0910phase2day2Notes

=Activating Your Program's Strategy and Evaluation= John B. Nash, PhD, Associate Professor, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Iowa State University

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 * 2010
 * SAI
 * 2011
 * Minnesota
 * SAI
 * AEA 8

Overview of Key Points

 * Think in turns of change instead of do
 * First think about what the change is we want....identify the change.
 * Then confirm what it is that we want to do to get that change to occur
 * 9 step model for planning a strand of a strategy-
 * It will help you better understand if the initiative will work.
 * Planning with "balance" in mind
 * Planning within a "strand"
 * Use these steps to plan and evaluate a "chunk" of a program.

The Nine Steps
Step 1-State the change you will make. You should write down a change statement indicating a shift from A to B.
 * Defines where we want to go
 * Allows for a sort of backward mapping
 * Allows a group to ask "where are we?" and then ask "what should we change?"
 * Allows a group to obtain common buy-in for a change.
 * Naming the change first allows you to ensure you don't obtain resources that don't bear on the change.
 * It makes the goal transparent
 * Stay off the "how"--don't focus on how you will meet the goal yet.
 * Naming the "change you will make" helps determine if change is necessary
 * It can help you be more selective when you get to the "how"
 * Stating a goal in terms of a change helps pin down critical behaviors

Change statements are SMART (Specific, Measurable, attainable, realistic, time-based)
 * SPECIFIC: Not vague. No jargon. Others "get it" immediately. No "and". No "or." No "also." No "so that...."
 * MEASURABLE: Worded in a way that you can sense an increase or decrease is sought
 * ATTAINABLE: Make it feasible within a fiscal year or less
 * REALISTIC: Make sure it is realistic
 * TIME-BASED: You know the time period needed to reach the goal

Step 2-State the reason why the change is needed.
 * Convinces stakeholders the change is necessary
 * Help with creating buy in on "how life will be better"
 * Assuage fears of others that the project is worthwhile
 * Shows the problem you are solving in context of everything else
 * Allows a group to create a common vision
 * Creates accountability
 * Makes the goal or changes sought more public and contextual

Step 3-Things you will do
 * Most people start here - you shouldn't. Always start with step 1, "The Change You Will Make."
 * Indicating what you will do is important, but it should not be the first step in a plan
 * Make sure you have balance in your activities--that you only list the things you need to do to trigger the change listed in step 1.
 * Ask yourself: Will the "do" really address the problem?
 * Keep it couched in terms of the goal...it's all about the change you will make.
 * Why wouldn't you want to start with this step?
 * You may choose the wrong things to do.
 * You may develop solutions that are looking for problems.
 * You might get change, but it wasn't the one you hoped for
 * Balancing the things you will do with the specific change you seek helps define what are we not going to do...reduce opportunity costs

Step 4-State the things you need to create the change
 * The "stuff."
 * The items you'll need to complete the steps in column three.

Step 5 - We should not look for change until
 * Don't want to evaluate too quickly
 * Want to know what success looks like
 * Able to hold yourself accountable to the things we will do (3) and the things we need (4)
 * This allows you to state some time period under which you will do you implementation.

Step 6 - Indicators the change has occurred
 * Validate if the goal was reached
 * Challenges in selecting poor indicators
 * unclear
 * unmatched
 * use "easy"/"old" indicators
 * not understandable
 * not agreed upon by stakeholders

Step 7 - The way we'll collect the indicators Step 8 - When we'll collect it Step 9 - Who will collect it
 * Indicate the method by which you will collect your indicator data
 * Accountability
 * Chief worrier
 * Accountability
 * Chief worrier