The Dance of Leadership: The Dance of Leadership: A framework for A framework for implementation in child welfare  implementation in child welfare 

Presented to the Regional Forum of the Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center

April 12, 2011

Katharine Cahn, PhD, MSWLeadership Academy for Middle Managers, NCWWI

Portland State University School of Social WorkCenter for Improvement of Child and Family Services

cahnk@pdx.edu(503) 725-8122

Goal: giving you a framework Goal: giving you a framework for success in implementationfor success in implementationSetting the stage (context)A framework for implementation

from the National Implementation Research Network (NIRN)

Applications and adaptations for child welfare from other research

A hopeful note

The ContextThe Context

Permanent white waterBureaucracies are hard wired to stabilize,

institutionalize (resist change)Child Welfare as a field has evolvedWe have learned from that evolution and

can offer a framework.

Bureaucracies Change SlowlyBureaucracies Change Slowly

Bureaucracies are designed not to change

Stability is rewarded Creativity is discouraged Partnering is difficult Paper is more important

than relationship

WHAT’S THE GOOD NEWS?

… … We HAVE evolvedWe HAVE evolved

Moving to family connections

System of careCommunity

engagementStrong tribal

programmingWe’re learning

A Framework for A Framework for ImplementationImplementation(drawing on Fixsen and Blasé) (drawing on Fixsen and Blasé)

Performance Assessment (Fidelity)

Coaching

Training

Selection

Systems Intervention

Facilitative Administration

Decision Support Data System

CO

MPE

TEN

CY

INFRASTRUCTURE

LEADERSHIP

Adding some thoughts … Adding some thoughts …

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Leadership/Vision

Engaging People (Staff AND Engaging People (Staff AND Community):Community): important but there are important but there are challengeschallenges

Challenges with Staff

This, too, shall pass”

Initiative FatigueWe-Be’sW-B-D-S-E’sResistors Lack of trust

Community• Lack of trust• No organized

infrastructure to connect

• Cultural differences (bureaucratic culture, child welfare culture, as well as family/agency culture)

Engaging people … Engaging people … expanded viewexpanded viewAgency StaffRecruitment,

selection, supportive culture (Workforce Studies)

New skills: Training, coaching and performance evaluation (NIRN)

Engagement in the initiative (implementation)

Community and Family Partners

Honor and engage at case and agency levels

Build and fund partnerships at the family and agency level

Learn about one another’s agencies, tribal systems, family & community history

The dance of advocacy and learning together

Findings on engaging staffFindings on engaging staffNo-one likes to be told they’re doing

something wrong, change is hard, uncomfortable, uncertain, annoying, (etc)

How to make it easier to change◦A chance to try it out◦Carrots and Sticks◦Clear core principle◦Concrete practices◦Opportunities to own and customize (In

fact we DO have to reinvent the wheel)◦Celebrate success – show data, early wins◦Solve a problem THEY think they have

Engaging community Engaging community partnerspartners

Most theories of innovation focus on what’s happening inside the agency

Key finding of research was the importance of external factors, local and state◦ Catalytic event / crisis to start change◦ Decision to collaborate – a leadership message◦ Engaged and funded feedback from community to sustain

change◦ Alignment of philosophy in service delivery (need to include

community partner agencies and advocate in change)Effective leaders capitalize on external environmentInvite collaboration, understand pressure

Leadership at all levelsLeadership at all levelsExecutive. Clear, personally involved,

sustained leadership messageMid-level management. problem solving,

barrier busting, funding, supporting supsSupervisors. marketing to staff, coaching,

inspecting, supporting, praise successChampions. Opinion leaders whochampion

the changeCommunity advocates. Holding agency to

account for the change, advocating for resources, parallel process

All: stay at the table, have a container for conflict and collaboration (Adaptive Leadership)

Infrastructure:Infrastructure:Hard-wire the changeHard-wire the changeTraining is important for worker

engagement, but “you can’t train your way through this”

Child Welfare is a machine: Re-tool to support innovation.◦ Gears have to be meshed

(money and contracting flow)◦ Fuel must be available

(resources like money)◦ Organizational culture must change◦ Design feedback loops (data) to

show progress

Some cautionsSome cautions

Beware the ‘great man’ theory of changeHonor and protect the process. Build a leadership style and

organizational culture that encourages ongoing learning

Champion ourselves and become proud of being innovative

Know what we stand for and be opportunistic (“innovation by groping along”, Golden, “emergence”, Wheatley)

It’s never done

A hopeful thought A hopeful thought

“ Perhaps then, like the hummingbird who, aerodynamically speaking, cannot fly, the social agency may be capable of innovation even though, theoretically speaking, it is not.”

(Gummer, 1993), p. 165