Since 2012, OPRE has invested in evaluation technical assistance (TA) to build capacity in human services programs to make data-driven program improvements to strengthen practices and improve the lives of families. In 2015, ACF’s Office of Family Assistance (OFA) joined OPRE in sponsoring projects to support building evidence-informed Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs. Resources and tools developed from these projects have been used to support human services programs in designing and testing program changes, such as TANF program redesign, the implementation of goal-oriented client coaching, and responding to challenges (e.g., the COVID-19 pandemic and race equity considerations).
Most recently, OPRE and OFA coordinated their support of two projects to spark innovative and collaborative partnerships that continuously improve programs and outcomes for children and families — OPRE’s Project SPARK (Supporting Partnerships to Advance Research and Knowledge) and OFA’s Project IMPROVE (Improving Program Outcomes via Evidence-based Technical Assistance). These projects worked collaboratively to support 17 research-practice partnerships to help TANF agencies design, implement, and test evidence-informed changes, such as streamlined and motivational client intake assessments, goal-directed supervision, strategies for engaging participants in virtual peer-to-peer learning, and systems for supporting staff well-being and resilience.
This blog post is an introduction to the catalog of briefs, resources, and tools developed under Project SPARK and Project IMPROVE, in close collaboration with TANF practitioners. These tools and resources can help human services programs plan and implement evidence-driven change in their services and build their organization’s capacity for using evidence. They also offer opportunities to learn from TANF programs across the country that developed and tested innovative solutions.
Practitioner-Focused Guides and Toolkits
Learn, Innovate, Improve: A Practice Guide for Enhancing Programs and Improving Lives
Explore this practice guide to learn more about Learn, Innovate, Improve (LI2), an approach developed by researchers and practitioners to guide big or small data-driven improvements in your program.
Building Organizational Evidence Capacity: Guides for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Related Programs
This introduction to evidence capacity and set of five guides can help your team think through five key areas of evidence capacity: leadership, organizational culture, infrastructure, staff capabilities, and engagement and communication. Each guide outlines a four-step process for reflecting on and assessing a specific area of evidence capacity, narrowing down to identify what potential change you want to make, defining the desired change, and checking success.
Research Reports and Overviews
This report documents approaches and evidence of effectiveness in the field of evaluation TA initiatives and draws lessons for human services and related programs, with a focus on TANF and workforce development programs. It proposes a definition of evaluation TA and a conceptual framework that specifies the common components of evaluation TA that aim to build participants’ evaluation capacity. Finally, the report draws lessons from the findings relevant for each focal audience, including the importance of providing more support for programs that participate in evaluation TA, and the need for more research on the effectiveness of different evaluation TA strategies. An accompanying overview of the report highlights key findings.
Briefs Focused on using the Learn, Innovate, Improve (LI2) Approach
The Family Development and Self-Sufficiency Program of the Iowa Department of Human Rights used the LI2 approach to assess their successes and challenges with implementing a home visiting program virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Using Data-driven Reflection to Improve Program Quality: New York City’s Human Resources Administration Redesigns Its Upfront Assessment Process for Youth and Families Receiving Cash Assistance: Research Brief
The New York City Human Resources Administration used the LI2 approach to redesign its intake assessment for families receiving cash assistance (both TANF and NYC Safety Net participants).
Baltimore Health Corps Initiative —A Transitional Jobs Program to Improve Public Health and Employment Outcomes During COVID-19
: Research Brief
The Baltimore City (Maryland) Health Department, the Baltimore Mayor’s Office of Employment Development, and other partners used the LI2 approach to design and implement the Baltimore Health Corps (BHC), a transitional jobs program for city residents who experienced sudden unemployment or underemployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This brief captures staff experiences, successes, lessons learned, and recommendations from designing and implementing the Baltimore Health Corps (BHC).
Briefs and Podcast Focused on Program Innovations and Adaptations During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Pandemic-Era Innovations for the Future of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Programs
This brief captures promising practices developed across the country in three areas: (1) administer and deliver program services virtually, (2) increase access to and use of technology among participants and staff, and (3) promote meaningful participant engagement and accountability. The brief describes several considerations for TANF programs as they continue to build on these changes.
Supporting Mental Wellness for Program Staff and Participants: Strategies for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Leaders
During the COVID-19 pandemic, TANF programs faced unprecedented challenges in serving America’s most vulnerable families as they navigated difficult economic circumstances and public health risks. The pandemic took its toll on state and local TANF program staff, in addition to families. This brief captures how TANF programs adapted to promote staff and participant wellness and the innovative adaptations that leaders might consider adopting or sustaining moving forward.
Pandemic-Era Adaptations in Human Services Could Fill a Need Even Outside a Public Health Emergency
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the way many human services agencies operated. The stress, trauma, and grief caused by the pandemic prompted agencies to rethink how they engaged with and supported their clients. It also forced agencies to experiment with new approaches to address persistent stress and trauma experienced by their own staff. In this podcast, research experts and leaders of human services programs discuss trends that have emerged in human services agencies during the pandemic.
Emily Ross is a Social Science Research Analyst whose work at OPRE focuses on fostering child and family well-being in the context of social services programs, with a specific focus on two-generation anti-poverty programs, early care and education, workforce well-being, and training related to employment and financial capability for adults with low incomes.