The Organization Process Improvement (OPI) unit seeks to provide engaging and proactive learning opportunities that lead local child welfare agencies through effective organizational improvement processes. Agency staff gain tools to lead their own incremental change through Plan, Do, Study, Act rapid cycles, while simultaneously receiving support by WCWPDS staff. Participants leave with increased confidence and skills that reliably lead to improved effectiveness and functionality in their organization.
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Values of OPI Initiatives
- Be curious about your work.
- We work in teams; we should learn in teams.
- Great change ideas come from those who DO the work.
- Every voice at the table brings value.
- We learn best by doing!
- Small changes can lead to big results.
- Every process can be improved.
OPI Unit Initiatives Seek to Answer:
- What is causing this outcome (positive or negative) in my organization?
- Where will I get the most bang for my buck? How can we save time while still doing great work?
- How do I measure if my change is working?
- How do I make a change when it involves so many people and/or systems?
Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) Collaborative
- The OPI unit facilitates 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.
- Please click Here to learn more.
PDSA Toolkit
The Plan-Do-Study-Act Model
The OPI unit uses an organizational improvement model called Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA). Based on the steps of the scientific method, PDSA is a four-stage problem-solving model used for improving a process or carrying out a change. PDSA encourages staff to make changes in small, testable cycles. The model also focuses change efforts by helping teams to define their goal, systematically plan a change, evaluate outcomes using qualitative and/or quantitative metrics, examine implementation lessons, and advance positive changes in a subsequent cycle.
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In additional to the PDSA model, OPI offers organizational improvement training and technical assistance in:
- Identifying root causes of issues
- Prioritizing needs and gaps
- Developing a theory for change
- Methods and tools for tackling organizational challenges
- Developing and analyzing metrics
- Sustaining changes