Strategizing with youth in a practical theory of change proceSS

For More Information, Contact:

Leslie-Ann PaganUniversity of South Florida

Brianne MasselliTHRIVE System of Care

Michael CoxCentral Plains Center

Rural Children’s Initiative

Department of Child and Family StudiesCollege of Behavioral and Community Sciences13301 Bruce B Downs Blvd.Tampa, FL 33612813.974.3241

Leslie-Ann Pagan, MBAUniversity of South Florida

System & Youth AlignmentAdvantages of showing youth the relationships between context, strategies, and outcomes:

• Showshowtheserelationshipswillmakeadifference• Showswhattheiractivitieswouldlooklike• Showswhatchangesneedtobemadetotheirplanstomakechangepossibleand

supportthelargersystem• Indicateswhetheryouthshareavisionofhowtoaccomplishchangewiththelarger

system• Showswhatstepsyouthshouldtaketobuildstrongeryouth-adultrelationships,

furtherengagethemintheplanningprocess,anddevelopyouthvoice

Part 2:

How to use Getting To Outcomes in our strategic planning process within the theory of change logic model development process.

Introducing Getting To Outcomes• “GTOoffersa10stepstructuredprocessthatwillhelpensurethatkeyfactorsare

consideredateachlevelwithintheuniquecontextofthe…community.Whilethespecificstepsaredelineated,theprocessisonethatcanbeadaptiveandresponsivetotheneedsofeachcommunity.Inthiswayitoffersausefulyetnon-prescriptiveframeworkforcommunitiestoplan,implement,evaluate,andultimatelysustaintheirowncommunity-defined[programs].”

-from the System of Care Alumni Network/ systemofcarealumni.org

Blending the Two Approaches • Theoryofchangeservesastheroadmapforthedirectionayouthgroupor

organizationswantstotakeastheymovetowardsrealizingtheirvision.• GettingtoOutcomes©allowstheorganizationaflexibleframeworkthatcan

taketheworktothenextlevelbyblendingaction,desiredoutcomesandqualityimprovement

• Thereisalignmentbetweenthetwowheretheresourcesandneedssupportthedefiningofthegoalsandhowgoalsareoperationalizedintoaplanthatfitsintothecapacityandfitoftheorganization

• Allowsforaorganizationtolookatwaystotracktheirwork,utilizedata,makeimprovementsalongthewayandrefinetheirprogramasneeded.

Defining and Planning

1. Needs/Resources Whataretheunderlyingneedsandconditionsinthecommunity?

2. Goals Whatarethegoals,populationoffocus,anddesiredoutcomes?

3. BestPractices Whichevidence-basedmodelsandbestpracticescanbeusefulinreachingthegoals?

4. FitWhatactions,ifany,needtobetakensotheselectedbestpractice(s)“fits”thecommunitycontext?

5. Capacities Whatorganizationalcapabilitiesandcapacitiesareneededtoimplementtheplan?

6. Plan Whatistheplanforimplementation?

Evaluating

7. ProcessEvaluation Howwillthequalityofimplementationbeassessed?

8. OutcomeEvaluation Howwelldidthesystemofcarework?

Sustaining

9. CQI Howwillcontinuousqualityimprovementstrategiesbeincorporated?

10. Sustainability Ifthesystemofcarestrategiesaresuccessful,howwilltheybesustained?

Case Example: Youth MOVE Maine • YouthMOVEMainewasdevelopedoutoftheThriveInitiative,

Maine’sTraumaInformedSystemofCare.• In2007,receivedadditionalfundingfromSAMHSAtodevelopa

youthmovementinMaineandthensoonafterbecameachapterofYouthM.O.V.ENational.

• BecomingachapterallowedYouthM.O.V.EMainetogrowfromaregionalprogramtoastatewideyouthledorganization.

• CurrentlyYouthMOVEMaineisnota501c3nonprofitanddoesnothaveanofficialboard,buthasdevelopedanAdvisoryCounciltoguidethework.

Youth MOVE Maine Mission Statement

Youth MOVE Maine builds the skills, partnerships, policies and practices essential to making sure all youth

are connected, resilient, growing and included in the decisions that impact

their lives.

New Logic ModelSimple Steps for Re-evaluating and modifying a theory of change logic model:

• Brainstormideasfornew/currentgoals• Gatheralldocumentswithgoalsandmandates• Splitintogroupsof4-5people• Askgroupstoconsolidateinto4or5goals• Compareandmakeedits• Wordsmith

– Itcanbeveryhelpfultoutilizetheskillsandtimeofstafftodowordsmithing,makingsurethatthereislotsofinputfromtheadvisorycouncilbeforehand.– Alwaysrundraftsbythegroupforfinalapproval.– Wordsmithingisnotnitpickyandcanmakeahugedifference!

