Engagement for Equitable Outcomes provides practical suggestions for practitioners addressing urgent social problems and reducing inequities in their communities. Newcomer, Wilson, and Brown offer approaches and models customized to local conditions and equity-focused guidance for innovating and adapting encouraging interventions. Their approach stresses intentional end-user engagement and collaboration, including a five-step Performance Improvement Model: 1) inclusively collaborating to prioritize equitable outcomes; 2) identifying and developing promising interventions; 3) engaging and adapting to implement customized interventions; 4) scaling interventions for maximum impact; and 5) sustaining and improving equity-focused programming. The authors provide road maps, check lists, insights, and practical tips for navigating these five essential practices. Ultimately, this book is designed to enhance the knowledge, skills, and perspectives of policy makers, researchers, practitioners, and citizens interested in addressing urgent social problems with sustainable, equitable results.
Kathryn Newcomer is a professor in the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration at the George Washington University where she teaches graduate level courses on public and nonprofit program evaluation, and research design. She served as the Trachtenberg School director for over 12 years, until July 2019. She is a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, and currently serves on the Comptroller General's Educators' Advisory Panel. She served as the president of the American Evaluation Association in 2017, and the president of the Network of the Association of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) for 2006-2007. Dr. Newcomer was recently selected by the board of the American Society for Public Administration's Center for Accountability and Performance to receive the 2021 Joseph Wholey Distinguished Scholarship Award for her scholarly work and lifetime achievement in the areas of performance management, government accountability, and program evaluation. Dr. Newcomer has published six books, including Evidence-Building and Evaluation in Government (2022 by Sage), U.S. Inspectors General: Truth Tellers in Turbulent Times (2020 by Brookings), and The Handbook of Practical Program Evaluation (4th edition 2015). She has received two Fulbright awards, one for Taiwan and one for Egypt. She has lectured on performance measurement and public sector evaluation in 17 countries outside of the U.S.
Table of Contents Foreword by Travis Reginal Chapter 1: How can we more effectively address urgent social problems? Chapter 2: Inclusively Collaborate with End-users to Prioritize Desired Equitable Outcomes Chapter 3: Identify Promising Interventions to Achieve Prioritized Outcomes Chapter 4: Engage and Adapt to Implement Chapter 5: Scaling Interventions Chapter 6: Sustain and Improve Equity-Focused Work Chapter 7: Achieving Equitable Outcomes: Next Steps References
