The Research Forum, an initiative of the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) at the Mailman School of Public Health of Columbia University, was created in January 1997 to facilitate the development of rigorous, policy relevant research about the effects of the new federalism on low-income and vulnerable populations. The Research Forum has been directed by Barbara B. Blum.

Background

Under the new federalism of 1996, substantial responsibility for income security and other social programs began shifting from the federal government to states and localities. In the context of this decentralization, it became increasingly important to foster well-designed research and evaluation studies; to rapidly synthesize the lessons learned from early interventions, research, and implementation; and to effectively communicate these lessons to key policymakers and opinion leaders.

The Research Forum has encouraged research, collaboration, and exchange of information among key stakeholders, such as researchers, funders, policymakers, state and local administrators, practitioners and advocates. The Forum initially focused on research related to welfare reform but later also focused on research related to child and family well-being and community initiatives.

The ultimate goal of the Forum has been to identify and promote strategies that protect and enhance the well-being of low-income children and their families. By measuring and communicating the impacts of the new federalism on poor populations, research results may guide the next generation of policy changes.

Purposes & Activities

Research:

The Research Forum has promoted rigorous, comparable, and policy relevant research in order to monitor and evaluate effects of current public policy changes under the new federalism:

• Co-sponsored and launched collaborative projects
• Facilitated improvements in research design and coordination
• Worked to develop consensus about research methods, comparability in management and research questions, and common terms, definitions, and outcomes
• Encouraged expanding research to include the effects of policy changes on children, families, and communities

Collaboration:

The Research Forum supported collaboration among key stakeholders:

• Hosted and co-sponsored meetings and discussions between researchers and other stakeholders
• Encouraged researchers to address questions relevant to policymakers and practitioners, and advocates
• Supported the communication of research findings in an accessible, understandable format

Exchange of Information:

The Research Forum facilitated the exchange of research-based information among key stakeholders:

• Maintained an online database of recently completed, in progress, and planned research, focusing on income security, child/family well-being, and community initiatives
• Disseminated database information through its website: www.researchforum.org
• Prepared and distributed newsletters and reports about database projects and other current research efforts

Implementation Research:

One of the Research Forum’s most important and productive collaborative initiatives was the publication of Policy into Action a volume which includes the work of 17 scholars concerned that issues related to implementation had not been well-addressed by the research community.

Service Integration Evaluation:

Currently a smaller group of scholars is pursuing ways to measure the effects of providing services using integrated management and programmatic techniques with a focus on outcomes for participants. This effort will continue with leadership from the Institute for Research on Poverty.

Packard Advocacy Project:

Project description:

One of the functions of the Research Forum web site has been to serve the policy community by encouraging dialogue between researchers and policymakers to ensure the incorporation of quality research into the policy-making process. While the Research Forum has worked with researchers and policymakers in the past on promoting the exchange of information contained in its research database, less has been done to reach the advocacy community. Advocates play a key role in influencing the formulation of social policy. In addition, advocating for sound policies is enhanced by access to good quality research. For this reason, the Research Forum began the Packard Advocacy Initiative in July 2000.

The Research Forum was interested in finding ways to ensure that the database could be utilized more effectively by advocates and practitioners as the debate over reauthorization of current welfare laws continued.