704: Conducting Business in Fiscally Challenging Times: Strategies and Tools to Get There PCYA Leadership Academy Presentation March 28, 2012

704: Conducting Business in Fiscally Challenging Times: Strategies and Tools to Get There The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Training Program Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to: Explore models and tools to identify core services; Identify how data supports prioritization of services; and Establish criteria for altering or eliminating services. 2

704: Conducting Business in Fiscally Challenging Times: Strategies and Tools to Get There The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Training Program Agenda Welcome and Introductions Identifying Core Services Defining Core Services Using Quantitative Data to Support Assessment Assessing Core Services Monitoring Continuous Improvement Influencing Change Summary and Evaluations 3

704: Conducting Business in Fiscally Challenging Times: Strategies and Tools to Get There The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Training Program Defining Core Services Examples: Services required by regulation or law to be provided. Services designed to get us to our primary outcomes moving from our vision to desired outcomes. Services expected by our community partners and stakeholders. Services committed explicitly in our strategy to achieve our goals (for example, lessen disproportionate outcomes). 4

704: Conducting Business in Fiscally Challenging Times: Strategies and Tools to Get There The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Training Program Standards for Core Services: Examples: We have the resources to make the service effective. We have the staff capacity (knowledge) to make them effective. Feedback and data tell us they are effective. The services are not duplicative in our community (we should be the provider). 5

704: Conducting Business in Fiscally Challenging Times: Strategies and Tools to Get There The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Training Program Characteristics of Qualitative Research Intentionally subjective Encourages discovery Explanatory Relationship based Contextual Using Qualitative Data in Program Evaluation: Telling the Story of a Prevention Program” from the FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (2009). 6

704: Conducting Business in Fiscally Challenging Times: Strategies and Tools to Get There The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Training Program Process for Qualitative Assessment Operationally define the programs goals and objectives, expected outputs, and outcomes with team involvement/input. Identify who has the information needed to fully assess the program (staff at all levels, community partners, those who use the service, funders…) Develop questions that will facilitate relevant information gathering from those with the knowledge. 7

704: Conducting Business in Fiscally Challenging Times: Strategies and Tools to Get There The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Training Program Process for Qualitative Assessment (continued) Develop a process and protocol for gathering the information and implement the process. Gather supportive data and complete observations. Develop findings in the form of strengths and gaps. Review and test findings with the team. Opportunity for initial determination to keep, seek to improve, or cut the program. 8

704: Conducting Business in Fiscally Challenging Times: Strategies and Tools to Get There The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Training Program Steps to Improving the Program Prioritize gap areas and complete “root cause analysis” by asking “why” until general remedies become clear. Develop program improvement plan based on root causes for gaps, not superficial observations. Monitor improvements in terms of impact on program improvement. 9

704: Conducting Business in Fiscally Challenging Times: Strategies and Tools to Get There The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Training Program Monitoring Techniques Implementation Reviews - measures accomplishments vs. plan milestones and commitments. Impact Reviews - measures actual vs. expected impact on organizational capacity and client outcomes. “Lessons Learned” Reviews - addresses new and emerging questions and findings; drive further innovations. 10

704: Conducting Business in Fiscally Challenging Times: Strategies and Tools to Get There The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Training Program THANK YOU! Questions? Comments?