Developing a culture of R and E
The Ministry of Youth Development (MYD) is strengthening the use of research and evaluation in its decision making and policy advice.
MYD's Principal Analyst for Research and Evaluation, Joan Sykora, says the Ministry's work is guided by the Youth Development Strategy Aotearoa (YDSA), which includes the "good information" principle of gathering and sharing of effective research, evaluation and information.
"The strategic management team at MYD has made the commitment to actively and intentionally incorporate the youth development knowledge base into decision making in our daily work," Joan says.
"This means that as a ministry we stay on top of current and credible R&E, and make it accessible to the broader youth sector."
Joan says the "good information" principle is the last of six YDSA principles to be implemented, starting in late 2005 with scoping ways the principle could be implemented and resulting in the MYD Strategy for Research and Evaluation.
The strategy calls for MYD to be an "organisation of enquiry, supporting exploration, discovery and effective use of the youth development knowledge base" and states that the organisation will "advance that knowledge base as credible, accessible, relevant and integrated into decision making that supports young New Zealanders".
To achieve this, MYD works in partnership with the Centre for Social Research and Evaluation (CSRE) at the Ministry of Social Development (MSD). Joan describes her role as that of "conduit" linking data and good decision making – translating evaluation efforts, research, journals and international literature on youth development for MYD and the youth sector. "My work involves education, technical support, organisational capacity building, building the knowledge base and providing advice on credible, timely use of R&E."
Joan says that one of the challenges is helping people understand the role of R&E in the operations of a public sector ministry, and how it can improve decision making, services, policy advice and the engagement of young people. "We intend to use our website as a tool for sharing the youth development knowledge base with the broader sector.
"The transfer of knowledge, both from within and outside the organisation, is a vital component of an organisation of enquiry. This is more likely to happen in an environment of teamwork and co-operation where group problem solving takes place and the development of innovative ideas is encouraged."
In addition to the MYD Strategy for Research and Evaluation, a research action plan was created as a result of the work by the 65 participants at the youth development research forum in June. Joan presented the action plan to the SPEaR Committee in October.
