This program is designed for organizations desiring to become more evidence-based and seeking to develop agency/organization-specific strategy and action plans for doing so. Participants will be guided and will collaborate as a team to produce strategic and action plans that incorporate and focus on the five major components of EBO development:
- Knowledge and use of evidence-based policies, programs, and practices
- Demonstration of effective organizational leadership
- Understanding of organizational culture and use of organizational assessment
- Utilization of effective strategic planning, performance measurement, and program evaluation
- Ongoing efforts to enhance organizational capacity and sustainability
After receiving and discussing training content, participants will use workshop time to develop their agency-specific plans. It is desirable that 4 to 5 workshop participants attend from each agency, with at least one laptop computer available for group use.
Learning Goals & Objectives
This workshop will provide fundamental EBO knowledge and address the common problems associated with moving from a training environment to the implementation and evaluation of evidence-based organizational change efforts. Participants will be given the opportunity to develop:
- A plan for infusing evidence-based organizational practices combined with evidence-based services into the strategic plan of the agency
- An appreciation for ethical issues, and current and emerging considerations for human services
- Strategic and action plans for EBO development
- An EBO vision and mission
- Organizational goals and objectives, centered on the 5 key aspects of EBO development
- Action steps to be taken to carry out the strategic plan. These action steps will specify responsible individuals, time frames, and resources needed.
What Is Covered
This program is conducted in three (3) sessions.
Session-1
I. Making the case for evidence-based reform and the framework for becoming an evidence-based organization
- Increasing accountability
- Declining resources, increasing cost
- Steady or rising number of health, human and justice services recipients
- Increasing offender populations; ongoing recidivism
- Expanding technology
- Expanding evidence-based knowledge
II. Knowledge and use of evidence-based “nuts and bolts”
- Evidence-based policies, programs, and practices
- Evidence-based principles
- Evidence-based management
- Evidence-based organizations
III. Demonstrating effective leadership
- Qualities of effective leaders
- Leadership versus management
- Empowering staff
- Leadership philosophy
Session-2
IV. Understanding organizational culture and assessment
- Organizational culture in practice
- Characteristics of effective organizations
- Staff of effective organizations
- Organizational assessment: Why, how, and by whom?
V. Engaging in strategic planning and performance measurement
- Ineffective and effective strategic planning
- Linking organizational vision and mission to agency activities and outcomes
- Using data for problem analysis and needs assessment
- Accountability for results through performance measurement
- Ensuring program fidelity and continuous quality improvement
- From performance measurement to program evaluation
VI. Enhancing organizational capacity and sustainability
- Building internal and external support
- Use results early, often, and in multiple ways
- Ongoing role of leadership and management
- Adapt and reassess over time
- Marketing your success
- Strategic funding and grant writing
Session-3
VII. Advance Skills for Strategic Planning & Implementation
Today’s sessions mix presentations and discussions featuring previous participants, practitioners and leadership at existing Evidence-Based Organizations who discuss their experiences as evidence-based organizations, lessons learned, what to avoid, and their “hacks” to success informed through lessons learned.
Having learned the framework for becoming evidence based as an organization, (EBO), and had interview discussion with practicing EBO’s we will plan for implementation. You will be guided through the development of your agency-specific strategy and action plans for becoming an EBO, tools you will need, and resources for assessing where you are and what to do next.
Participants and their teams will collaborate as teams and be guided to produce strategic and action plans that will focus on the five major components of EBO development. They will use workshop time to develop their agency-specific strategic and action plans. Participants will also be in a position to address the common problems associated with moving from a training environment to the implementation, and evaluation of evidence-based organizational change efforts. Participants will be given the opportunity to develop:
- A plan for infusing financial, budgetary, and economic considerations relevant for sustaining programs
- An EBO vision and mission
- Organizational goals and objectives, centered on the 5 key aspects of EBO development
- Strategic and action plans for EBO development
- Action steps to carry out the strategic plan. These action steps will specify responsible individuals, time frames, and resources needed.