Scanning for Best Practices

Defining Best Practices

The phrase best practices is difficult to define precisely. It has been characterized in various and competing ways in both academic and practice literature. In addition, definitions of best practices often overlap with those of such terms as benchmarking, organizational effectiveness, organizational capacity building, effective management practices, performance, outcomes, and even self-regulation and accountability. In their extensive work on nonprofit organizational effectiveness, Herman and Renz (1999) indicated that effectiveness is subject to comparison, is multidimensional, and is not reducible to a single type of measurement (p. 107). So, too, are best practices. In writing this chapter, I have accepted the assumption that best practices are by some means related to learning and effectiveness in human service contexts. I also acknowledge that best practices are multidimensional and that exactly what constitutes best practices remains a matter of comparison, debate, and concern for human service supervisors.

Indeed, Backer and Bare (2000) caution that “in this young field, with little empirical evidence … it is not yet appropriate to speak about ‘best practices’” (p. 38). To date, the literature on best practices fails to provide adequate conceptual insight or evidence into successful processes for adopting and implementing best practices (Overman & Boyd, 1994). How do supervisors identify and learn about best practices? How can they best foster adoption and implementation of best practices?

The identification of best practices is a dynamic process, affected by supervisory practices, social policy considerations, organizational interactions, and organizational technology related to learning. The definition of best practices in organizations can affect the ways in which supervisors carry out the organizational [Page 262]mission, approach critical management questions, allocate human resources, respond to difficulties or resource constraints, and foster the organizational climate. It is thus useful to consider a learning orientation to best practices and then to briefly review a number of representative definitions of best practices.

Before considering best practices definitions, it is first useful to note that the term best practices is sometimes expressed as “better practices,” “recommended practices” or “promising practices,” further emphasizing the dynamic and formative nature of many best practices approaches. Considering best practices as “promising” is not only useful, it may also more accurately characterize best practices as those practices that are “replicable with modifications … establishing a clear road map, describing how the practice evolved and what the benefits to others who adopt the practice are likely to be” (Keehley, Medlin, MacBride, & Longmire, 1997, pp. 28–29). In addition, best practices are promising practices, in part because of demonstrated success in other human services contexts and potential transferability, with adaptation and modification for varying organizational contexts. Best practices are also considered promising practices for organizations because of their linkages to learning, performance orientation (National Performance Review, 1995), and continuous improvement in organizations (Keehley et al., 1997). Thus, in this chapter, best practices are defined as those that are both relevant and possess promise for adoption, adaptation, learning, and improved performance.

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