BACKGROUND
Estimating the value of NCHRP research products is challenging. A research product can have multiple outcomes, which in turn can lead to multiple impacts. Significant time can pass between when the research product is developed, when it is put into practice, and when the impacts of that practice are realized; this affects the timing of any evaluation activities. The nature of research products is wide-ranging; some research products are geared towards improving existing practices, while others are useful for informing policy decisions. A variety of techniques may be used to measure the impacts themselves, influenced by what measures would be most useful, how easy performance data are to collect, monitor, and replicate. Finally, attributing impacts to a research product, when the research product is used as part of a portfolio of other research products, needs to be considered. Estimating the value of NCHRP research will likely require approaches that are sensitive to the context of the research and the perspective of the stakeholders trying to understand its benefits.
The research team developed such a process for research impact assessment based on theory and practice in research evaluation from multiple disciplines. Research impact assessment is a complex and multidimensional process, particularly in the case of NCHRP, which is broad-based in term of topics covered and national implementation scope. While a narrowly quantitative, one-size fits-all approach to impact evaluation would be desirable, for NCHRP such an approach cannot recognize the nature of the research program and the broad set of values it is expected to produce.
STATUS
The final report of the project is available here. The report includes the following chapters:
- Literature Review
- Synthesis of Stakeholder Interviews
- Research Impact Assessment Framework
- Guidelines for Effective NCHRP Impacts Assessment
- Methodological challenges in assessing the impacts of NCHRP Research
- Changes to NCHRP Process to Facilitate RIA
- Conclusions and Recommendations for Evaluating NCHRP Research.
In addition to the final report, a separate document titled Guidelines For an Effective NCHRP Research Impact Assessment is available here. This document further expands on the similarly titled chapter found in the final report of the project.
