Program managers frequently put staff training near the top of their lists of ongoing challenges. The mix of diverse, complex training needs in many programs means managers may be responsible for orienting new staff, implementing new administrative procedures, or facilitating steps toward long-term program improvement. Change can be hard, and often, managers find that one-time training isn’t enough to ensure staff apply new concepts and procedures in their daily work. In much of MDRC’s work with programs, we view training as taking place within an iterative cycle of learning that we call “Learn-Do-Reflect,” in which trainers, program managers, and program developers work collaboratively with front-line staff.
InPractice: Lessons for and from Practitioners
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About InPractice
MDRC is known for its groundbreaking evaluations and demonstrations of social policies and programs. Our success depends to a great extent on the work of MDRC’s operations staff, field liaisons who partner with service providers to solve everyday problems and create valuable learning exchanges. The InPractice blog series highlights lessons from MDRC’s work with programs, featuring posts on recruiting participants and keeping them engaged, supporting provider teams, using data for program improvement, and providing services remotely.
Our operations staff members, who write most InPractice posts, have firsthand professional experience — including as state and local government administrators, program managers, case workers, teachers, school administrators, and community organizers. They are relationship builders and creative trainers who help programs develop and adopt new ways of working, translate complex research agendas into clear and practical guidance, provide tailored technical assistance, facilitate opportunities to hear multiple perspectives and experiences, and refine fundraising efforts. They strive to understand programs and their participants inside and out. These core aspects of MDRC’s work are bolstered by our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
For more on our collaborative work with nonprofits, see this video, the MDRC Center for Applied Behavioral Science website, and the project description for the Center for Data Insights.
The editors of InPractice are Dina A. R. Israel, Senior Operations Associate, and Jennifer Miller Gaubert, who manages MDRC’s Institutional Review Board.