Coordinators

Teresa Rodrigues da Silva
Michel Binet

Team (Core members)

Objectives of the project

General objectives:

1. To integrate and re-articulate ongoing research projects within CLISSIS into a common analytical and methodological framework, promoting comparability, cumulative knowledge production and robust scientific evidence in Social Work. The concept of practice evidence refers to a balanced and dialogical approach between two research traditions often regarded as opposing and incompatible in the international literature: (1) Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) and (2) Practice-Based Evidence (PBE).
2. To develop, operationalise and empirically validate Social Work intervention models grounded in practice evidence, aimed at understanding and responding to contexts of complex social vulnerability, thereby contributing to methodological innovation, strengthening the effectiveness of professional practice, and enhancing social and public policies through the production of robust scientific evidence on social intervention.

Specific Objectives:

1. Critically analyse contemporary configurations of social vulnerability in Portugal, identifying emerging patterns, structural factors and multidimensional dynamics that challenge traditional intervention models.
2. Review and systematise the international state of the art on practice-evidence-based social intervention, focusing on methodologies, impact assessment models and innovative Social Work practices.
3. Develop a theoretical and methodological Social Work intervention model, integrating analytical, relational and contextual dimensions.
4. Operationalise and empirically test the developed model through multiple case studies across diverse institutional settings involving professionals and service users.
5. Assess the impact of social intervention practices using qualitative and quantitative methodologies, with the aim of producing robust evidence regarding the effectiveness of implemented approaches.
6. Produce replicable technical and methodological tools, including intervention guidelines, evaluation indicators and analytical frameworks applicable to professional practice within a co-research approach that recognises and empowers practitioners as Practitioner Researchers.
7. Disseminate research findings in scientific and professional contexts, contributing to the advancement of knowledge, the enhancement of social intervention practice and the positioning of CLISSIS as a national and international reference centre, while also supporting science and research management activities developed by the centre.

Scientific Domain

Methodology

The project adopts a mixed-methods, longitudinal and multi-level methodological approach aimed at producing robust empirical evidence on and from within social intervention practices in contexts of complex social vulnerability. It is conceived as an integrative meta-project designed to analytically articulate and reconfigure the research projects currently being developed within CLISSIS through the construction of a common theoretical and methodological framework capable of ensuring comparability, cumulative knowledge production and scientific coherence.

In a first phase, the project will undertake a process of conceptual integration and theoretical development based on a systematic review of the international literature on practice-based evidence, impact assessment and complex social vulnerability. In parallel, ongoing CLISSIS projects will be mapped and analysed to identify convergences, specificities and gaps, thereby enabling the construction of an integrative analytical framework. This framework will function as the central theoretical and methodological device for understanding and operationalising Social Work intervention, articulating relational, contextual and structural dimensions.

In a second phase, the project will focus on methodological harmonisation and the operationalisation of common instruments, a key condition for the scientific integration of the different sub-projects. Shared methodological protocols will be developed, including the definition of vulnerability, intervention and impact indicators, as well as the design of comparable data collection tools, such as interview guides, observation grids and analytical devices incorporating endogenous professional knowledge. This process will be carried out in close collaboration with the teams of the different research groups, ensuring both methodological consistency and respect for the specificities of each study context.

The third phase corresponds to the empirical component of the project and is organised around an embedded multiple-case study strategy, taking as units of analysis the intervention projects and contexts already developed within CLISSIS. This approach will make it possible to capture the diversity of vulnerability configurations and intervention modalities, transforming such diversity into a source of analytical comparability. Data collection will combine qualitative and quantitative techniques, including semi-structured interviews with practitioners and service users, focus groups, non-participant and participant observation of intervention practices, self-confrontation interviews and institutional document analysis. A purposive and diversified sample will be selected, encompassing different areas of social intervention, such as ageing, gender, childhood and social policy, across diverse organisational contexts.

In the fourth phase, an integrated analysis of the data will be undertaken through methodological triangulation strategies, combining qualitative approaches—including conversational analysis, thematic analysis and grounded theory-inspired methods—with quantitative analysis, whenever appropriate, through the development and examination of impact indicators. This phase aims not only to describe intervention practices but also to assess their effectiveness and consistency, thereby enabling the empirical validation of the Practice-Based Evidence Framework developed by the project. Validation will be further strengthened through participatory processes involving practitioners, experts and other relevant stakeholders, ensuring the relevance and applicability of the results.

