistemology can help to characterize them. We point to ways in which these epistemic challenges may be addressed by gathering and disseminating evidence about what works in surgery using methods that are contextual, pluralistic, and sensitive to hierarchies.

Organizational Change for the Human Services

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Packard
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Change ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Change Process ◽  
Team Building ◽  
Change Leadership ◽  
Service Organizations ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Case Examples ◽  
Arc Model ◽  
Organizational Culture Change

This book presents an evidence-based conceptual framework for planning and implementing organizational change processes specifically focused on human service organizations (HSOs). After a brief discussion of relevant theory and a review of key challenges facing HSOs that create opportunities for organizational change, a detailed conceptual framework outlines an organizational change process. Two chapters are devoted to the essential role of an organization’s executive or other manager as a change leader. Five chapters cover the steps of the change process, beginning with identifying a problem or change opportunity; then defining a change goal; assessing the present state of the organization (the change problem and organizational readiness and capacity to engage in change); and determining an overall change strategy. Twenty-one evidence-based organizational change tactics are presented to guide implementation of the process. Tactics include communicating the urgency for change and the change vision; developing an action system that includes a change sponsor, a change champion, a change leadership team and action teams; providing support to staff; facilitating the development and approval of ideas to achieve the change goal; institutionalizing the changes within organizational systems; and evaluating the change process and outcomes. Four case examples from public and nonprofit HSOs are used to illustrate change tactics. Individual chapters cover change technologies and methods, including action research; team building; conflict management; quality improvement methods; organization redesign; organizational culture change; using consultants; advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice; capacity building; implementation science methods; specific models, including the ARC model; and staff-initiated organizational change.

Moving Research into Practice: Can We Make Dissemination Stick?

2013 ◽  
Vol 79 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-180
Author(s):  
Bryan G. Cook ◽  
Lysandra Cook ◽  
Timothy J. Landrum
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Education Research ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Evidence Based Practices ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
What Works ◽  
Effective Dissemination ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Practice Gap ◽  
Traditional Approaches

Although researchers in special education have made significant advances in defining and identifying evidence-based practices, scholars often constitute an insular group that disseminates research findings primarily through outlets and venues targeting like-minded researchers using traditional approaches. Thus, despite tangible results in determining what works, using dissemination approaches that fail to resonate with or influence practitioners represents an important but often overlooked contributor to the ongoing research-to-practice gap in special education. The authors argue that empirical and theoretical literature outside of special education may offer insight into how ideas take hold, which may be especially relevant to the effective dissemination of evidence-based practices. Drawing on Heath and Heath's (2008) model, the authors describe 6 characteristics of messages that are likely to “stick”: (a) simple, (b) unexpected, (c) concrete, (d) credible, (e) emotional, and (f) stories. The authors consider each in terms of implications for dissemination of special education research findings, and urge special education researchers to consider researching, refining, and applying dissemination strategies that can make special education research matter on a broader scale.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document