The Organizational Process Improvement unit facilitates Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) Collaboratives. In a PDSA Collaborative, local child welfare agencies send a team comprised of workers and a supervisor(s) to learn how to implement organizational change using the PDSA model. Teams attend four in-person learning sessions over an 11-month period. In between in-person learning sessions, teams engage in action periods where they test organizational changes back at their agency. All teams in the PDSA Collaborative are working on a shared change topic but may test different change strategies during their action periods. In-person learning sessions and technical assistance calls provide agency teams opportunities for joint learning, problem-solving, and sharing resources across other participating agencies in the collaborative.

2020 Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) Collaborative Topic: Quality Caseworker Visits
The topic of the 2020 PDSA Collaborative is improving the quality of ongoing caseworker visits. In child welfare practice, change happens in the context of relationships. Caseworker visits with children, caregivers, and out-of-home care providers comprise the cornerstone of relationship development and are one of the most important ways to promote positive child outcomes. Please join us as we test organizational practice changes to improve the quality of ongoing caseworker visits!
To learn more about the 2020 PDSA Collaborative on Quality Caseworker Visits including background and goals, please read the PDSA Collaborative Charter.
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How to Apply
- The 2020 PDSA Collaborative will run from September 2020 to July 2021. It includes teams from the following county agencies:
- Chippewa
- Douglas
- La Crosse
- Manitowoc
- Vilas
- Washington
- Waukesha
- Wood
- The application period for the 2021 PDSA Collaborative will be late Spring/early summer 2021.
2020 PDSA Collaborative Key Dates
Change Package
- A change package is a resource that contains: a theory of change, resources and tools for testing practice changes, and ways to measure whether a practice change led to an improvement.
- Click below to read the 2020 PDSA Collaborative on Quality Caseworker Visits Change Package.
Extranet
- Agency teams participating in the 2020 PDSA Collaborative will share resources and results of PDSA tests on a private Extranet site.
- Agency teams ONLY ACCESS:

What’s unique about PDSA Collaboratives? How could this benefit you and your agency?
In the PDSA Collaborative, you will:
- Test practice changes in small, manageable steps with a team of co-workers to support you;
- Learn how to use different types of data to support your decision-making;
- Receive training in how to move your team’s best change ideas forward and roll them out to your whole agency; and
- Have the opportunity to collaborate and share learnings with other agency teams.
PDSA Collaboratives are brought to you through partnership between the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families and the Wisconsin Child Welfare Professional Development System.