OBJECTIVES

Understanding the value of purposeful

implementation
Understanding the leaderships role in
implementation:
Creating and supporting a learning
culture
Valuing and achieving fidelity
Aligning infrastructure

Leadership Question
What questions do you have about
implementation leadership that you
would like to address during this
session?

Who is EPIC?
Evidence-Based Practices
Implementation for Capacity
Housed in the CO Department of
Public Safety, Division of Criminal
Justice
Provide:
Implementation Consulting and
Assistance
Skill Development

Implementation Support
Partner in the change process
Develop implementation teams
Establish data-informed decision
making
Engage stakeholders to create and
support an implementation
infrastructure
Identify communication needs and
establish improvement cycles
Support innovation fidelity

Why Implementation Science?

Without guided and directed

implementation, only 14% of new
scientific discoveries (EBPs) enter dayto-day practice.

-Balas and Boren, 2000:65

Why Are We Here Today?

Experience and research shows that

supervisor support is a major factor
in whether or not implementations
succeed.

Leadership

Leadership

Implementation Drivers

Competent
workforce
Hospitable
environment
Engaging leaders
Source: NIRN Active
Implementation Hub

Leadership and Drivers

Reliable Benefits
Consistent and Competent
Use of Innovation

na
io

Co
Dr mp
iv et
er en
s
cy

t
za
ni
ga rs
Or ive
Dr

Ensure
Develop
sustainability
practitioner
at the
s
organization
competenc
and system
e and
levels
confidence
Leadership
to
Drivers
implement
Use the right leadership strategies for
the situation
Source: Building Implementation Capacity, 2015,
Schroeder, et al

Drivers

WHAT DO YOU PAY

MOST/LEAST
ATTENTION TO?
Competency
Organizational
Leadership

Its About Change

lots of change and often.

What about Change?

People resist loss
What are people
losing through
this change?

Change = Disequilibrium

Disequilibrium is not well received

Consequence of
change =
Distress and
Help people
tolerate the discomfort
Disturbance
they are experiencing
Source: The Practice of Adaptive Leadership: Tools and Tactics for Changing Your Organization
and the World, 2009, Cambridge Leadership Associates. Heifitz, Ronald et al.

What are YOU doing??!!

What are some things you are doing
to help people tolerate the
discomfort they are experiencing?

Overheard
I have been doing case planning
this way for months and I still see
my clientsfailing on probation,
getting re-arrested, coming back
to jail/prison

Overheard

I dont have time for this. You dont

understand. We had 64 intakes and
72 discharges last week alone.

WHAT DATA DO YOU

VALUE?

Corrections outcome
data
Population, admissions and releases
Caseloads, terminations successful and
unsuccessful
New crimes and technical violations
Escapes, walkaways, absconders
Rates of rearrest, reconviction,
reincarceration
What does this data tell us?

Benefits of
Implementation
Recidivism
Re-arrests
Violations

Source: NIRN Active

Implementation Hub

So
Adopt strategies that reduce risk and
promote behavior change
Measure performance against the
standards of recidivism reduction

Develop or find easily accessible

sources of data
Program/innovation logic models
Client program surveys and
interviews
Staff surveys and interviews
Coaching and fidelity reports
Official reports and records
Attendance and completion data
Literature, research

What is it about Change?

Change asks people to
question and perhaps
refine aspects of their
identity, it also
challenges their sense of
competence. Loss,
disloyalty, and feeling
incompetent. Thats a
lot to ask. No wonder
people resist.
- Ronald Heifetz

Whos Hiring George

Costanza?
Changing
employees
attitudes,
knowledge and
beliefs changes
their individual
behavior.
Source: Why Change Programs Dont Produce Change, 1990, Beer,
Eisenstat, Spector

Fact but
The most effective way to change
behavior is to put people in a new
organizational context which imposes
new roles, responsibilities,
relationships.
Coordination (Teamwork)
Commitment
Competencies
Source: Why Change Programs Dont Produce Change, 1990, Beer,
Eisenstat, Spector

Technical vs. Adaptive

Technical
Challenges
Easy to define
and involves a
clear, linear
path to
solutions

Adaptive Challenges
No simple, painless
solutions
Distinguish between
whats essential and
whats expendable
Difficult to define,
involves more
complex solutions
and are ever
evolving

