Feedback After the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation's 2024 Research and Evaluation Conference on Self-Sufficiency (RECS)

Instrument I. Post-RECS Data Collection Survey Questions

[PAGE 1] Purpose of this Survey  
The Administration for Children and Families’ (ACF) Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) is partnering with American Institutes for Research (AIR), a not-for-profit research organization, to gain an understanding of the utility of the content shared during the Research and Evaluation Conference on Self-Sufficiency (RECS) 2024.

The purpose of this survey is to learn a bit about you, the nature of your learning experience at the conference, and whether and how you’ve been able to use what you learned at RECS this year.  The information you provide will help inform OPRE’s future conference planning efforts. You may skip any question or withdraw from participating at any time without penalty.

We estimate this survey will take no more than 10 minutes to complete.
 

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is #0970-0531 and the expiration date is 9/30/2025.

Privacy. All information obtained through this survey will be kept private to the extent allowable by law. We will use the information only for the purposes of this study. We will not use your name in any reports and will not attribute any quotes to individuals.
 
Contact Details. If you have any questions about the survey, please contact the RECS Research Use Study team at [email protected].

 
OPRE and AIR greatly value your opinion and hope that you will participate in this important research by completing this survey. 

[PAGE 2] Survey Navigation

Entering and Navigating the Survey
At the bottom of each screen, you will find buttons that allow you to “Save and Continue” (to proceed to the next page), “Go Back” (to return to the previous page), or “Save and Exit.” 

Please try to complete the survey in one sitting. However, you may choose to “Save and Exit” at any time so that you can exit and return to the survey. If you save and exit the survey, please be sure to save the survey link provided to you on the exit page.

Submitting your Survey
When you have completed all questions in the survey, click the “Submit Survey” button at the bottom of the last page. Once you submit your responses, a message on the screen will indicate that your responses have been received. At this point, you will not be able to go back and review or revise your responses.

[PAGE 3] RECS 2024 Attendance

1. Did you attend any part of RECS 2024 (in person or virtually)?

• Yes

• No

[PAGE 4] Conference Goals and Experiences

Please answer the following questions about your RECS goals and experiences.

2. Was RECS 2024 your first-time attending RECS? (select one)

• Yes

• No

3. Which of the following best represents how you attended RECS 2024? (select one)

• In-person only

• Mostly in-person and some virtual

• About half in-person and half virtual

• Mostly virtual and some in-person

• Virtual only

4. How many sessions did you participate in the conference? (select one)

• One session

• Less than half of the sessions

• Half the sessions

• More than half of the sessions

• Most/all sessions

5. Which of the following indicates your main goal(s) for attending RECS 2024? (select all that apply)

• Learn about human services programs

• Learn about policy relevant to human services programs

• Learn about research methods

• Learn about the latest research findings

• Learn about the implications of research to apply them in my own work

• Learn about tools (e.g., research clearinghouse, guides, datasets) I can use in my own work

• Gather knowledge to share with others

• Network with other attendees

• Participate as a speaker

• Other: [please specify]

6. Which of the following topic areas were you most interested in learning about at RECS 2024? (select all that apply)

• TANF Programs, Policies, and Populations

• Employment and Mobility in the Labor Market

• Youth Well-Being and the Transition to Adulthood

• Strengthening Families, Fatherhood, Marriages, and Relationships

• Evaluating Social Programs, Building Evidence, and Using Data

• Approaches to Alleviate Poverty and Expand Opportunity

• Other: [please specify]

7. Which of the following tools and resources did you use during the conference to capture information shared at RECS? (select all that apply)

• Electronic notes on my own device (e.g., laptop, tablet, phone)

• Handwritten notes in the printed program book offered at RECS

• Handwritten notes using my own materials (e.g., notebook)

• Notetaking feature in the conference app

• Print materials distributed at RECS (other than the program book)

• Slides available through the conference app

• Other: [please specify]

• None of these

[PAGE 5] Use of Conference Research and Information

Please answer the following questions about your use of RECS research and information.

