Evidence‐Informed Program Improvement: Using Principles of Effectiveness to Enhance the Quality and Impact of Family‐Based Prevention Programs

• Author: Cailin O’Connor,Siobhan M. Cooney,Stephen A. Small
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2008.00530.x
• Date: 01 February 2009
• Published date: 01 February 2009

STEPHEN A. SMALL,SIOBHAN M. COONEY,AND CAILIN O’CONNOR

University of Wisconsin—Madison

Evidence-Informed Program Improvement: Using

Principles of Effectiveness to Enhance the Quality

and Impact of Family-Based Prevention Programs

In recent years, federal, state, and local govern-

ments and other funding organizations have

increased pressure for greater effectiveness and

accountability of prevention programs, includ-

ing those oriented toward families. This rising

demand for program accountability has fueled

a growing interest in evidence-based programs.

Drawing on what is known about evidence-

based prevention programs, we discuss some

common principles of effective programs and

present a process for how practitioners can

use these principles to improve the quality

and impact of existing family programs. We

term this approach evidence-informed program

improvement.

In recent years, federal, state, and local govern-

ments and other funding organizations have

increased pressure for greater effectiveness and

accountability of prevention programs, espe-

cially those targeting the needs of children, youth,

and families (Kyler, Bumbarger, & Greenberg,

2004). This rising demand for program account-

ability has fueled a growing interest in evidence-

based programs (EBPs). EBPs are well-def‌ined

programs that have demonstrated their eff‌icacy

through rigorous, peer-reviewed evaluations and

have been endorsed by government agencies and

well-respected research organizations. EBPs are

not simply characterized by known effectiveness;

they are also well documented so that they are

more easily disseminated (Cooney, Huser, Small,

& O’Connor, 2007). EBPs can be distinguished

from evidence-based practices, which are com-

monly def‌ined as theintegration of the best avail-

able research evidencewith clinical expertise and

client values (American Psychological Associa-

tion, 2001). Evidence-based practices are most

commonlyused in conjunction with individualcli-

ents and are not necessarily part of a larger pro-

gram. In contrast, EBPs usually have an

identif‌iablecurriculum and comprisean organized

series of practices, activities, and strategies, some

of which might be considered evidence-based

practices.

There are numerous advantages to imple-

menting EBPs with children, youth, and their

families (Center for Substance Abuse Preven-

tion, 1999; Cooney, Huser, et al., 2007; Kyler

et al., 2004). First, the use of EBPs can help or-

ganizations obtain and sustain program funding.

Not only do funders increasingly want to invest

their dollars in programs that have scientif‌ically

demonstrated their effectiveness, but the public

also wants to know that tax dollars are being

spent on programs and services that actually

work. A related advantage to implementing

EBPs is that they are more likely than other pro-

grams for youth and families to have undergone

Human Development & Family Studies at the University of

Wisconsin—Madison, 1300 Linden Drive, Madison, WI

53706 (sasmall@wisc.edu).

Key Words: best practices, evidence-based practice, evidence-

based programs, family programs, prevention, program devel-

opment.

Family Relations 58 (February 2009): 1–13 1

A Publication of

the National Council on

Family Relations