Technical vs. Adaptive

Defining the
problem

Who solves
the problem

The solution

Technical

Simple

The Expert

Easy and
Apparent

Adaptive

Complex and
Difficult

The Individual/
Multiple
Stakeholders

Unclear and
Evolving/Requir
es new learning

Technical and adaptive

challenges
Diagnose situation
Clearly define the problem
Distinguish technical vs. adaptive work
Understand competing, yet legitimate
perspectives
Test multiple interpretations and points
of view

Intervene
Energize and engage others

10 Adaptive Flags
1. No Known Solution
2. People Would
Rather Avoid the
Issue
3. Reason and Logic
Alone Wont Get
You There
4. Recurring Problem
5. Emotional
Response

6. Failure to Resolve
Competing Priorities
7. Moving Forward Feels
Risky
8. Casualties
9. People Must Work
Across Boundaries
10.Progress Is Not Linear
Source: +acumen Adaptive Leadership: Mobilizing for
Change

Adaptive Flags (cont.)

1. No Known SolutionThere is a gap between
the current reality and aspiration that you
dont have the skills or knowledge to close.
2. People Would Rather Avoid the Issue
Balancing two ideas is not possible; therefore,
working on the challenge creates tension and
conflict.
3. Reason and Logic Alone Wont Get You
ThereThere are competing values at play or
there is a gap between what people say and
what they do.

Adaptive Flags (cont.)

4. Recurring ProblemChallenge reappears
after fix is applied.
5. Emotional ResponseWorking on this
challenge makes people feel
uncomfortable; they experience an
emotional response such as a feeling in
their gut or a knot in a muscle.
6. Failure to Resolve Competing Priorities
You are being asked to do more with less
instead of making tough trade offs.

Adaptive Flags (cont.)

7. Moving Forward Feels RiskyMaking
progress on this challenge means putting your
reputation, relationship, and job at risk.
8. CasualtiesIn order to move forward, some
people may be left behind.
9. People Must Work Across BoundariesNo
one person or group can fix the problem alone.
10.Progress Is Not LinearNo direct path to
get to a better outcome; trial and error is
necessary

Technical vs. Adaptive

Defining the
problem
Technical

Adaptive

Not enough
time
Employee
struggles with
skills or lacks
confidence using
EBP

Who solves
the problem
Supervisor
Employee

The solution
Shift portion of
workload to
another staff
member

Dialogue,
coaching,
others?

Symptom: Staff is not using the new EBP

Technical vs. Adaptive

Activity

Symptom: Staff are disgruntled and

frustrated with implementing the new
practice and are not completing routine
work and tasks.
Define:
TECHNICAL PROBLEM and ADAPTIVE PROBLEM
TECHNICAL SOLUTION and ADAPTIVE
SOLUTION

Identify the ADAPTIVE FLAG(S)

Technical vs. Adaptive

Defining the
problem

Who solves
the problem

Technical

Supervisor

Adaptive

Employee

Symptom:

The solution

Handout
Defining the
problem

Who solves
the problem

Technical

Supervisor

Adaptive

Employee

Symptom:

The solution

Handout

Handout
Additional Resources:

Implementation
National Implementation Research Network
AI Hub (Active Implementation)

http://nirn.fpg.unc.edu/

http://implementation.fpg.unc.edu/

Abraham Wandersman, Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina

http://www.psych.sc.edu/faculty/Abraham_Wandersman
The Quality Implementation Framework: A Synthesis of Critical Steps in the Implementation Process, 2012
Bridging the Gap Between Prevention Research and Practice: The Interactive Systems Framework for
Dissemination and Implementation, 2008

Quality Assurance
Implementing Evidence-Based Practice in Community Corrections Quality Assurance Manual, National
Institute of Corrections and the Crime and Justice Institute, 2005

Leadership
The Practice of Adaptive Leadership: Tools and Tactics for Changing Your Organization and the World,
Ronald Heifetz, Alexander Grashow, Marty Linsky, Harvard Business Press, 2009
Implementing Evidence-Based Policy and Practice in Community Corrections, National Institute of
Corrections and the Crime and Justice Institute, 2009

Questions
1. How can we find time to do
implementation?
2. Why does implementation seem so
complicated?
3. Whats the message to staff when
multiple policy and practice changes
are being implemented at once.

Thank You!
Shelley Siman
Shelley.Siman@state.co.us
William Cash
William.Cash@state.co.us