CDHS Success: How the Fostering Well-Being Team is Using ADKAR to Build Community, Improve Services and Monitor Fidelity

Providing high-quality and responsive services relies on meaningful data in the best of times. For the programs in our unit, like many other programs statewide, the pandemic elevated the need for a process change to achieve nimble data-driven decisions. It also required deep stakeholder engagement to understand emergent needs. Through this process we identified a need for increased communication, training and user confidence around the state data system.

We applied the ADKAR model to the design and implementation of new processes, designed to support our workforce and result in timely, high-quality data:

1) Awareness and Desire: After recognizing the need for change and taking the 3-day Change Management for Practitioners Workshop at the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), we designed and delivered an intentional series of webinars. These initial messages were supported by a communications plan, including weekly workforce memos, new supervisor meetings and the launch of a social media platform embedded within the state data system.

2) Knowledge and Ability: We established a new, required two-day data system orientation for new hires. To support continuing staff as well as reinforce new hires’ learning, we created and offered bi-weekly drop-in office hours. In addition, a library of brief, demo videos which both lent on-demand technical existence as well as explained the ‘why’ for each data entry requirement were created and compiled. To accommodate a variety of learning styles, we also created longer demos and written guidance that included a more comprehensive, start to finish overview of data entry steps.

3) Reinforcement: Finally, we built infrastructure to support awareness and accountability in direct supervisors. This included creation of approximately ten key report types accessible to supervisors. These reports and dashboards included both data required by the state, and information that direct supervisors endorsed as important to their day-to-day work identified through surveys and focus groups. The content included in the new tools were designed to elicit adoption and sponsorship by supervisors. The tools were released in a live report training that included brief written guidance, demo videos and an introduction to new data dashboards. Follow up office hours were offered to support individual guidance and clarification. We have since introduced site spotlights and other recognition opportunities in our regular communications to highlight individuals and teams demonstrating great success with the new processes.

After the initial year of ADKAR application, we introduced contractual revisions that increased the requirements for workforce data entry and integrity. This change was met with minimal resistance (87% compliance in the first 30 days) [1] [2] [3] as the foundations for the change were well communicated and well sponsored. As the communication, training and user confidence efforts were designed with sustainability in mind we were able to maintain this new infrastructure past the initial change period. Our demonstrated success allowed us to add a team member dedicated to training and technical assistance. This will ensure that the robust efforts to establish a bi-directly communications and responsive training initiatives will be maintained. Additionally, quarterly site visits were expanded to ensure accountability and provide targeted support as needed. Taken together, design and implementation of the change were supported by the ADKAR model.

It is worth noting the unexpected and lasting benefits resulting from the use of ADKAR model. In particular, the established bi-directional communications will be critical to continuous quality improvement and future change management. Moreover, the social media platform proved to be inherently reinforcing, allowing the workforce to build a sense of community and professional network within the data system. They now have an accessible, standard channel to get to know each other and help each other out as they face challenges in their work now and for years to come. Furthermore, this past year ’s efforts have taught our team at the Office of Early Childhood to approach all change from an ADKAR lens. The effectiveness of this approach has been undeniable. In a time of relentless change and sheer exhaustion for most, we were able to deliver on both the technical and people side of change.

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