1. Planning for Bridging Research, Policy, and Practice Panel at the Childwatch 2009 Key Institution Meeting. Building on the engagement of the regional networks, the group plans to develop a Bridging Research, Policy and Practice panel at the Childwatch Key Institution meeting in 2009. A broader group of Childwatch International members including those from centres in the developing world.
2. Prospective Study on the Impact of Actionable Research. This research study will use current child policy research projects from Childwatch International Key Institutions and others to systematically explore the theoretical models put forth in the working group’s collaborative publication, “Research for Action: Cross-National Perspectives on Connecting Knowledge, Policy, and Practice for Children” (Eds. Chaskin, R.J. and Rosenfeld, J.M., 2008, Oxford University Press). Exploring the processes of research development and utilization in their various contexts (geographical, political, social) will draw out the mechanisms of stakeholder engagement and dissemination of knowledge that most effectively impact the lives of children.
The aim is to develop prospective research with Childwatch Key Institutions to inform efforts on how to more effectively link research, policy, and practice, potentially including the development of a research protocol and plan for further comparative, cross-national case-study research.
3. Investigate other issues that a Childwatch thematic network might pursue, e.g.:
- How to effectively evaluate the impact of research and dissemination efforts on policy and practice
- Explore lessons learned from both successful and failed dissemination efforts
4. Develop dissemination strategies and an infrastructure to make research findings and activities available to a broad range of people inside and beyond the Childwatch Network,e.g.:
- Develop working papers, journal articles, and other products from work of the thematic network to reach a number of audiences
- Explore the possibility of developing a web-based tool to promote, collect, track, and disseminate findings from a broad range of dissemination evaluations and studies to be collected from Childwatch Key Institutions and other organizations
5. Planning for the Bridging Research Policy and Practice Conference in 2009
The group will begin early planning for a larger conference in 2009 intended to engage a much wider constituency of Childwatch members and others.
Contact:
Rob Chaskin, Chapin Hall Centre for Children, University of Chicago
E-mail: rchaskin [at] chapinhall.org