Evidence-based practice, practice-based evidence: Moving towards scaled implementation in child-centred disaster risk reduction

Disaster risk reduction (DRR) research conducted through the Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) is intended to have a focus on utilisation, translation and tightening the policy-practice-research nexus. An important link within this nexus relates to a fundamental proposition: Does the subject under empirical scrutiny have sufficient empirical support to be translated in both practice and policy sectors? In the case of our program of research in child-centered disaster risk reduction (CC-DRR), research has made some bona fide strides in the past 15 years producing data that supports two key questions linked to this fundamental proposition. The first question is ‘Are CC-DRR initiatives effective in reducing risk and increasing resilience for children, families, communities?’ The second question is ‘Can CC-DRR initiatives be sustainably implemented at scale?’ Against this backdrop, this symposium intends to present findings of our program of research from 2014 to the present. These findings are drawn from a major scoping and review exercise, pilot research, co-development and co-evaluation of a practice framework for disaster resilience education and, in 2016, the evaluation of several flagship CC-DRR programs. The symposium will also present our CC-DRR research narrative, the accompanying conceptual framework and utilisation roadmap, and new perspectives on the sustainable and scaled implementation of evidence-based programs