Using Implementation Mapping to Build Organizational Readiness.

Organizational readiness is essential for high-quality implementation of innovations (programs, policies, practices, or processes). The R = MC2 heuristic describes three readiness components necessary for implementation-the general functioning of the organization (general capacities), the ability to deliver a particular innovation (innovation-specific capacities), and the motivation to implement the innovation. In this article, we describe how we used the Readiness Building System (RBS) for assessing, prioritizing, and improving readiness and Implementation Mapping (IM), a systematic process for planning implementation strategies, to build organizational readiness for implementation of sexual assault prevention evidence-based interventions (EBIs). While RBS provides an overarching approach for assessing and prioritizing readiness constructs (according to the R = MC2 heuristic; Readiness = Motivation x general Capacity × innovation specific Capacity), it does not provide specific guidance on the development and/or selection and tailoring of strategies to improve readiness. We used the five IM tasks to identify and prioritize specific readiness goals and develop readiness-building strategies to improve subcomponents described in the R = MC2 heuristic. This article illustrates how IM can be used synergistically with the RBS in applied contexts to plan implementation strategies that will improve organizational readiness and implementation outcomes. Specifically, we provide an example of using these two frameworks as part of the process of building organizational readiness for implementation of sexual assault prevention EBIs.

Fish consumption and advisory awareness among expectant women.

During the spring of 2003, the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services (DHFS) piloted a fish consumption advisory program targeted at pregnant women. Fish consumption recommendations and information about the prenatal effects of methylmercury were illustrated in multilingual posters, brochures, fact cards, and other promotional items. These materials were mailed to Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program providers, local health departments, and medical clinics, along with a cover letter that encouraged them to display the materials in waiting areas and distribute them to new mothers and expectant women who visited their facilities. In August 2003, a survey was mailed to 1000 women who had given birth during the first week of June 2003. The survey was intended to provide an estimate of the number and types of fish meals the women had consumed during pregnancy and evaluate their familiarity with the outreach materials. On average, survey respondents consumed 3 fish meals a month. The most frequently consumed fish were canned tuna and frozen fish. Approximately one third of women knew that older fish and predatory fish have the highest levels of mercury. While almost half of the women were aware of Wisconsin's sport fish advisory, only 13% of them remembered seeing any of the outreach materials.

Technical assistance as a prevention capacity-building tool: a demonstration using the getting to outcomes framework.

Demands on community-based prevention programs for performance accountability and positive outcomes are ever increasing in the face of constrained resources. Relatively little is known about how technical assistance (TA) should be structured to benefit community-based organizations and to lead to better outcomes. In this study, data from multiple sources were used to describe an effective TA model designed to improve the capacity of community-based organizations to plan, implement, and evaluate prevention programming. This article is the first of its kind to provide detailed analyses of the TA delivered to community-based organizations to build substance abuse prevention capacity. The results of this study describe the range of TA services provided and the importance of two-way communication between the TA provider and recipient. TA recipients reported high satisfaction and an improved understanding of targeted TA activities. However, achieving these benefits requires significant program staff time, and not all skills were successfully transferred. Results from this study suggest how TA may be structured to be effective in supporting quality prevention programming in community settings.