National Webinar May 16, 2011

Marketa Garner Gautreau
Western and Pacific Child Welfare
Implementation Center

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Webinar goals

Plans for webinar series
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Introduction to Implementation Centers

Basic understanding of Implementation Science

Reflections on lessons learned in systems change and implications for states
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Your participation is critical! Send us your questions and answer polling questions

Michelle Graef
Midwest Child Welfare Implementation
Center

Funded by the Children’s Bureau to provide States and
Territories, Tribes, and Tribal Consortia individualized training and technical assistance (T/TA) to:



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Improve child welfare administration and practice
Meet Federal performance standards and implement effective programs
Pursue sustainable and positive systems change
Improve outcomes for children, youth & families

 States and Tribes are sometimes without the resources necessary to implement comprehensive strategic plans
 National Resource Centers have limited resources to provide intensive, long-term TA
 Implementation Centers provide in-depth and long-term consultation and peer networking opportunities to States and Tribes

Project Partner Roles
Building Capacity to Implement Sustainable Systems Change
Implementation Center Child Welfare Agency
Conduct organizational and readiness assessment to identify potential barriers to implementation
Develop and implement strategies to address organizational barriers and improve readiness for implementation
Guide planning process
Provide and coordinate technical assistance resources to support organizational change and facilitate implementation
Develop project plan
Provide and coordinate organizational/ human resources to manage change and support implementation
Provide technical assistance to promote best practices in organizational and child welfare systems change
Facilitate implementation
Develop methodology (e.g. benchmarks, tools) to monitor implementation progress
Utilize best practices to align people, process, structure, measurement/rewards, and technology around the desired systems change
Implement plan
Collect project data; use data reports to monitor implementation and inform /refine implementation strategies
Evaluate project outcomes Use findings and lessons learned to inform future implementation efforts

Implementation Center
Northeast & Caribbean
Implementation Center (NCIC)
Atlantic Coast Child Welfare
Implementation Center (ACCWIC)
Midwest Child Welfare
Implementation Center (MCWIC)
Mountains & Plains Child Welfare
Implementation Center (MPCWIC)
Western & Pacific Child Welfare
Implementation Center (WPIC)
Organization
University of Southern Maine, Muskie School of
Public Service
University of Maryland School of Social Work
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Center on
Children, Families & the Law
University of Texas at Arlington, Center for Child
Welfare partnering with the University of Denver,
Butler Institute and The Native American Training
Institute (NATI)
American Institutes for Research, partnering with
National Indian Child Welfare Association, Center for the Study of Social Policy, National Technical
Assistance Center for Children’s Mental Health at
Georgetown University, and the Florida Mental
Health Institute at the University of South Florida

Implementation Centers
Northeast & Caribbean Implementation
Center (NCIC)
Atlantic Coast Child Welfare Implementation
Center (ACCWIC)
Midwest Child Welfare Implementation
Center (MCWIC)
Mountains & Plains Child Welfare
Implementation Center (MPCWIC)
Western & Pacific Child Welfare
Implementation Center (WPIC)
Website http://ncic.muskie.usm.maine.edu
www.accwic.org www.mcwic.org www.mpcwic.org www.wpicenter.org

Cathy Fisher
Atlantic Coast Child Welfare
Implementation Center

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There is a body of research on effective implementation

Most has focused on research/evidenced based practices

Child welfare systems have been slow to explore the science

Well-defined and developed child welfare models are foundational to sound implementation

Application of implementation science may improve child welfare outcomes

Implementation is both an art and a science.

 There is a body of research on effective implementation
 Most has focused on research/evidenced based practices
 Child welfare systems have been slow to explore the science
 Well-defined and developed child welfare models are foundational to sound implementation
 Application of implementation science may improve child welfare outcomes
 Implementation is both an art and a science.


