2024 Volume 24 Issue 1 Pages 69-82
Since social issues and the entities that solve them have become increasingly diverse, evidence-based policymaking and practice have gotten much attention. Nevertheless, the extent to which evidence is utilized in the Japanese nonprofit sector must be clarified. This research study conducted an exploratory survey and analysis of the nature of evidence utilization among the organizations engaged in child and family welfare in the nonprofit sector. The survey results indicate that diverse perceptions of the definition of evidence exist. Therefore, their activities are being developed based on these insights. Overall, responses recognizing evidence as findings that empirically reveal the effectiveness of interventions were low, and no statistically significant differences existed in perceptions of the definition of evidence when examining its relationship to organizational characteristics, including whether interpersonal support services were implemented. Based on these results, this paper discussed the role of evaluators in supporting nonprofit players in understanding evidence definitions and utilizing them by considering the characteristics of the Japanese nonprofit sector.
