Evidence to Action (E2A) Portfolio Project & Process Study
For evidence to improve lives, it must reach, be understood, and be applied by practitioners. The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) sponsors rigorous evaluation research on programs, policies, and enforcement activities that build rich evidence on employment and training programs. However, the insights from this research are often underutilized by practitioners because of the complex and technical nature of the content.
CEO’s Evidence to Action (E2A) initiative seeks to bridge what researchers produce and what practitioners know and do by developing actionable tools and resources to help facilitate evidence use in policymaking and program development.
Project Summary
Through the Evidence to Action (E2A) Portfolio Project & Process Study, the AIR team is guiding CEO and its partner agencies in actualizing the E2A model, developing evidence translation products that meet practitioner needs, and implementing pilot projects to move audiences along the journey from awareness of research findings to application and championship.
To date, AIR has:
- Developed case studies of how agencies and workforce service providers have leveraged CEO evidence products and services to inform their decision-making and program operations;
- Facilitated a workshop among CEO staff to gain a deeper understanding of their experiences with evidence translation;
- Partnered with the Employment & Training Administration to guide their Summer Fellows’ literature review and dashboard process;
- Conducted a needs assessment with federal staff and stakeholders to pinpoint evidence needs and inform product development;
- Launched the E2A Toolkit that provides tips for developing user-friendly, actionable research products for diverse audiences;
- Facilitated three virtual roundtables convening research experts and practitioners on strategies for promoting inclusivity in workforce systems and programs:
- Evidence-Informed Strategies to Inform Recruitment and Retention of Apprentices
- Exploring Evidence and Practice in Providing Equitable Job Training
- Workforce Data as an Equity Lever: A Summary of Emerging Evidence and Effective Practice
- Created a variety of evidence translation products, including knowledge syntheses and infographics, that help DOL identify knowledge gaps, empower practitioners to make evidence-informed adjustments to programming, and advise policymakers on the types of programs to invest in.
- One-pager: Evidence-Informed Strategies to Improve Recruitment and Retention of Apprentices
- Infographic: Evidence-Informed Strategies to Improve Recruitment and Retention of Apprentices
- Webinar recording: Exploring Evidence and Practice in Providing Equitable Job Training
- Webinar recording: Workforce Data as an Equity Lever: A Summary of Emerging Evidence and Effective Practice
AIR is also assisting DOL in evaluating the effectiveness of these efforts on an ongoing basis. At the conclusion of this project, AIR will deliver findings from process study that documents and examines E2A implementation efforts.
Insights and Impact
The E2A project's early stages have highlighted the importance of tailoring evidence products to meet practitioner needs and fostering an evidence-driven culture within DOL agencies.