Implementation Science

National Implementation Research Network
(NIRN)

Phases of Change

John Kotter, Harvard Business School

Managing Change

ADKAR Model – Prosci (Awareness, Desire,
Knowledge, Ability and Reinforcement)

Stages of Implementation

Sustainability
Innovation
Full Operation
Initial Implementation
Installation
Exploration

Exploration
• Conduct organizational assessment
• Garner leadership and stakeholder support
• Review literature
• Solicit multiple perspectives on needs and opportunities
• Establish baseline performance
• Develop intervention model
Design/Installation
• Develop plans:
• Implementation
• Communication
• Change management
• Define goals and benchmarks
• Engage stakeholders
• Conduct readiness assessment
• Align organization systems/supports
Initial Implementation
• Build staff competency
• Communicate project status
• Monitor fidelity of implementation
• Monitor implementation climate
• Identify and address barriers to implementation
• Provide performance feedback to staff, management, and stakeholders
Adapted from Implementation Research: A Synthesis of the Literature (2008)
The National Implementation Research Network

Full
Implementation
•Apply lessons learned from initial implementation to full operation
•Track fidelity through quality assurance and performance evaluation data
•Solicit feedback from multiple stakeholders and consumers
•Evaluate impact on child and family outcomes
Innovation
• Adapt or adjust intervention model to reflect lessons learned from stakeholder feedback, tracking, evaluation
• Communicate changes and rationale
• Re-build competency around modified model
Sustainability
• Establish long term funding sources
• Align ongoing quality assurance and performance measurement with model
• Promote visibility of new practice and successful outcomes
Adapted from Implementation Research: A Synthesis of the Literature (2008)
The National Implementation Research Network

National Implementation Research Network:
Implementation Drivers
Performance Assessment
(Fidelity)
Training
Selection
Coaching
Systems Intervention
Integrated
&
Compensatory
Facilitative Administration
Decision Support
Data System
LEADERSHIP
© Fixsen & Blase, 2008

A structured approach to managing tasks, resources
and budget to achieve a desired outcome
A set of processes and tools to manage the people engaged in the project to achieve the desired outcome
* Implementation requires managing the project and managing the change

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Leaders:

Make the case for change
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Guide the organization through change

Keep the focus, stay engaged and reinforce change
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Perception of change based on position in the organization
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Individuals change at different rates
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All change is individual- It’s all about me!

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Awareness of the need for change
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Desire to participate and support the change
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Knowledge of how to change
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Ability to implement the required skills/behaviors

Reinforcement to sustain the change
Hiatt, J. (2006) ADKAR: a Model for Change in Business, Government and our Community : How to Implement Successful
Change in our Personal Lives and Professional Careers. Change Management Learning Center, Prosci, CO.

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Establish readiness for change
Build trusting relationships
Develop champions
Balance flexibility vs. staying the course
Allocate time and resources
Take regular organization temperature
Communicate , before , during and after
Clarify the impact of the change at the individual level

Maria Scannapieco
Mountains and Plains Child Welfare
Implementation Center


Implementation Science teaches the need for a purposeful, somewhat resource heavy approach to change

Burdened child welfare systems may struggle with this level of infrastructure commitment

Implementation Centers have found the following to be key:

Leadership

Trusting relationships

Clarifying who owns the plan

Flexibility versus staying the course

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Time and resources
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Communication, communication, communication
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Defining roles and responsibilities
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Readiness and reality

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Champions
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Measures of success
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Capacity building

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Different issues of trust

Understanding of implementation science

Building capacity and access to technology
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Each Tribe has unique identity with different languages, customs and traditions

Layers of complexity

Rural insular communities
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Tribal politics


What strategies have been most successful as your organization prepared for child welfare reform?

How were staff prepared to take on a new systems change effort in the organization?

What role have staff and stakeholders played in leading change efforts?


What is your preference?

Developing, implementing, and enhancing practice models

Increasing engagement/collaboration with stakeholders

Using data for effective program management


National Implementation Research Network www.fpg.unc.edu/~nirn

ADKAR - www.change-management.com

John Kotter - www.kotterinternational.com

Send us your questions and comments:

Marketa Gautreau - mgautreau@air.org

Michelle Graef – mgraef@unlnotes.unl.edu

Cathy Fisher – cfisher@umaryland.edu

Maria Scannapieco - mscannapieco@uta.edu