Adequate resources enable an organization to meet ongoing needs and targeted improvements. For example, to implement a promising child welfare program, an agency may need additional staff to provide services, additional office space for the new staff, program materials that guide service delivery, data collection tools and equipment to track and assess services, and funding to pay for these and other assets. All these organizational resources will contribute to the agency’s ability to implement and sustain the new program and, ultimately, to achieve the program’s desired outcomes related to safety, permanency, and well-being. In many cases, adding new staff and facilities may not be feasible, so agencies may need to reassign or realign organizational resources to meet the needs of a new program.

Child welfare agency leaders need to assess the strength, adequacy, and sustainability of organizational resources in light of their goals and desired changes and within the context of competing demands. Agency leaders who seek to strengthen resources should consider capacity from various perspectives, for example:

• Quantity (Does the organization have enough staff for the desired program improvements?)
• Quality and fit (Do these staff have the right qualifications for their roles or positions?)
• Availability (Do staff caseloads and workloads allow time for new responsibilities?)
• Stability (Will these staff likely remain with the organization?)
• Potential opportunities (Does the organization have funding streams available to support workforce additions?)
• Similar questions also can be applied to nonhuman assets to explore the adequacy of existing technologies, materials, facilities, and other tangible assets.