Scientific accompaniment: a new model for integrating program development, evidence and evaluation
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JCS-09-2021-0037 |
| Published date | 16 August 2022 |
| Date | 16 August 2022 |
| Pages | 237-250 |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Vulnerable groups,Children's services,Sociology,Sociology of the family,Children/youth,Parents,Education,Early childhood education,Home culture,Social/physical development |
| Author | Patricia Lannen,Lisa Jones |
Scientific accompaniment: a new model
for integrating program development,
evidence and evaluation
Patricia Lannen and Lisa Jones
Abstract
Purpose –Calls for the development and dissemination of evidence-based programs to support
children and familieshave been increasing for decades, but progresshas been slow. This paper aims to
argue that a singular focus on evaluation has limited the ways in which science and research is
incorporated into programdevelopment, and advocate instead for the use of a new concept,‘‘scientific
accompaniment,’’to expand and guide program developmentand testing.
Design/methodology/approach –A heuristic is provided to guide research–practice teams in
assessingthe program’s developmental stageand level of evidence.
Findings –In an idealized pathway, scientific accompaniment begins early in program development,
with ongoing input from bothpractitioners and researchers, resulting in programsthat are both effective
and scalable. The heuristic also provides guidance for how to ‘‘catch up’’ on evidence when program
developmentand science utilization are out of sync.
Originality/value –While implementationmodels provide ideason improving the use of evidence-based
practices, social service programs suffer from a significant lackof research and evaluation. Evaluation
resources are typically not used by social service program developers and collaboration with
researchers happens late in program development, if at all. There are few resources or models that
encourageand guide the use of science and evaluation across programdevelopment.
Keywords Evaluation, Research–practice gap, Evidence-based interventions, Prevention,
Program maturity, Children
Paper type Viewpoint
List of abbreviations
CDC = Center for Disease Control; and
TOC = Theory of Change.
1. Introduction
The research practice gap has been extensively described and debated in health,
education and social service fields (Backer et al., 1995;Chambers, 2012;Flaspohler et al.,
2012a,2012b;Glasgow and Emmons,2007;Green et al.,2012;Hallfors and Godette, 2002;
Morrissey et al.,1997). Despite numerous books, manuals, websites and other publications
on evaluation and a long-standing call for evidence-based interventions in many fields
(Eagle et al., 2003;Lyles et al., 2006;Nathan and Gorman, 2015;Truman et al.,2000;Zaza
et al.,2005
), progress in narrowing the research practice gap has been slow (Fagan et al.,
2019;Gambrill, 2016;Neuhoffet al.,2022;Wathen and MacMillan, 2018). The goal of better
integrated research and program implementation are hampered by several problems
including:
Patricia Lannen is based at
the Marie Meierhofer
Children‘s Institute,
University of Zurich, Zurich,
Switzerland. Lisa Jones is
based at the Crimes
Against Children Research
Lab, University of New
Hampshire, Durham, New
Hampshire, USA.
Received 23 September 2021
Revised 4 February 2022
Accepted 7 February 2022
©Patricia Lannen and Lisa
Jones. Published by Emerald
Publishing Limited. This article
is published under the Creative
Commons Attribution (CC BY
4.0) licence. Anyone may
reproduce, distribute, translate
and create derivative works of
this article (for both commercial
and non-commercial purposes),
subject to full attribution to the
original publication and
authors. The full terms of this
licence may be seen at http://
creativecommons.org/licences/
by/4.0/legalcode
Conflict of interest: The authors
declare that they have no
conflict of interest.
DOI 10.1108/JCS-09-2021-0037 VOL. 17 NO. 4 2022,pp. 237-250, Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 1746-6660 jJOURNAL OF CHILDREN’S SERVICES jPAGE 237
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