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Bridging Research and Practice: Key Characteristics of an Effective Research Collaboration Between a Non-Profit Agency and a University-Based Research Center
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| Presenter(s):
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| Kristin Duppong Hurley,
University of Nebraska Lincoln,
kdupponghurley2@unl.edu
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| Tanya Shaw,
Boys Town,
shawt@boystown.org
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| Stephanie Ingram,
Boys Town,
ingrams@boystown.org
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| Annette Griffith,
University of Nebraska Lincoln,
annettekgriffith@hotmail.com
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| Katy Casey,
University of Nebraska Lincoln,
katyjcasey@yahoo.com
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| Abstract:
This paper will review the history of an effective research collaboration between a human service provider and a university-based research center, the key factors essential to its early success, obstacles that have been encountered and overcome, and a brief review of the progress made by the collaboration to date. It is expected that the audience will be able to apply the lessons learned to their own efforts of establishing effective research partnerships. It is hoped that the insights provided in this paper will (a) help other non-profit agencies select research collaborators, and (b) assist research organizations in identifying characteristics of service providers that would most likely participate in rigorous evaluation methodologies.
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Overcoming Challenges to Determine Evidence-Based Practice in Community Agencies
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| Presenter(s):
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| Jill Bomberger,
University of Nebraska Omaha,
jbomberger@unomaha.edu
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| Jeanette Harder,
University of Nebraska Omaha,
jharder@unomaha.edu
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| Abstract:
This paper explores the roles of evaluators of community-based non-profit organizations as agencies continue to face increasing demands to become “evidence-based.” The paper to be presented reviews what evidence-based practice is and is not as it pertains to programs implemented by community agencies. Often exploration of the “evidence-base” for common interventions in child abuse prevention, for example, shows that programs simply cannot be said to be “evidence-based” due to lack of empirical evidence. Community agencies vary widely in their evaluation methods, yet nearly all have room for advancing practices. The presenters will discuss strategies for helping agencies take practical steps to improve data collection, measurement, logic models, and research design using a step-by-step research protocol for helping community agencies.
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Where is Scouting Making a Difference Within the Community? Mapping Diverse Data to Locate and Identify "Hot-Spots" of Community Interaction
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| Presenter(s):
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| Didi Fahey,
Denver Area Council Boy Scouts of America,
fahey.13@osu.edu
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| Abstract:
Determining how organizations interact with the community remains a pivotal point in evaluations. Typically, this interaction is measured by counting the number of public service announcements, customers, or even event attendance. Unfortunately, there are limits as to what we can learn by counting the times we speak to the community. Using mapping software, community organizations can generate a number of maps to see precisely where, and in what manner they interact with the larger community. The Denver Area Boy Scout Council, was able to create a unique data-set based on a variety of activities that spoke directly to multiple types of community interactions. Mapped activities ranged from fund-raising, to Eagle Scout projects, to meeting locations. Separately, each indicator tells a small story about some specifics of the scouting program. Together, however, a picture of scouting “hot-spots” emerges, enabling the community to see for itself where scouting makes a difference.
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