Recent focus on evidence-based decision-making has led to multiple federal efforts to determine the evidence behind various programs, particularly those seeking federal funding. This has led to the development of multiple evidence-based registries, most of which are based on “model programs” – a particular branded program with an implementation manual that has been rigorously evaluated and found to have at least one positive impact on an outcome of interest. While this work represents significant advancement toward evidence-based decision-making, it has not always led to widespread uptake of these model programs in the field. Branded programs are often expensive to implement, difficult to adapt to populations different from those with which they were evaluated, or do not meet the specific needs of a community.
This reality has led numerous researchers, evaluators and policymakers to begin considering a complementary approach to building evidence of effectiveness: a core components approach. Core components are the parts, features, attributes, or characteristics of a program that a range of research techniques show influence its success when implemented effectively. These core components can serve as the unit of analysis that researchers use to determine “what works,” and they become the areas practitioners and policymakers seek to replicate within and across a range of related programs and systems in order to improve outcomes. Research techniques such as meta-analysis can shed light on which components make programs successful across a range of programs and contexts, and help researchers identify with greater precision what works, in which contexts, and for which populations.
Products on this page represent ASPE’s current work on core components approaches to building evidence of program effectiveness.
- Advancing the Use of Core Components of Effective Programs: Suggestions for Researchers Publishing Evaluation Results – Core components are the parts, features, attributes, or characteristics of a program that a range of research techniques show influence its success when implemented effectively. These core components can serve as the unit of analysis that researchers use to determine “what works,” and they become the areas practitioners and policymakers seek to replicate within and across a range of related programs and systems in order to improve outcomes. Research techniques such as meta-analysis can shed light on which components make programs successful across a range of programs and contexts, and help researchers identify with greater precision what works, in which contexts, and for which populations. This brief explains why it is important to collect and report on a wide range of program characteristics and the kinds of characteristics that should routinely be collected and reported in order to facilitate future meta-analyses that can help the field identify core components of effective programs.
- Developing Evidence-Based Practice Guidelines for Youth Programs: Technical Report on Effectiveness Factors for Interventions that Address Externalizing Behavior Problems – This report describes a core components approach to using evidence to improve the effectiveness of youth programs. Across the many program environments that offer youth programs (e.g., community, mental health, public health, child welfare settings, schools), there is a great deal of well-controlled research available. Meta-analysis was used to uncover the characteristics of programs effective in reducing externalizing behavior problems, which will be translated into practice guidelines for those who design, support, and implement such programs.