Becoming a Workforce of Everyday Scientists: Frontline Staff in the Legal Community Legal Presentation

Becoming a Workforce of Everyday Scientists: Frontline Staff in Agencies and Tribes

How Do We Know What Works? Challenges and Opportunities for Building Evidence for Leaders and Decision Makers examines evidence-based practice from the point of view of leaders and managers, who must process information about what works or not, decide if it is credible and is having the intended effect, and assess the implications of their decision at every level of the organization. 

This session explores how research, evaluation, and continuous quality improvement (CQI) efforts can help you strengthen practice to achieve a common goal of all child welfare professionals: becoming more effective in your work and being better able to ensure that children are safe, in healthy and intact families, and thriving.

Gather your staff to watch the “Deciding What to Implement to Achieve Successful Change” webinar to learn about how a structured approach to selecting an effective intervention can help your agency evaluate solutions to identified problems or needs and achieve goals for change. Then, use this guide to facilitate discussions and lead your team to move learning into action.

This workbook and this video series are part of a collection of resources designed to help child welfare agency leaders, managers, and teams select, adapt, or design an intervention to address an identified problem. Use this workbook to further your understanding of concepts and prepare to move learning into action with your team.

Theory of Change discussion and activity guide  to support knowledge and skill development for individuals and teams and facilitate team discussion and targeted action planning.

Use the integrated Theory of Change video workbook to record your questions and ideas for changing practice, which you can then use to apply the theory of change development process at your agency.

Learn about theory of change and why it is critical to implementing effective changes to improve outcomes. 

Read recent research on child welfare workforce management, including recruitment and retention, professional development, and organizational culture.

Learn to select, design, or adapt an intervention to address an identified problem.

Examine current research and how best to build organizational capacity in five areas, and learn about possible challenges and solutions.

Get guidance for completing the CQI self-assessment instrument, see suggested sources for local assessment data, and learn to rate assessment results.

Get tips, guidance, and information about the CQI system assessment and implementation process, and learn how the Center helps agencies build capacity.

Discusses new software and technologies used in child welfare.