Using Research to Guide the Development of an Evolving Statewide Initiative

As a pioneer in broad-based marriage initiatives, the Oklahoma Marriage Initiative (OMI) has charted new territory. Lacking information to guide implementation designs and strategies for pursuing its goals, OMI planners enlisted the help of a range of research experts from around the country. With the panel’s guidance, Oklahoma was the first state to survey its citizens’ attitudes and behavior with respect to divorce and marriage. This brief discusses OMI’s use of research to guide the development and improvement of program services, assess progress, and disseminate information to the community.