Enhancing Family Support Services with Rapid-Cycle Learning and Advanced Analytics

Programs needed faster insights

Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education (HMRE) programs provide meaningful support to families and individuals at all stages of life. However, many programs face persistent challenges with recruitment, retention, and service delivery—and lack clear guidance on how to improve. The slow pace of traditional evaluation methods can make it difficult to refine program strategies on a timeline that aligns with participant needs.

A smarter, faster approach to improvement

To help HMRE programs respond more effectively, our team applied rapid cycle learning, guided by an evidence-based approach to managing program improvement. This approach allowed us to test and refine improvement strategies in real time, quickly boosting the efficiency and impact of services. Our work focused on:

• Using real-time feedback to improve service delivery
• Identifying the most effective outreach methods to boost recruitment
• Developing lessons about promising practices for the HMRE field

Boosted participation through improved recruitment and delivery models

By making it easier to continuously refine recruitment, retention, and service delivery models, we helped HMRE programs develop promising tools and strategies to increase engagement and long-term participation rates—supporting more stable, positive outcomes for families. With our support, Gateway Community Action—an organization serving adults across nine rural counties in eastern Kentucky—expanded its referral partnerships and improved its virtual facilitation strategies. These enhancements strengthened Gateway’s community partner network for its HMRE program and led to its highest monthly enrollment to date—a 45 percent increase from the previous month.