November 2013Vol. 14, No. 8Bulletin on Implementing Change

The FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention published a bulletin intended to help leaders, policymakers, program managers, staff, and stakeholders successfully implement system and practice changes and ensure that these changes are sustained over time. The bulletin explains several considerations that should be taken into account and steps that should be included in order for a new approach or program to have truly lasting effects and demonstrate desired results.

There are five specific factors that are imperative to reaching meaningful change within an organization:

1. There needs to be a shared vision and values.
2. Organizational leaders must be engaged and committed.
3. Stakeholders should have meaningful involvement.
4. Organizations must also be aware of their internal and external social, economic, and political environments when considering how to approach change.
5. Implementing and sustaining change require sufficient organizational capacity and infrastructure.

The bulletin goes on to describe the four phases that are necessary to develop, plan for, implement, and sustain organizational or systemic change:

• Exploring the potential for change
• Building capacity to implement
• Implementing the new approach
• Sustaining the change

The bulletin discusses each phase, what organizations are likely to encounter, and provides "What this looks like" real-life examples of each. Important questions to consider during each phase are also included.

Read the entire bulletin, Putting What Works Into Practice, via FRIENDS' website:

http://friendsnrc.org/cbcap-annual-report-summaries/2010-summaries-archive/doc_download/1619-putting-what-works-into-practice-factsheet (1 MB)