The innovative nature of the project lies precisely in its capacity to transform ongoing research projects into integrated empirical units while simultaneously functioning as laboratories for methodological validation. This strategy makes it possible to overcome the fragmentation of research, promoting cumulative knowledge production and consolidating a coherent scientific programme in the field of Social Work.

The researcher to be recruited will play a central role in this process, ensuring the coordination of methodological harmonisation activities, the implementation of fieldwork, the production and systematisation of data, and support for international scientific outputs. As such, the position will be instrumental in integrating the different levels of research and transforming empirical diversity into robust scientific evidence.

All ethical principles governing social science research will be strictly observed, including informed consent, data anonymisation and protection, and the safeguarding of vulnerable populations, in accordance with national and European regulations.

Overall, this methodology will enable not only the production of high-quality scientific knowledge but also the development of a Practice-Based Evidence Framework and of replicable methodological tools, contributing to the strengthening of Social Work practice and to the positioning of CLISSIS as a leading centre for applied research in Portugal.

In addition, the project incorporates monitoring and quality-control mechanisms throughout all stages of the research process, ensuring the consistency and robustness of the data produced. The methodological strategy explicitly acknowledges the complexity and heterogeneity of intervention contexts, adopting procedures of triangulation, cross-validation and iterative refinement of analytical instruments. This approach will mitigate risks associated with empirical diversity while strengthening the reliability of the findings. Furthermore, the project design emphasises the scalability and transferability of the knowledge produced, ensuring that the Practice-Based Evidence Framework and the methodological tools developed can be applied across a variety of institutional settings and utilised in future research. In this way, the methodology not only guarantees the production of scientifically robust practice-based evidence but also supports the continuity and expansion of CLISSIS's research programme.

Partners

• European Association of Schools of Social Work (EASSW);
• National and international research centres and networks in the felds of Social Work and Social Policy;
• Social intervention institutions and social economy organisations involved in the case studies;
• Public and private entities working in contexts of social vulnerability, integration and social inclusion.

Expected results

The project is expected to generate highly relevant scientific, methodological and institutional outcomes, making a significant contribution to the advancement of knowledge and the enhancement of Social Work practice.

At the scientific level, the project will enable the development and empirical validation of a Social Work intervention model informed by practice evidence, addressing existing gaps in the literature concerning the systematic evaluation of intervention effectiveness in contexts of complex vulnerability.

At the methodological level, the project will produce replicable and transferable tools for professional practice, including intervention protocols, vulnerability indicators and impact assessment metrics.

At the empirical level, the project will establish a comparative database integrating the diverse contexts and projects currently undertaken within CLISSIS, generating robust practice evidence on patterns of vulnerability, intervention modalities and outcomes.
At the institutional level, the project will strengthen the articulation and integration of existing CLISSIS research projects, contributing to the consolidation of a coherent scientific agenda oriented towards the production of practice evidence and reinforcing the Centre's capacity to develop competitive national and international funding applications.

Overall, the project is expected to have a lasting impact on knowledge production, methodological innovation and professional practice, contributing to more effective social policies and interventions and to the consolidation of CLISSIS as a recognised national and international research centre.

Means of Dissemination

• -    Publication of scientific articles in national and international peer-reviewed journals, including the Intervenção Social Journal;
• -    Presentation of papers at national and international conferences on Social Work, Social Policy and Social Intervention;
• -    Organisation of seminars, workshops and scientific events at Lusíada University and partner institutions;
• -    Production of technical reports and intervention guidelines for practitioners and social organisations;
• -    Dissemination of results through the CLISSIS and Lusíada University websites and institutional networks;
• -    Participation in national and international scientific networks in Social Work and Social Sciences;
• -    Publication of book chapters and/or an edited volume arising from the project

Project contribution to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

• SDG 1 – No Poverty: Development of knowledge and intervention practices aimed at reducing poverty and social exclusion.
• SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities: Promotion of social inclusion and more equitable responses for vulnerable groups.
• SDG 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: Strengthening the quality, effectiveness and innovation of social intervention institutions and policies through the production of scientific evidence.

Project start date

Expected completion date of the Project

Keywords

• Social Work
• Complex Vulnerabilities
• Practice Evidence
• Intervention Models
• Applied Research

Observations

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