FACING REALITY: WHAT

IT TAKES TO IMPLEMENT
SYSTEMS CHANGE
National Webinar May 16,

Overview of Webinar
Marketa Garner Gautreau
Western and Pacific Child Welfare
Implementation Center

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

Introduction to the
Implementation Centers
Michelle Graef
Midwest Child Welfare
Implementation Center

Implementation Centers and

National Resource Centers

Funded by the Childrens Bureau to provide

States and Territories, Tribes, and Tribal
Consortia individualized training and
technical
to:
Improveassistance
child welfare(T/TA)
administration
and practice

Meet Federal performance standards and

implement effective programs
Pursue sustainable and positive systems change
Improve outcomes for children, youth & families

Implementation Centers: Filling

the Gap
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

Develop project plan

Provide and coordinate technical

assistance resources to support
organizational change and facilitate
implementation

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

Utilize best practices to align people,

process, structure,
measurement/rewards, and
technology around the desired
systems change

Facilitate implementation

Implement plan

Develop methodology (e.g.

benchmarks, tools) to monitor
implementation progress

Collect project data; use data reports

to monitor implementation and
inform /refine implementation

Who are the Implementation

Centers?
Implementation Center

Organization

Northeast & Caribbean

Implementation Center
(NCIC)

University of Southern Maine, Muskie

School of Public Service

Atlantic Coast Child Welfare

Implementation Center
(ACCWIC)

University of Maryland School of Social

Work

Midwest Child Welfare

Implementation Center
(MCWIC)

University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Center

on Children, Families & the Law

Mountains & Plains Child

Welfare Implementation
Center (MPCWIC)

University of Texas at Arlington, Center

for Child Welfare partnering with the
University of Denver, Butler Institute
and The Native American Training
Institute (NATI)

Western & Pacific Child

Welfare Implementation

American Institutes for Research,

partnering with National Indian Child

Learn More
Implementation Centers

Website

Northeast & Caribbean

Implementation Center (NCIC)

http://ncic.muskie.usm.maine.e
du

Atlantic Coast Child Welfare

Implementation Center (ACCWIC)

www.accwic.org

Midwest Child Welfare

Implementation Center (MCWIC)

www.mcwic.org

Mountains & Plains Child Welfare

Implementation Center (MPCWIC)

www.mpcwic.org

Western & Pacific Child Welfare

Implementation Center (WPIC)

www.wpicenter.org

Understanding
Implementation Science
Cathy Fisher
Atlantic Coast Child
Welfare Implementation
Center

Implementation is
Complex

THERE IS SCIENCE TO
GUIDE US

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 SCIENCE TO
GUIDE US

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

Models to support
Implementation

Implementation Science

Phases of Change

National Implementation Research

Network (NIRN)
John Kotter, Harvard Business School

Managing Change

ADKAR Model Prosci (Awareness,

Desire, Knowledge, Ability and
Reinforcement)

Key Elements of Systems

Change

Stages of Implementation

Getting from here to there

Stages of Implementation

Stages of Implementation
Core Activities

Adapted from Implementation Research: A Synthesis of the Literature (2008)

The National Implementation Research Network

Stages/Activities

Adapted from Implementation Research: A Synthesis of the Literature (2008)

The National Implementation Research Network

National Implementation Research

Network: Implementation Drivers
Performance
Assessment
(Fidelity)
Systems
Intervention

Selection

TI
ZA
NI
GA N
O

Training

OR

CO
MP
ET
Y ENC

Coaching

Integrated
&
Compensatory

Facilitative
Administration
Decision
Support Data
System

LEADERSHIP
Fixsen & Blase,

Project vs. Change

Management

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

Process for Implementing

Change

Changing the Organization

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

ADKAR - Change
Management Model
Awareness of the need for change
Desire to participate and support the
change
Knowledge of how to change
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.

Engaging in Change

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

Lessons Learned
Maria Scannapieco
Mountains and Plains Child
Welfare Implementation Center

Successful, sustained
implementation isnt easy!

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

Lessons Learned

Time and resources

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

Lessons Learned

Champions
Measures of success
Capacity building

Lessons Learned with Tribes

Different issues of trust

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

What are your experiences

around implementation of

systems
change?
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?

Topics for Future

Implementation Center

Webinars
What is your preference?

Developing, implementing, and

enhancing practice models
Increasing engagement/collaboration
with stakeholders
Using data for effective program
management

For Further Reading

National Implementation Research

Network - www.fpg.unc.edu/~nirn

ADKAR - www.change-management.com

John Kotter www.kotterinternational.com

We want to hear from

you.
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