A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network

A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA

Network

Effective Dissemination of Child Welfare Workforce Knowledge & Information to the

Field: A 5-stage Planning & Implementation

ProcessSara Munson, MSW

National Dissemination CoordinatorNational Child Welfare Workforce Institute

NCWWI Purpose

To build the capacity of the nation’s child welfare workforce and improve outcomes for children, youth and families through activities that support the development of child welfare leaders.

www.ncwwi.org A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network

http://www.ncwwi.org/

NCWWI VisionA committed, competent and high performing

child welfare workforce that is: skilled at delivering effective and promising

practices that improve outcomes for children, youth and families;

strengthened by professional education; sustained through leadership development;

and supported by organizational practices that

mirror systems of care principles.www.ncwwi.org A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network


NCWWI Goals

Identify and deliver child welfare leadership training for middle managers and supervisors.

Facilitate BSW and MSW traineeships. Engage national peer networks. Support strategic dissemination of

effective and promising workforce practices.

Advance knowledge through collaboration and evaluation.



Learning, Leading, Changing

Workforce development activities promoteLearning: Fostering continuous learning

that is interactive, reflective and relevantLeading: Cultivating diverse leadership at

multiple levels within child welfare agencies

Changing: Supporting change through workforce development and organizational capacity building



NCWWI Program Components

Executive Steering Committee National Advisory Committee Knowledge Assessment and Management

(KAM) Leadership Academies

– Middle Managers (LAMM)– Supervisors (LAS)

Peer Networks BSW and MSW Traineeships Dissemination Evaluation www.ncwwi.org A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA

Network


NCWWI Project PartnersUniversity at AlbanyMary McCarthy & Katharine Briar-

LawsonCo-Principal Investigators

University of MarylandNancy DickinsonProject Director

University of Iowa Miriam Landsman

University of DenverCathryn Potter

University of Southern MaineFreda Bernotavicz

Michigan State UniversityGary Anderson

University of MichiganKathleen Faller

Fordham UniversityVirginia Strand

National Indian Child Welfare Association Terry Cross Melissa Clyde

Portland State UniversityKatharine Cahn

Children’s Bureau/ACF/DHHS Randi Walters Federal Project Officer



NCWWI DisseminationGoal Strengthen the child welfare

workforce by effectively identifying, managing, synthesizing & broadly disseminating critical knowledge and information regarding best and promising workforce and leadership policies and practices

Function National repository & communicatorwww.ncwwi.org A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network


Dissemination Planning & Implementation: 5

StagesStage 1: Prelimina

ryExploratio

n

Stage 2:Informatio

n Gathering

Stage 3:Plan

Development

Stage 4:Execution

Stage 5:Adjustment &

Course Correction

A.Feedback from Project Partners

B.Feedback from National Advisory Committee

A.Literature Review

B.National Expert Interviews

C.National Needs Assessment Survey

A.Briefing Paper

B.Master Products List

C.Master Distribution List

A.Product Creation

B.Expansion of Distribution List

C.Communication & Distribution of Products & Activities

A.Website Comments & National Needs Assessment Survey Feedback

B.Additional Requests & Recommendations from Project Partners & Advisory Committee



Stages 1 & 2: 2009A.Feedback from Project PartnersB.Feedback from National Advisory Committee

C. Literature ReviewD.National Expert InterviewsE.National Needs Assessment Survey



Stage 1: Targeted Feedback

A.Feedback from Project Partners– Conference Calls–Staff Meeting

B.Feedback from National Advisory Committee– Annual Meeting–Dissemination Workgroup Conference Calls



Stage 2: Literature Review

Examined 60+ resources:–Behavioral science, business

marketing, child welfare, communications, disability services, education, health care, mental health, social work, and substance abuse

Explored 4 theoretical models:–Diffusion; Social Marketing;

Knowledge Transfer & Exchange; Implementation Science



Literature Review: 14 Dissemination

ChallengesTraditional dissemination planning, products and activities often

1. Rely on incorrect assumptions about definition/purpose;2. Overlook strategic dissemination planning;3. Leave out stakeholder input;4. Are not tailored to match needs of various audiences;5. Use overly academic/jargon-filled language;6. Use unappealing/inaccessible product formats;7. Employ communication methods that fail to reach the

field;8. Are focused on one single study or project; and,9. Fail to lay out practical implications or realistic

recommendations. www.ncwwi.org A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network


Literature Review: 14 Dissemination

ChallengesAlso, practitioners, administrators & policy-makers

10.Do not have the time, interest or training to locate, review, synthesize & assess information quality or implications; and,

11.View the research-context as distinct from the "real-world" experience of practice and policy.