The Power of a Single Word• YouthMOVEMaine’soriginalpopulationoffocusoriginally

read“youngpeopleages14-25thathavelivedexperiencesinthesystemsofmentalhealth,juvenilejustice,childwelfare,oralternativeorspecialeducationandthefamilies,providersandsupportiveadultsintheirlives.”

• Onthenewtheoryofchangelogicmodel,adultschangedtopeopleafteryouthgavefeedbackabouttheimportanceofpeers—anexampleofhowverycriticalyouthleadershipisintheseprocesses.

Changes Can Be Difficult• Whendealingwithchange,unarticulatedhopesandfearsbased

onpastorfutureassumptionscanhinderunifiedprogresstowardacommongoal.

• Statinganddocumentingstaffandgroupmembers’personalstrugglesandidealsmovingforwardallowedustoaddressthemtogetherandmoveoverhurdles.

GTO in Strategic Planning• YouthMOVEMaineheldaretreatwheretheybrainstormedgoals

andusednominalgrouptechnique(i.e.votingwithstickydots)todetermineprioritiesforplanningduringtheretreat.Withinsmallergroupsbasedonareasofinterest,butstillensuringdiversitywithineachgroup.GroupsthenusedtheGTOmodeltocreatestartingpointsfortheirpartsofthestrategicplanningprocess.

• Agroupcandothefollowingtocreateaplan:– Choosesomegoalstoworkon– Splitintodiversegroupsof4-8people– Foreachgoal,outlinethefollowing:• Strengths• Challenges• Thenlist:

– Stepsthatneedstohappen– Whoneedstobeinvolvedtodothat– Adateyouthinkyoucouldfinisheachstepby– Potentialbarrierstosuccess

• Mapoutthefollowingasagroup.Re-visititandseehowitchanges

Use these simple worksheets to help the group uncover their hopes and fears, and to learn the the needs,

resources, and expectations for each strategy

• ForEachStrategy:– Example:Developanetworkofsupportiveadultandorganizationalallies.

Strategic Plan• Onceyou’vegatheredinitialideasfromgroup,‘rollingup’becomes

reallyimportantinthisprocess• ‘RollingUp’meansthatyouworkwithalloftherawdatatocome

upwiththemesandpatterns,andultimatelyaplantomeetthegroup’sexpectations.

• SharedthiswiththeAdvisoryCounciltomakesurethatthespiritofwhattheyareaskingoftheirorganizationhasbeencaptured.

Pulling Diverse Ideas Into a Concrete Plan

• Gatherallfeedbackintoalistofneeds,resources,strategiesandoutcomes/goalsforeachstrategy

• Thenrollthoseupintobroad,reasonableobjectivesalongatimeline

• Setstandardsandoutlinehowtomeasurewhetherexpectationsaremetalongtheway

Next Steps• DoIt!!!• TakeGTOtothenextlevel…down

– UseGTOtodevelopregionalworkplanstomeetthebroadobjectivessetforthinthestrategicplan

• Developlong-term(3and5year)expectationsasagrouptakingGTOtothenextlevel…up

• Continuouslyevaluateprocessandoutcomestoensureyouareontrack.

Strategic Plan

References• GettingtoOutcomesinSystemsofCare:10Stepsforachievingresults-basedaccountability(2009)Available

online:Systemofcarealumni.org/GTO/index.html• Hernandez,M.,Hodges,S.&Worthington,J.(2003).CraftingLogicModelsforSystemsofCare:IdeasIntoAction.

[MakingChildren’sMentalHealthServicesSuccessfulSeries,Volume1].Tampa,FL:UniversityofSouthFlorida,LouisdelaParteFloridaMentalHealthInstitute,DepartmentofChildandFamilyStudies.Availableonline:http://cfs.fmhi.usf.edu/TREAD/CMHseries/IdeasIntoAction.html

• Matarese,M.,McGinnis,L.,&Mora,M.(2005)YouthInvolvementinSystemsofCare:AGuidetoEmpowerment.Washington,DC:TAPartnership.

• http://www.tapartnership.org• http://logicmodel.fmhi.usf.edu• http://www.youthmovemaine.org• http://www.rcisystemsofcare.org/youth.html• http://www.SystemofCareAlumniNetwork/systemofcarealumni.org

Special Thanks to the Following People for Their Contributions and Work Completed at With the Youth at the Local Sites

• RyunAnderson,MSW – Program Coordinator – Youth MOVE Maine

• BethHoffman – Youth Advocacy Coordinator