"Our Playbook"

In the work of developing capacity through our human capital development initiative we learned that implementation fidelity sounds great but is far more challenging in practice. 

Since the advent of school improvement, innovative practices, programs, and products have continuously been introduced and implemented with mixed results and more often a failure to realize the promised and expected outcomes.

Why?

These products and programs were and are designed and developed with the best of intentions.  They are creative, innovative, and reflect as well as incorporate effective practice, proven theory, and replicable evidenced based research albeit qualitative or quantitative.  Yet, why do they fail to meet the desired or expected results?

The answer?  

Implementation infidelity.

Most implementation plans are not fully developed or comprehensive.  Cost is in part a viable explanation.  I suggest that it is because there is not a comprehensive approach to implementation.  This is why we have been working a different plan – Our playbook (rPlaybook).

Our playbook combines adult learning theory, addiction research, systems thinking, and continuous improvement planning to create a plan of action to ensure program and practice fidelity. 

First and foremost, implementation is a centerpiece of continuous improvement.  Our playbook employs an eight (8)-step process. Expanding the Schewart Cycle or often referred to as the Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA) cycle. 

Our playbook includes the deliberate actions of reflection (Step 1) and review (Step 2) as on ramps to planning (Step 3).  Planning precedes implementation (Step 4).  Implementation requires monitoring (Step 5) that in turn requires measuring (Step 6).  Measuring implementation includes the actual performance of the product, program or practice and may require adjustments (Step 7) or corrective action (Step 8). 

Each step has in its’ center, implementation fidelity.  Each step is a continuous cycle.  In as much as we would like the process to be linear, it can’t be.  Certain steps are by their nature ubiquitous.  Take reflection and review – these are continuous within each step, teetering on the obvious, in constant motion.

As the centerpiece, implementation has several unique and specific actions.  We have developed within implementation the means for constant and consistent monitoring, measuring, adjusting, and if and when necessary correcting.  To do so required different thinking and different behavior.

We borrowed from addiction research the understanding of how habits form, dependency, thinking, breaking and establishing new habits, practices, and behaviors.

From adult learning research we applied the understanding that “choice” is a significant factor in changing as well as improving behavior.  What may be germane to all learners is, we want to see and know the relevance and how what we are being asked to learn or do connects with what we already know and can do. 

We know dissonance in learning is created by our experiences, our fears, threats, successes and failures, support or lack of, and the level or degree to which we risk to name just a few of the realities of adult learning.

To therefore combine elements from addiction research with adult learning theory we arrive at an intersection that provides guidance on the nature of what is being monitored, frequency, who and how monitoring occurs, and most importantly, the communication, feedback, support, and encouragement necessary to formulate new patterns of thinking and behaving.

Next week I will provide the specifics of what it looks like in practice and why we believe it makes implementation fidelity a reality.

Setting the stage further for next week is a quick look at our playbook as it pertains to our human capital development initiative.  We identified the need for building capacity, confidence and competence in our staff to ensure improved performance. 

We reviewed and reflected on past professional development practices and their effect, import or utility in actual performance.  In doing so we examined the desired or expected outcomes of the professional development with results. 

What became clearer were the myriad initiatives and implementation plans without a laser focus on the capacity, confidence and competence of staff to adopt, adapt, or apply the practice, product, or program to achieve desired effect.

Hence, our playbook.  Next week – the details.