The federal GPRA evaluation mandate: is social work ready?

The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) mandates inclusion of evaluation in federal agency strategic plans, impacting human service programs receiving federal support. Recommended evaluation methods include flexible ongoing and participatory approaches. Yet social work may not be prepared to appropriately respond to the government's demands for accountability. This paper reviews GPRA and its implications for social work practice, evaluation, and research, offering response strategies. The paper suggests that the creation of a National Center for Social Work Research (S. 70/H.R. 663) could help bridge evaluation gaps, offering a centralized mechanism for monitoring evaluation activities and maximizing federal research resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]