The Promise and Challenge of Practice-Research Collaborations: Guiding Principles and Strategies for Initiating, Designing, and Implementing Program Evaluation Research

Abstract

The authors present a set of guiding principles and strategies to facilitate the collaborative efforts of social work researchers and practitioners as they initiate, design, and implement outcome evaluations of human service interventions and programs. Beginning with an exploration of the interpersonal barriers to practice-research collaborations, and building on their experiences in successfully completing a community-based research evaluation, the authors identify specific relationship-focused principles and strategies and illustrate how these approaches can guide practice-research teams through the various sequential activities of the evaluation research process. In particular, it is suggested that practice-research collaborations can be formed, strengthened, and sustained by emphasis on a spirit of discovery and shared leadership at the start of the relationship, use of a comprehensive evaluation model to clarify and frame the evaluation and program goals, beginning where the client is when selecting research methodology and measurement tools, commitment to keeping the program first and recording everything during the implementation and data-collection stages, discussion of emerging findings and presentation of findings in graphic format at the data-analysis stage, and a total team approach at the dissemination stage.

Developing a collaborative research partnership

“…The benefits of inter-professional and inter-organisational working are well documented (Secret et al, 2011). This combination of research expertise and knowledge of the HEI and practice teams and the knowledge and understanding of the processes and possible barriers to the gathering of data in practice led to the pooling the current skills and resources that was a major strength in this project.…”

“…There are several models of collaborative research and although no formal model of collaborative research was adopted by this project team, a 'co-learning' approach as described by Secret et al (2011) developed spontaneously over time. This approach allows equitable transfer of knowledge between the research and practice teams enabling free and open use of the distinct expertise of the practice and research teams, maximising potential benefits of collaborative research projects.…”

“…These relationships also lead to dialogue and innovative developments in practice learning. The colearning approach to collaborative research is heavily dependent on the development and maintenance of effective working relationships and communication structures (Secret et al, 2011).…”

Engaging evaluation research: Reflecting on the process of sexual assault/domestic violence protocol evaluation research

“…Secret, Abell and Berlin (2011, p. 9) concur that little has been written about collaboration strategies that can guide a practice research team through the research process. It is to this particular context that our case study contributes (see Shoultz et al 2006;Secret, Abell & Berlin 2011).…”

“…By answering questions that the community wants answered in ways that are meaningful and relevant to that community, we increase the relevance and impact of research and therefore the chance it will lead to positive community-level change (Leung, Yen & Minkler 2004;Minkler 2005). In our case we employed principles aligned with community-based research (CBR) (Flicker et al 2008), community-based participatory research (CBPR) (Israel et al 2008), practice research (Secret, Abell & Berlin 2011) and participatory action research (PAR) (McTaggert 1991).…”