Advancing Evidence-Based Reforms in Social Programs Affecting American Youth

Will a web based “Help Desk” and “How-to Guides” encourage federal agency staff to fund more experimental work and use experimental evidence? This project will build on previous work with top federal policymakers to further advance the use of evidence-based reforms in programs affecting youth. To help implement such reforms, the Help Desk and How-to Guides, along with some in-person support, will focus on questions and concerns facing policy analysts and policymakers. Issues may include, framing questions, specifying evaluation needs and acceptable study designs, and effectively and efficiently using the results of intervention research to improve policymaking. To assess the effectiveness of this project, an evaluator will interview federal agency staff regarding their use and assessment of the Help Desk support and materials.