And, finally, there is12.An array of fugitive literature not communicated to

the field;13.Little accounting of information from professional

standards, convening of best practice panels, and other documents (unpublished manuscripts, dissertations, agency reports, conference proceedings, newsletters); and,

14.No use of consistent definitions and evaluative tools, necessary for meta-analyses or syntheses.



Literature Review: Synergy among

ComponentsComponent

Carpenter, Nieva, Albaghal & Sorra,

2005

Greenhalgh, Robert, MacFarlane, Bate &

Kyriakidou, 2004Lavis et al, 2003 Welch-Ross &

Fasig, 2007

Message/Product

Research findings and products: What is going

to be disseminated?

Use a message with appropriate style,

imagery, metaphors, and so on

What should be transferred to decision makers (the message)?

What innovations and messages from science

should be disseminated,

depending on the purpose?

Audience End users: Who will apply it in practice?

Take full account of potential adopters’

needs and perspectives, with

particular attention to the balance of costs

and benefits for them

To whom should research knowledge be transferred (the target

audience)?

Who is the primary audience?

Messenger

Dissemination partners: Through which individuals, organizations or

networks can you reach end users?

Tailor different strategies to the

different demographic, structural, and cultural

features of different subgroups

By whom should research knowledge be

transferred (the messenger)?

Who should help to deliver these?

ChannelCommunication: How will you convey the research outcomes?

Identify and use appropriate

communication channels

How should research knowledge be

transferred (the knowledge-transfer

processes and supporting

communications infrastructure)?

By what methods should dissemination

occur?

EvaluationEvaluation: How will you determine what

worked?

Incorporate rigorous evaluation and

monitoring of defined goals and milestones

With what effect should research knowledge be

transferred (evaluation)?

What is the effect?



Literature Review: Top 10 Take-Away Messages

High quality, comprehensive dissemination plans:1. Are based on analysis and understanding of audience needs and

interests. 2. Include information users identify as important, and information users

may not know to request but are likely to need.3. Incorporate kinds/levels of information into preferred forms/language4. Use varied methods (written resources, electronic media, face-to-face

contact).5. Include proactive AND reactive dissemination channels. 6. Recognize and provide for the "natural flow" of diffusion and change. 7. Draw upon existing resources/relationships/networks while building

new ones. 8. Include effective quality control mechanisms to ensure that

information is accurate, relevant, and representative. 9. Incorporate consistent evaluation efforts to facilitate structured,

formalized feedback from audience members, and make adjustments where necessary.

10.Take into account innovation characteristics that support adoption and implementation, and establish linkages to other resources (training, technical assistance, etc.) to encourage adoption of the new knowledge/information



Stage 2: National Expert

Interviews Solicited feedback from members of NCWWI National Advisory Committee & Dissemination Workgroup, as well as other national experts engaged in CW research, policy development, training and technical assistance:– What workforce-specific knowledge/information do

you/the field need? – What are you inundated with? – How do you/the field typically receive/access

workforce knowledge/information? – What is the best way to reach you/the field with

workforce knowledge/information? – Are there specific projects you would like us to

undertake? www.ncwwi.org A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network


National Expert Interviews: Feedback

14 Topics of interest: Caseload/Workload; Cultural Responsiveness; Data/Accountability; Workforce Demographics/Turnover; Education; Human Resources; Management/Leadership; Mentoring/Coaching; Organizational Climate/Culture; Recruitment; Retention; Screening & Selection; Supervision; Systems of Care; Training

Do not feel inundated with workforce-specific knowledge/information; want NCWWI to be repository for and communicator/producer of workforce knowledge and information to the field

Want NCWWI to (a) gather/organize/share workforce knowledge/information; (b) produce summaries, syntheses and other overviews in the 16 topical areas; (c) develop products that address different questions (56 posed) related to the topical areas

Receive information via direct email updates/professional listervs

Want to receive information through direct email updates, posting on T/TA listervs/peer networks and posting of materials on the NCWWI website



Stage 2: National Needs Assessment Survey

As of 12/09, 156 CW professionals completed the survey– Director, Commissioner, Administrator, Assistant

or Deputy Director (48%); Supervisors (20%); Managers (18%)

– Child Protective Services—Ongoing/Family Support (58%); Child Protective Services—Investigation/Intake/Emergency Response (52%); Prevention Services (40%); Foster Care/Kinship Care (38%); Adoption (32%); Post Adoption (25%)

– In the field for >10 yrs (75%); 21-40 yrs in the field (36%)

– In current position for <3 yrs (51%); 4-9 years (33%); 10-15 yrs (10%)



National Needs Assessment Survey:

Findings Seek out workforce information from the Internet (66%); receive it from conferences (46%), their supervisor or manager (46%), state organizations (38%), national organizations (35%), or trainings (33%). – “It would really be ideal to have the time to search

and acquire as much information as we need to assist us in doing this job, but due to our low staff count, our workload is double, which doesn't leave much time for us to obtain the information we desire about supporting the workforce."




