An Innovative Planning Framework:Building Collective Impact

Deborah Daro. Chapin Hall, University of Chicago

Objectives

• Present an overview of our planning framework – how is this process different?

• Outline the plan’s key elements and operational principles.• Summarize the “parent voice” as obtained through a

statewide parent survey and targeted focus groups.• Outline next steps both the Children’s Trust and local

communities can take to create an integrated, but flexible, approach to developing an effective child maltreatment prevention plan.

Challenges in Prevention Planning• The tendency and preference to support a broad array of

interventions, each addressing a unique causal contributor to maltreatment.

• The absence of common assessment strategies and outcomes for measuring collective impact.

• An inability to manage implementation challenges in ways that insure quality, maximize efficiency, and allow communities to creatively use their strengths to address their unique needs and challenges.

Our Planning Process

How is This Approach Different?• Helps states identify efficiencies by realigning current

investments and encouraging the use of shared resources.• Identifies a set of shared outcomes across interventions

and agencies to better focus efforts and engage new partners.

• Identifies a limited number of promising new action strategies to complement current efforts.

• Assists local communities in tailoring the framework to fit their specific strengths and needs.

Key Planning Components

• Identify foundational elements– agree on elements you want reflected in all of your interventions and policies.

• Establish a core set of outcomes and related indicators – agree on a common way to assess progress at the individual and population levels.

• Identify high priority options – assist communities in selecting their most promising “best bets”.

• Specify implementation plans and learning opportunities – create ways for inter-agency/cross-community collaborative learning.

The Pilot Process• Interviews with key stakeholders to identify core concerns

and strengths.• Conducted a web-based parent survey as well as focus

groups with key parent subgroups.• Compiled a literature review of promising prevention

efforts. • Working with the Children’s Trust to clarify core outcomes,

related indicators, and priority interventions.• Developing an approach to guide community planning

teams.

Is this process valuable for me?• Careful planning is applicable in any community regardless

of geographic size, funding resources, or prior planning experience.

• Potential applications include:– Sharpening a community’s understanding of its needs,

strengths and challenges. – Strengthening interagency and community collaboration

around child abuse prevention and child well-being.– Creating learning partnerships with diverse partners.

Initial Learnings

Overarching outcomes

Foundational Principles

Program Monitoring

and Integrity

BuildWorkforceCapacity

Fostering Data

Integra-tion

Continuous Quality

Improve-ment

Participant Voice

Policy Integration

StrategyA

Strategy B

StrategyC

StrategyD

Foundational Principles• Implementation science – study how things work and

what contributes to or inhibits successful implementation.• Work force development – strengthen provider knowledge

and skills.• Data integration – share information on populations and

services within and across agencies.• Continuous quality improvement – raise the performance

bar and use timely data to adjust practice.• Participant voice – engage those you seek to help.• Policy integration – never act alone if you can find a

partner.

Foundational Principles

Program Monitoring

and Integrity

BuildWorkforceCapacity

Fostering Data

Integra-tion

Continuous Quality

Improve-ment

Participant Voice

Policy Integration

StrategyA

Strategy B

StrategyC

StrategyD

Child Well-Being & Achievement

Caregiver Well-Being & Achievement

Consistent High Quality Caregiving

SafeSupportive

Neighborhoods

Core Outcome Domains• Child well-being and achievement• Maximize developmental potential of all children

• Parent/caregiver well-being and achievement• Provide all parents the support they need to succeed

• Consistent, high quality caregiving• Insure all caregivers foster positive child development

• Safe, stable and supportive neighborhoods• Create a context of collective responsibility for all children

Foundational Principles

Program Monitoring

and Integrity

BuildWorkforceCapacity

Fostering Data

Integra-tion

Continuous Quality

Improve-ment

Participant Voice

Policy Integration

Individualized Services

Organization & Practice

Change

Collaboration & Community

CapacityPolicy

Reforms

Child Well-Being & Achievement

Caregiver Well-Being & Achievement

Consistent High Quality Caregiving

SafeSupportive

Neighborhoods

Intervention Pathways• Strengthen individual children and parents using universal

and targeted efforts.• Improve organizational culture and professional practice to

support evidence-based models and practice.• Foster service collaboration and community efficacy through

integrated care models.• Policy and legislative reform around concrete supports, eligibility and flexible funding.

Securing Parent Input and Voice

Research Strategies

• Web-based parent survey (Feb to May 2016)– Available across the state via survey monkey – 375 responses/345 currently parenting a child < 18– Respondents primarily female, white, college educated

• Targeted focus groups (Spring 2016)– 32 parents participated in one of five groups (Aiken,

West Columbia, Columbia, Charleston, Darlington)– Respondents more diverse; one father’s group; three of

the five groups included only African American parents.

Limitations• Neither sample proportionally representative of all parents

in the state; findings are suggestive not definitive.• In the parent survey, notable missing data on descriptive

characteristics and a limited number of respondents from any specific geographic area.

• Focus group participants were recommended by service providers so focus group comments may overestimate familiarity and use of parenting services.

Parent Survey Content

Community Resources

Community Quality and Mutual Self-

HelpParental Capacity

19

Demographic Characteristics

Focus Group Content

Community Formal Support

Community Informal Support Mutual Self-Help Possible

InnovationsCore Service

Values

20

Key Survey Findings• Respondents are aware of diverse service options but often

fail to utilize parenting programs such as home visiting, parent education groups, and family resource centers.• Health care services and libraries are the most frequently

accessed resources by all parent groups.• Non-white and less educated respondents are familiar with

fewer services but more likely to use these services.• Affordable, high quality child care is a consistent need.

Key Survey Findings• Respondents more likely to offer help to friends and

neighbors than to ask for help; this is less true in minority communities.• Most parents report they can meet their child’s basic needs

and enjoy time with family members.• But parenting is a challenge – 15% report losing control

when disciplining their children; one-quarter report children act out just to “upset them”.

Implications• Build parent support into systems found in all communities

such as health care providers and libraries.• Address gaps in child care availability, cost, and quality.• Create consistent messaging around supporting parents in

reaching out and asking for help when needed and in offering support when asked. • Continue to provide opportunities for parents to learn about

child development and appropriate discipline options.

Key Focus Group Findings• Parents want support – they identified a range of concerns

from basic needs (food, child care, housing) to parent education. • Parents want to be involved – they appreciate being asked

their opinions about “what works” and what does not.• Parents want services that fit the level of need – they want

to “grow their skills” not just get a “quick fix”.• Parents often viewed child welfare as “unfair”.

High Priority Program Values• Parents want service providers to be:– genuine, caring, and nonjudgmental– relationship builders– experienced

• Parents want more accessible services in key areas:– basic support/food assistance– parenting classes– children’s activities/afterschool programs

Implications• Novel resource sharing and services are needed for rural,

isolated communities.• Libraries appear to be a particularly beloved resource, with a

lot of potential for expansion.• Concerns about distrust and judgment need to be addressed

in order to increase the use of informal supports.• Parents want access to professionals and expert help not

just a “friend or peer to talk with”.• Local communities require local responses.

Framework Roll-Out

Next Steps• Additional planning work at the State level– Clarify shared outcomes and identify appropriate indicators at the

population and participant level.– Identify promising strategies to achieve priority outcomes.

• Building community capacity– Identify local “planning team”.– Reflect on foundational values in light of local realities.– Assess scope of local services and identify gaps.– Secure parent input.– Identify one or two high priority investments.