The mission of the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) is to produce rigorous evidence for improving child and family well-being. OPRE’s portfolio has long included work using innovative methodology in social science research. The passage of the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018, also known as the Evidence Act, amplified the need to build awareness of methodological advancements for evaluating social programs and policies and to strengthen the capacity of human services programs to evaluate their effectiveness. In 2013, OPRE launched the Methodological Advancement project to address these needs.
The MEF team will facilitate OPRE’s Methods Meetings, which typically take place in the fall every year. This team includes Senior Advisors from The Adjacent Possible along with expert meeting planners at Kauffman and Associates, Inc. These meetings bring together expertise from various disciplines, policy fields, academia, government, and the private sector to explore innovations in research methodology, study design, analytic techniques, and data measurement to advance the Government’s use of rigorous research methods. These meetings ensure that OPRE‐supported research continues to represent the most scientifically advanced approaches to determining effectiveness and efficiency of ACF programs. The meetings also build evaluation capacity more broadly.