Findings Topics: supervision (74%); leadership (74%); organizational climate & culture (63%); caseload & workload (56%); retention (54%); training (50%).– "Since being in this position, I have been focusing more on

promising practices in service delivery and realize from taking this survey that I need to also focus more on promising practices related to the workforce. I would definitely use information if it was in an easy to review format with the ability to dig deeper on a particular topic."

Types: Summaries of best or promising practices (78%); summaries of policies (54%). – "I'd also like to see an easy link to the NRCs' resources in

this area, with possibly a contact person and list of topics on which information is available. We need information fast and easily accessible and digestible."




Findings Formats: Short 1-pg documents with bullets (51%);

resource lists (50%). – “The enormous policy revisions and directives sent out in

paper form or report are seldom read."

Communication Methods: Direct email updates (87%) or webinar/teleconference (51%). – "It would be helpful to have the information sent via email

about best practices as the agency does not provide updated information and does not always have the 'latest' in workforce policy and practices."



Stage 3: 2010In addition to some preliminary

products, we also developed:

A. Dissemination Briefing PaperB. Master Products ListC. Master Distribution List



Five Dissemination Plan Components

1. Dissemination Messages (Products)2. Dissemination Audience3. Dissemination Messengers4. Dissemination Channels5. Dissemination Evaluation



Messages/ProductsA. Information Repository: Online

Workforce & Leadership Resource Library– Houses accessible resources ONLY– Organized into 16 different topical areas:

Caseload & Workload Mentoring/CoachingCultural Responsiveness Organizational Climate &

CultureData & Accountability Recruitment, Screening &

SelectionDemographics & General Workforce Info. Retention Education SupervisionHuman Resources Systems of CareImplementation Science TrainingManagement & Leadership Trauma-Informed Practice/

Secondary Trauma



Messages/Products cont.B. Products: Format/Content


CATEGORY TYPE

GENERAL WORKFORCE & LEADERSHIP

1. Reference/Resource Lists & Annotated Bibliographies2. 1-page Summaries on Select Workforce

Research/Resources3. Briefing Papers, Reports & Syntheses4. Short Overviews/Fact Sheets5. Webinars, Teleconferences &Summaries (2-to 5-page Tools)6. Video

NCWWI-SPECIFIC

1. "ABC" Update2. National E-Update 3. NCWWI Newsletter4. NCWWI-Specific Summaries/Web-Profiles/Reports5. Articles

a. Newsletters, newspapers, magazines or e-updatesb. Peer-reviewed journals

6. Presentationsa. Conferences & Meetingsb. Webinars & Teleconferences

7. Book or Special Journal Issue


Messages/Products cont.B. Products: Messaging

• As brief and clear as possible;• No jargon;• Repetition;• Terms defined;• Low level of abstraction;• Analogies;• Concrete examples and experiences



AudiencePrimary target audience or end-users: Supervisors; Middle-managers and upper-level administrators; Leaders and Directors; University-agency educational or training partnerships; and, Children’s Bureau Training and Technical Assistance

Network.

Secondary audience includes: Frontline workforce; Policymakers (Local, State and Federal Decision-Makers); Research, policy, and advocacy organizations; Private provider associations and labor unions; Children and families served by child welfare; and, Media and the general public.www.ncwwi.org A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network


Messengers NCWWI,10 Partners & National Advisory

Committee Master Distribution List of nearly 1000:

– Listervs/Peer Networks– State Organizations & Training Academies– Tribal Contacts– Regional Contacts– Children's Bureau T/TA Network– National Organizations– Publications/Media Outlets– Federal Agency Contacts– State Agency Contacts (Adoption Managers, CFSP &

CFSR/PIP Unit Leads, CPS Liaisons (SLOs), Foster Care Managers, Licensing Specialists, Training Directors)



Channels NCWWI website, and peer networking

sites Direct & Mass emails; Organizational websites, publications &

information portals; Conferences & meetings; Teleconferences, webinars & podcasts; External peer networks, including web

groups/listervs; Journals, newspapers & other

publicationswww.ncwwi.org A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network


Stages 4 & 5: 2010 and beyond

Focused on: A.Additional Product CreationB.Expansion of Distribution ListC.Communication & Distribution of Products & Activities

D.Website Comments & National Needs Assessment Survey Feedback

E.Additional Requests & Recommendations from Project Partners & Advisory Committee www.ncwwi.org A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA

Network


WWW.NCWWI.ORG

A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network

Documents

A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network