Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE)

Mission

The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) is responsible for advising the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families on increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of programs to improve the economic and social well-being of children and families.

Formation

OPRE was established in the Federal Register on August 9, 1995. OPRE was created to serve as the principal advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families on improving the effectiveness and efficiency of programs designed to make measurable improvements in the economic and social well-being of children and families; and to provide guidance, analysis, technical assistance, and oversight to ACF programs.

Purpose

OPRE builds evidence on ACF programs and the populations they serve by conducting rigorous research and evaluation projects and by increasing the quality, usefulness, sharing, and analysis of data while protecting privacy and confidentiality to support data-driven decision making. To do this, OPRE provides guidance, analysis, technical assistance, and oversight to ACF programs on strategic planning, performance measurement, research and evaluation, statistical policy and program analysis, synthesis and dissemination of research and evaluation, data governance, data use, data re-use and integration, data ethics, data sharing, data privacy and data confidentiality. OPRE’s work is guided by ACF’s Evaluation Policy, which established five key principles to govern ACF’s planning, conduct, and use of evaluation: rigor, relevance, transparency, independence, and ethics.

Budget

OPRE was responsible for $154,070,460.92 in grants and contracts in fiscal year 2024. OPRE administers funds that Congress provides through a number of separate authorities. Most of these are linked to specific ACF programs including Head Start, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, child care, Health Profession Opportunity Grants, the Maternal Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (jointly administered with the Health Resources and Services Administration), pregnancy prevention, sexual risk avoidance, and child welfare programs.

Administration

In collaboration with Administration for Children and Families (ACF) program offices and others, OPRE:

develops and oversees research and evaluation projects to assess program performance and inform policy and practice
works to inform ACF, grantee, and researcher capacity to collect, use, and share high quality human services data; and
coordinates performance management for ACF

OPRE provides guidance, analysis, technical assistance, and oversight to ACF programs on:

research and evaluation methods;
statistical, policy, and program analysis;
the quality, usefulness, sharing, and analysis of data;
synthesis and dissemination of research and demonstration findings; and
performance management

OPRE conducts it work primarily through competitively awarded grants and contracts as well as direct engagement with ACF programs and staff. OPRE includes the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary, the Office of Research and Evaluation, and the Office of the Chief Data Officer.

Director

Lauren Supplee

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Planning, Research, and Evaluation