8. How did you access information shared at RECS after the conference? (select all that apply)

• Electronic notes on my own device (e.g., laptop, tablet, phone)

• Handwritten notes in the printed program book offered at RECS

• Handwritten notes using my own materials (e.g., notebook)

• Notetaking feature in the conference app

• Print materials distributed at RECS (other than the program book)

• Slides available through the conference app

• Other: [please specify]

• None of these

9. Considering the RECS 2024 sessions you attended, can you think of an example of how the information shared in those sessions:

	YES	NO
Changed the way you look at problems facing your organization or the people your organization serves?	☐	☐
Expanded your understanding of an issue?	☐	☐
Suggested alternative solutions to a problem encountered by either your organization or by the people your organization serves?	☐	☐
Brought attention to an issue your organization or the people your organization serves have not yet faced?	☐	☐
Provided a framework for structuring improvement efforts (e.g., for a program, research study, policy implementation, evaluation)?	☐	☐
Provided a common language and set of ideas for you and your colleagues?	☐	☐
Helped you to develop or strengthen a professional relationship?	☐	☐
Increased your ability to share knowledge with others on an issue(s)?	☐	☐

10. For each activity listed below, please indicate whether your role involves the following activities.

	In my current role, I am involved with:	In my current role, I am NOT involved with:
Conducting or overseeing research or evaluation projects	☐	☐
Developing a new program or policy	☐	☐
Making decisions about whether to adopt a program or policy	☐	☐
Implementing a program or policy	☐	☐
Scaling up a program	☐	☐
Redesigning an existing program	☐	☐
Designing professional development for staff	☐	☐
Making decisions about whether to eliminate a program or policy	☐	☐
Directing new or additional resources (funds or people) to a particular program	☐	☐
Directing new or additional resources (funds or people) to a particular research priority or study	☐	☐

11. [For items that participants selected “In my current role, I am involved with:” for item 10, participants will be asked:] In the previous question, you indicated that you are involved with the activities listed below. Please indicate whether you have used or plan to use the information you learned at RECS 2024 for the following activities.

	I have used the information I learned at RECS 2024 to:	I will use the information I learned at RECS 2024 to:	I have NOT and will NOT use the information I learned at RECS 2024 to:
Inform the oversight or conduct of research or evaluation projects	☐	☐	☐
Inform the development of a new program or policy	☐	☐	☐
Inform the decision to adopt a program or policy	☐	☐	☐
Inform the implementation of a program or policy	☐	☐	☐
Inform the scaling up of a program	☐	☐	☐
Inform the redesign of an existing program	☐	☐	☐
Inform the design of professional development for staff	☐	☐	☐
Inform the decision to eliminate a program or policy	☐	☐	☐
Inform the decision to direct new or additional resources (funds or people) to a particular program	☐	☐	☐
Inform the decision to direct new or additional resources (funds or people) to particular research priorities or studies	☐	☐	☐

12. Please use the space below to share any other areas of your work in which you have used or plan to use the information you learned at RECS. (Optional Question)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

13. What is one example of something you learned at RECS and how that knowledge influenced your understanding or informed a specific decision? (Optional Question)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

14. What changes would you suggest to RECS to make it easier to retain and use the information presented? (Optional Question)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

[PAGE 6] Background Information

Please answer the following questions about yourself.

15. What is your professional affiliation? (Please check all that apply)

• Federal Government

• State or Local Government

• Research Firm or Institution

• Practitioner/Service Provider

• Non-Profit Organization

• Philanthropy/Foundation

• University

• Lived Experience/Expertise

• Other: [please specify]

Please note that the following demographic questions are optional.

16. What is your total number of years of work experience (in any professional field or role)?

    • Less than 1 year of work experience

• 1-2 years

• 3-5 years

• 6-10 years

• 11-20 years

17. What is your highest level of education completed?

• Some high school

• High school diploma/GED

• Some college

• Associate’s degree

• Bachelor’s degree

• Master’s degree

• Doctoral degree

• Other: [please specify]

• Prefer not to say

PAGE 7: Thank You

Thank you for completing this survey. The information you provide through this survey will help OPRE improve future conference attendees’ learning experiences.

If you have any questions about the survey, please feel free to contact the RECS Research Use Study Team at [email protected].