9 research outputs found
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Thinking About How to Evaluate Your Program? These Strategies Will Get You Started
Accessed 327,227 times on https://pareonline.net from March 25, 2004 to December 31, 2019. For downloads from January 1, 2020 forward, please click on the PlumX Metrics link to the right
Vermont Agency of Transportation Employee Retention and Knowledge Management Study
In 2015, the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) developed a new strategic plan that included five goals that would support the agency’s mission and vision. Goal 5 of the plan is: Develop a workforce to meet the strategic needs of the agency. VTrans leaders were concerned with the loss of employees due to turnover and the subsequent impact of knowledge loss on the operations of the agency. This applied research study used a mixed methods approach in data gathering to help determine the state of employee retention and knowledge management (KM) at VTrans and to provide tools that could help with both retention and KM issues. Key steps in this study involved an organizational assessment of turnover and KM practices at VTrans, a scan of other state DOTs concerning retention and KM practices, and a pilot project to address both issues. With guidance provided by a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), the decision was made to focus most of the research in specific units of the Highway Division
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Satellite remote sensing data for decision support in emerging agricultural economies
Satellite remote sensing observations of the Earth have transformed our ability to understand and quantify the impact of weather on agricultural growing conditions. Although satellite data have been integrated into government and policy decisions regarding food availability, the data are still not widely used by farmers. To be useful for a farm-level decision, satellite data must be localized and integrated into workflows across diverse agricultural systems to become useful. Here we show that improved availability and quality of satellite remote sensing, coupled with low cost processing and massive increases in rural connectivity, has meant commercial agriculture institutions in low income regions are increasingly using the information to drive their business
American Journal of Evaluation ''Reflective Practitioners'' On a Personal Note : Practical Pedagogical Activities to Foster the Development of
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Vermont Agency of Transportation Employee Retention and Knowledge Management Study
Employee retention is a critical issue for organizations of all types. Public sector groups such as the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) are no exception. Not only can the costs of recruitment, training, and orientation approach 100% of the annual salary for the position being filled, but work disruption and loss of organizational memory can impact organization performance. Vermont is not alone in facing a transportation workforce challenge. A recent publication from the National Cooperative Highway Research Program for state departments of transportation stresses the importance of knowledge management (KM) in these organizations and provides guidelines for enhancing retention and talent management, two key issues to an effective workforce. As the report acknowledges, the constraints of retirements, departing mid-career employees, and the changing workplace expectations of the millennial generation all play into an organization that may face a steady decline in resilience, unless a clear plan is in place to address retention and implement KM practices. Recognizing these critical issues, VTrans leaders embraced an applied research project intended to assess the state of both retention and KM at the agency and develop pilot projects to address both areas. This policy brief summarizes the findings of that study.View the NCST Project Webpag
Proven and Creative Strategies and Techniques for Teaching Evaluation
This Demonstration Session has as its target those who teach program evaluation or have an interest in doing so
Proven and Creative Strategies and Techniques for Teaching Evaluation
This Demonstration Session has as its target those who teach program evaluation or have an interest in doing so
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Integrating Behavioral Health and Primary Care (IBH-PC) to improve patient-centered outcomes in adults with multiple chronic medical and behavioral health conditions: study protocol for a pragmatic cluster-randomized control trial.
BackgroundChronic diseases that drive morbidity, mortality, and health care costs are largely influenced by human behavior. Behavioral health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders can often be effectively managed. The majority of patients in need of behavioral health care are seen in primary care, which often has difficulty responding. Some primary care practices are providing integrated behavioral health care (IBH), where primary care and behavioral health providers work together, in one location, using a team-based approach. Research suggests there may be an association between IBH and improved patient outcomes. However, it is often difficult for practices to achieve high levels of integration. The Integrating Behavioral Health and Primary Care study responds to this need by testing the effectiveness of a comprehensive practice-level intervention designed to improve outcomes in patients with multiple chronic medical and behavioral health conditions by increasing the practice's degree of behavioral health integration.MethodsForty-five primary care practices, with existing onsite behavioral health care, will be recruited for this study. Forty-three practices will be randomized to the intervention or usual care arm, while 2 practices will be considered "Vanguard" (pilot) practices for developing the intervention. The intervention is a 24-month supported practice change process including an online curriculum, a practice redesign and implementation workbook, remote quality improvement coaching services, and an online learning community. Each practice's degree of behavioral health integration will be measured using the Practice Integration Profile. Approximately 75 patients with both chronic medical and behavioral health conditions from each practice will be asked to complete a series of surveys to measure patient-centered outcomes. Change in practice degree of behavioral health integration and patient-centered outcomes will be compared between the two groups. Practice-level case studies will be conducted to better understand the contextual factors influencing integration.DiscussionAs primary care practices are encouraged to provide IBH services, evidence-based interventions to increase practice integration will be needed. This study will demonstrate the effectiveness of one such intervention in a pragmatic, real-world setting.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT02868983 . Registered on August 16, 2016