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Policy & research > What Works in Youth Development
What works in Youth Development - Systematic Reviews Programme
Evidence-based practice and policy is an essential part of youth development. The Ministry of Youth Development has a three year programme of work, funding a number of systematic reviews in key areas of youth development under the series title What Works in Youth Development.
The Ministry of Youth Development is undertaking this work programme in
conjunction with the Health Research Council of New Zealand.
The systematic reviews will be primarily be aimed at service providers,
as well as policy agencies and other organisations with an interest in
youth development.
This web page is the repository for all related documentation and
events – including Calls for Expressions of Interest -
relating to the What Works in Youth Development – Systematic Reviews
Programme.
Resources
The Ministry of Youth Development has developed a background paper on
systematic reviews and their role in the youth development sector in
New Zealand. This can be accessed here.
References to Systematic Reviews – Background Materials
The following weblinks connect to key international reports on
systematic reviews, which will be of particular interest to those
researchers requiring supplementary material to respond to Calls for
Expressions of Interest to undertake systematic reviews.
Professor Julia Littell is one of the leading international experts on
systematic reviews. Professor Littell is based at the
Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research at Bryn Mawr
College, Pennsylvania. She is also a member of the Campbell
Collaboration (member of Campbell Collaboration Steering Group and
Co-Chair and Coordinating editor of the Campbell Collaboration Social
Welfare Coordinating Group). She has written and taught on
systematic review theory and practice, and has led a Campbell
Collaboration systematic review on the effectiveness of multi-systemic
treatment on outcomes for at-risk young people. Her recent book on “Systematic Reviews and
Meta-Analysis” is available here, and was the basis for
her New Zealand workshops in June 2008.
Professor Julia Littell Workshops
The Ministry of Youth Development hosted and funded three day workshops
by Professor Littell in 2008 - Wellington (24 June), Christchurch (26
June) and Auckland (30 June).
These workshops were undertaken in association with the Partnership Programme of the Health Research Council of New Zealand and the Linkages Programme of the Social Policy Evaluation and Research Committee.
Recent “12 to 24” newsletters of the Ministry of Youth Development have
featured articles on Professor Julia Littell, her workshops and the
What Works in Youth Development – Systematic Reviews Programme. These
articles, contained in Issue 15 (May 2008, p.10) and Issue 16 (August
2008, p.12) can be accessed here.
All three workshops were over-subscribed. For the benefit of
those who attended the workshops, and those unable to attend,
presentations by workshop speakers are available for download below.
Note that these documents are all – particularly those of Professor
Littell – highly recommended reading for those research providers
intending to respond to Calls for Expressions of Interest for the What
Works in Youth Development Systematic Reviews Programme.
Professor Julia Littell
1. Systematic Reviews: Credible Evidence for Youth-related Policy and Practice
2a. Traditional vs. Systematic Reviews Part 1
2b. Traditional vs. Systematic Reviews Part 2
3a. Understanding Systematic Reviews Part 1
3b. Understanding Systematic Reviews Part 2
4. Using Systematic Reviews in Policy and Practice
5. References
Raewyn Good, SPEaR
Linkages Programme
Megan Skinner, HRC
Partnership Programme
Marten Hutt, MYD
Systematic Reviews within the Context of Building an Evidence Base for Improving Youth Outcomes
What Next
“The Campbell Collaboration is the primary
international organisation devoted to the methodology and dissemination
of systematic reviews in the social policy field. Key reports
include:
- Guidelines for the Preparation of Review Protocols
- Steps in Proposing, Preparing, Submitting, and Editing of Campbell Collaboration Systematic Reviews
Both of the above reports can be accessed here.
NEW - Campbell Collaboration Training in Systematic Reviews
This two day workshop is run by the Campbell Collaboration’s Training
Group. It will take place on 20-21 November 2008 (Thursday and Friday).
The workshop will be held at the Faculty of Social Work, University of
Toronto. Trainers are Julia Littell (Bryn Mawr College, USA) and
Therese Pigott (Loyola University Chicago, USA).
Find out more here
The Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, at the University of York
have also published key reports on undertaking systematic
reviews. The two key reports are:
Examples of Youth-related Systematic Reviews, Fact sheets and Meta-Analyses
Below are links to a number of recent ‘What Works’ systematic reviews,
fact sheets and meta-analyses. The Ministry of Youth Development
is working on a comprehensive ‘library’ of youth-related systematic
reviews, eventually likely to contain hundreds of entries and links, of which the
listing below is but a small sample.
1. What Works for Education and Civic Engagement
(Child Trends, May 2008)
2. What Works for Substance Abuse and Reproductive
Health Programmes (Child Trends, May 2008)
3. Families and Heavy Drinking: Impacts on Parenting
and Children’s Wellbeing (SHORE, June 2006)
4. Current-Generation Youth Programmes: What Works,
What Doesn’t and at What Cost? (RAND, 2008)
5. Correctional Boot Camps: Effects on Offending (Campbell Collaboration, 2005)
6. Impacts of After-School Programmes on Student Outcomes (Campbell Collaboration, 2005)
7. Interventions intended to reduce Pregnancy-related Outcomes among Adolescents (Campbell Collaboration, 2006)
8. “Scared Straight” and other Juvenile Awareness
Programmes for Preventing Juvenile Delinquency (Cochrane Collaboration,
2002)
Miscellaneous Links on Systematic Reviews and What Works Methods
•Seven Activities for Enhancing the Replicability of Evidence-Based Practices (Child Trends, 2007)
•Campbell Collaboration and Public Health/Youth Development work in
West Midlands, United Kingdom (BMJ 2001)
Best Practice in Commissioning Research
The Ministry of Youth Development, in its contracting approach with
research providers, and in developing research programmes, has been
guided by the following documents:
•Commissioning Social Research. A Good Practice Guide (Social Research Association 2002). A copy of this Guide is available here
•SPEaR Good Practice Guidelines (2008)
A copy of this Guide is available here
•Growing Research in Practice. A Collection of Resources
A copy of this Guide is available here
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