InPractice: Lessons for and from Practitioners

Recruitment can be difficult for social service organizations. This post describes methods used in the Building Evidence on Employment Strategies project to reach and enroll clients.

This post explains how learning cycles—a process of testing, collecting data, and refining practices—can help program operators continually improve their work.

This blog post gives some highlights from MDRC’s Evidence to Practice—technical assistance—work from 2025.

Lessons on how to use a hackathon—an intensive, time-limited event where teams collaborate to solve challenges—to build skills, spark innovation, and generate fresh ideas.

Lessons on how predictive analytics—the use of historical data to estimate the likelihood of future outcomes—can help program operators anticipate and actively address client needs.

An Evidence to Practice case study about an MDRC/Slingshot Memphis collaboration that uses data and community research to strengthen local workforce programs.

Uses the example of MDRC’s work with an organization providing coteaching coaching to describe how MDRC helps organizations prepare for evaluation.

A summary of the eight-year findings from a study of Accelerated Study in Associate Programs student support programs at three Ohio community colleges.

As an example of how MDRC approaches expanding models, describes MDRC’s work with a state agency and a community college district on a student success program.

Lessons on how organizations can set up and work with community advisory boards, which tell organizations whether programs and services reflect local needs.