Learning with Communities Through Research and Evaluation to Promote Thriving for All Research and Resources

On this resource page, we spotlight OPRE sponsored efforts that help us understand the resources and conditions that promote thriving for all, regardless of background or circumstances. This work is categorized by eight objectives that are detailed, below.  These objectives convey the different types of approaches and work that are allowing OPRE to learn what works for whom under what circumstances to enable all individuals served by ACF to have the same chance to thrive and reach their full potential.  An individual OPRE project may be categorized by multiple of these objectives.

The objectives of this work are as follows:

1. Work that meaningfully partners with individuals and communities most directly impacted by ACF programs to incorporate their perspectives and expertise at multiple phases of a project. 
2. Work that uses research methods recognizing the role that culture (the broadly shared values, customs, and beliefs of both the researchers and the focal population) and cultural perspectives can play in research and evaluation processes and incorporates that understanding into those processes.
3. Work that examines how larger structural factors that affect individuals’ outcomes independent of their own decisions, efforts, talents, or needs (such as place and the distribution of opportunities) impact populations served by ACF programs, including their experiences in ACF programs. 
4. Work that helps us develop more accurate understandings of the unique experiences of populations, including their experiences related to ACF programs, by better understanding their strengths.
5. Work examining populations’ experiences of ACF programs by creating and/or using disaggregated data to understand who benefits the most and least.
   1. Identifying potential differences —
      1. In relation to program enrollment and access
      2. Services
      3. Outcomes
      4. And assessing the role that policies (historic or current), program implementation, and program processes play in those differences.
6. Work developing measures of processes and outcomes that more accurately reflect different groups/populations' experiences, ideally including representatives from the groups/population in that development.
7. Work that accounts for the different social and economic experiences people have based on their group membership or identity to better understand how those experiences can affect the impacts of programs or services.
8. Work creating tools for the field that help them meet any of the above objectives.

OPRE-funded projects have produced relevant research and resources related to these objectives. A selection of resources published to date are available below.  The resources are categorized by the 8 objectives and by whether they are available on the OPRE website or are OPRE-sponsored resources on external websites.