Developing a Federal Research Agenda for Positive Youth Development: Identifying Gaps in the Field and an Effective Consensus Building Approach

Authors

  • Allison B. Dymnicki American Institutes for Research
  • Suzanne Le Menestrel National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
  • Michelle J. Boyd Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning & Evaluation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
  • Lisa Lauxman National Institute of Food and Agriculture, United States Department of Agriculture
  • Sarah E. Oberlander Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning & Evaluation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
  • David M. Osher American Institutes for Research

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/jyd.2016.430

Abstract

The field of positive youth development (PYD) is at an important crossroads in terms of defining its scope and directions for future research. This paper describes an effective consensus-building process that representatives from 16 federal agencies engaged in to develop a research agenda focused on PYD and the product that resulted from using this approach. During this process, the representatives identified and refined three research domains (conceptual issues related to PYD, data sources and indicators, and program implementation and effectiveness) and key research questions that could benefit from future research. We share lessons learned from our experience to emphasize the importance of organizational systems change efforts and interagency collaborations. A major contribution of this paper is to provide specific areas for future research in PYD from the federal perspective and to describe future implications for PYD policy and interagency collaborations.

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Published

2016-12-15

Issue

Vol. 11 No. 1 (2016)

Section

Feature Articles

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