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A best practice is a method supported by evidence or experience as an effective way to achieve a particular goal in a particular context. It is a useful starting point—not a guarantee, a perfect solution, or a rule that should be copied unchanged into every situation.
What does “best practice” mean?
The World Health Organization describes a best practice as a technique or method that experience and research show can reliably lead to a desired result. Its practical guidance emphasizes that a method must work in its circumstances without requiring inordinate resources, and that it may inform solutions adapted for similar settings. The word “best” does not mean perfect, universally superior, or the only method that can contribute to success. WHO, A Guide to Identifying and Documenting Best Practices
Definitions vary by field. The NIH Office of Research Services describes a best practice as a superior method or innovative approach that consistently exceeds standard performance. In public health, a CDC framework proposes a more specific evidence-focused definition: a practice supported by rigorous peer review and evaluation showing effectiveness in improving health outcomes, generally through systematic reviews. That definition belongs to public health; it is not a universal test for every industry. NIH Office of Research Services, “Best Practices” · CDC, “Seeking Best Practices”
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Usually, the label itself describes guidance or a benchmark, not a legal obligation. The European Court of Auditors’ methodology glossary says a best practice is not itself a regulatory standard, though it can complement regulation. Whether a method is required depends on the laws, regulations, contracts, policies, or standards that apply to the specific situation—not on someone calling it a best practice. The glossary also notes that practices can evolve as knowledge and methods improve. European Court of Auditors, “Best practice”
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How to judge a claimed best practice
Before adopting a recommendation, check what it is meant to achieve, what supports it, and whether the conditions that made it effective resemble yours. These questions help distinguish a useful, evidence-backed method from a slogan or an outdated convention:
- What outcome should improve? Define the intended result clearly enough to assess whether the method helps.
- What evidence supports the claim? Identify whether the basis is experience, research, peer review, evaluation, benchmarking, or consensus. Consider how strong and relevant that evidence is.
- Compared with what? Look for the baseline or alternative used to judge whether the method performs better.
- Where did it work? Check the population, organization, operating conditions, and constraints in which it was evaluated.
- Can you support and sustain it? Account for the skills, time, resources, and ongoing effort it requires.
- Will it transfer to your setting? Assess what must change for it to work locally. The OECD’s public-health guidebook treats transferability assessment as a preliminary step before implementing an intervention in a new context. OECD, Guidebook on Best Practices in Public Health
- Is there an applicable obligation? Check the actual rules for your field and location separately from any recommendation labeled a best practice.
How to compare competing recommendations
When several methods claim to be best, compare them on the same criteria rather than relying on the label. Public-health frameworks offer one structured example: CDC considers effectiveness, reach, feasibility, sustainability, and transferability, alongside evidence quality and public-health impact. Those dimensions can help organize a comparison, but they are not a universal checklist; adapt them to the goal and field at hand.
- Effectiveness: Does the method improve the outcome you care about?
- Evidence quality: How reliable and relevant is the supporting evidence?
- Reach: Who can the method serve or affect?
- Feasibility and resources: Can it be carried out with the available capabilities and resources?
- Sustainability: Can the result be maintained over time?
- Transferability: Can the method work in your setting, perhaps with adaptation?
- Applicable obligations: Does a law, regulation, contract, or policy impose separate requirements?
A method can be effective but infeasible for a particular organization, or successful in one setting but unsuitable elsewhere. Comparing the same criteria makes those trade-offs visible instead of treating “best” as a universal ranking.
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