Social Network Analysis: A Useful Tool for Program Evaluation

Contact: Cheryl Pedersen, (609) 275-2258

PRINCETON, N.J. (November 17, 2009)—How do physician/nurse interactions affect patient outcomes? Are teachers who have better access to professional advice more effective instructors? Social network analysis (SNA), a methodological approach for measuring and mapping relationships, can be used to answer questions like this that involve social networks. A new issue brief from Mathematica Policy Research introduces the concepts behind SNA, illustrates how to use it in process and outcome evaluations, and explains how it can provide a qualitative and quantitative assessment of network relationships.

SNA maps and measures human and organizational relationships, both visually and mathematically, viewing them in terms of nodes and ties. Nodes are the individual actors in networks, and ties are the relationships between actors. The data can be used to determine relationships among network members, identify members’ level of involvement, target interventions to improve a network, and provide formative feedback to program staff. In addition, SNA can explore outcomes, either through examining relationships between networks and outcomes or observing how a network evolves as an outcome itself.

The brief highlights Mathematica’s use of SNA in its evaluation of the Community Partnerships for Older Adults program, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. SNA was used to study the leadership teams—core team members, work group leaders, and project staff—of eight partnerships. Survey questions focused on communication between members and the level of regard they had for each other. Results showed that level of contact with leaders and work group members varied across sites.

“SNA is a powerful tool in social science research for studying group behavior. It can also present challenges,” said Todd Honeycutt, the report’s author and a researcher at Mathematica with expertise in using SNA in health systems research. “Evaluators must understand the network they want to observe in order to define it and determine whether it is conducive to SNA methods. Missing data can limit interpretation of results. And maintaining confidentiality may need special attention, particularly when asking individuals to assess the quality of their relationships.”

“Making Connections: Using Social Network Analysis for Program Evaluation,” by Todd Honeycutt, is available at www.mathematica-mpr.com/publications/redirect_pubsdb.asp?strSite=pdfs/socialnetworkanalysis.pdf.

Mathematica Policy Research, a nonpartisan research firm, provides a full range of research and data collection services, including program evaluation and policy research, survey design and data collection, research assessment and interpretation, and  program performance/data management, to improve public well-being. Its clients include federal and state governments, foundations, and private-sector and international organizations. The employee-owned company, with offices in Princeton, N.J., Ann Arbor, Mich., Cambridge, Mass., Chicago, Ill., Oakland, Calif., and Washington, D.C., has conducted some of the most important studies of health care, education, family support, employment, nutrition, and early childhood policies and programs.