Competencies Implementation Checklist

Purpose of this Checklist
This checklist was developed to assist organizations as they plan and prepare to implement CCSA's Competencies resource into their policies and practice. It can be used in several ways:

A ready-to-use resource that features a step-by-step guide on how organizations can use the Competencies in their work;
A self-check comparison built on an evidence-based competency model that allows organizations to assess and/or build on existing policies and initiatives; and
A competency capacity-building tool within organizations and communities to further develop the substance abuse workforce.

How to Use this Checklist
This checklist is organized by stages, steps, and tools and tips.

Stages
Rogers' (2003) Stages of the Innovation-Decision Process are incorporated into this checklist. Rogers' stages provide a mental framework of how behaviour changes as a result of new knowledge and how research moves into practice. This process consists of a series of choices and actions over time through which an individual or system evaluates a new idea and decides whether or not to incorporate the innovation—such as CCSA's Competencies—into ongoing practice.

Steps
The steps in this checklist provide suggestions on how the Competencies can be integrated into an organization's policies and practice.

Tools and Tips
This section includes practical knowledge exchange tools, tips and action steps to help organizations reach their goals with the Competencies.

Competencies Implementation Checklist

Stage 1: Knowledge *Exposure to the innovation, understanding how it works*
Integration Steps to Consider		Tools and Tips
1.	*Learn* about CCSA's Competencies for Canada's Substance Abuse Workforce.	Read the Competencies Report in Short for a two-page overview of the resource. Learn how others are using the Competencies in their organizations by viewing the Competencies Impact Videos. (Seven Competencies Impact Videos). Browse the full Competencies resource. Order a free printed copy or CD of the Competencies at competencies@ccsa.ca.
2.	*Share* the Competencies with colleagues to get their impressions.	As a starter, send colleagues the link to the Competencies Report in Short. Share the link to the Competencies Impact Videos with colleagues. For those who respond with interest, send a reply and include a link to the full Competencies resource. Get your team together to talk about the Competencies; present the idea of arranging a meeting, presentation, or lunch and learn on the Competencies.
Stage 2: Persuasion *Forming an opinion or attitude about the innovation*
Integration Steps to Consider		Tools and Tips
3.	*Invite colleagues* to learn about the Competencies.	Deliver a presentation on the Competencies to colleagues by using and/or adapting the Competencies Slide Show and Speaking Notes. Include key Human Resources and Senior Leadership personnel in your invitations/discussions. In your invitation, send colleagues the link to the Competencies Report in Short so they can review this document before the meeting, discussion or presentation. For maximum impact, consider starting your meeting or presentation with a brief introduction and the Competencies Impact Videos. Facilitate a discussion after your presentation to determine your audience's interest in the Competencies. (See 10 Questions to Start a Competencies Conversation). Following your meeting or presentation, send a thank you email and include the link to the full Competencies resource.
4.	*Identify* champions'. Who will support, lead and help advance the Competencies in your organization?	Identify which Human Resources and Senior Leadership personnel have the most interest in the Competencies and invite them to a second meeting to discuss how the Competencies might benefit the organization. (The Competencies Impact Videos will help you with this.) In your invitation, include a link to the Competencies Implementation Checklist. Begin your meeting by eliciting comments from your group on what they like about the Competencies. Have a discussion about which aspects of the Competencies resource best support organizational goals and activities. Focus on areas likely to produce 'easy wins' in order to build momentum and achieve early success, and areas where your organization is most ready or open to change. Review the Competencies Implementation Checklist. Following your meeting, send this group the Stages in the Innovation-Decision Process and Corresponding Stages of Change as a way to support a common understanding of innovation and change amongst colleagues.
Stage 3: Decision *Engaging in decisions to adopt or reject the innovation*
Integration Steps to Consider		Tools and Tips
5.	*Review organizational objectives.* Which human resource recruitment, retention and professional development policies and practices align with the Competencies?	Invite your champions group to a meeting. In your invitation, suggest they review the full Competencies resource before the meeting. At your meeting, consider forming an internal working group composed of personnel from both Human Resources and Senior Leadership to review organizational staff recruitment and development plans, interview and performance management guides and tools, and job descriptions and hiring criteria. Compare the above with the Competencies' Guide to Competency-based Interviewing, Interview Tools, Guide to Competency-based Performance Management, Performance Management Tools and Sample Competency-based Job Description (section l, page l-14 and l-15). Discuss and assess how the Competencies align with current organizational goals and objectives, and how they might be used to support, complement and/or move forward organizational objectives.
6.	*Plan your first step to change.* Identify and document the potential challenges, opportunities and strategies to implementing aspects of the Competencies into organizational policy and practice.	Read Integrating Competencies into Organizational Policy and Practice: Challenges and Opportunities. Identify and document potential first steps in addressing organizational challenges and opportunities. In determining where to start, focus on those areas that require fewer resources and are likely to produce 'easy wins' in order to build momentum and achieve early success. If you have further questions about how to integrate the Competencies into your organization, contact competencies@ccsa.ca.
Stage 4: Implementation *Putting the innovation into use*
Integration Steps to Consider		Tools and Tips
7.	*Draft an action/project plan.* How will you implement the agreed upon behavioural and/or technical Competencies into organizational policy and practice, ensuring that Human Resources and Senior Leadership personnel fully support it?	Consider using a Sample Project Charter with RASCI Chart to document your high-level objectives and Competencies implementation plan. Identify who in the organization will carry out tasks related to your Competencies implementation plan by assigning responsibilities to team members in the Sample Project Charter and RASCI chart. If requiring a project management plan, review the Online Health Program Planner as a sample project management tool for implementing and tracking your Competencies project.
8.	*Identify job clusters* most appropriate for incorporating the Competencies.	See Common Occupational Clusters on pages I8 to I9, Section I of the Competencies resource. Consider Rapid Cycle Testing of the Interview Tools: try them on a small scale, evaluate, revise, try again, evaluate and revise again (e.g., try one of the interview tools with a new job candidate). If interested in being a pilot site for the Competencies, contact competencies@ccsa.ca. Take the results from your Rapid Cycle Testing to determine which job classes and roles you will focus on in the next phase of your implementation of the Competencies.
9.	*Adapt/alter* organizational job profiles, descriptions and postings to include technical and behavioural Competencies.	See Proficiency Profiles on pages I-10 and I-11, Section I of the Competencies resource. See Adapting the Proficiency Profiles on pages I-12 to I-16 of Section I of the Competencies resource. See Sample Competency-based Job Description: Substance Abuse Counsellor in Section I, pages I-14 and I-15. See Samples of Stakeholder Competency-based Job Descriptions for ideas about how you would like to revise your own job descriptions: Youth Program Manager, Intake & Discharge Coordinator, Assertive Continuing Care Counsellor See Sample Job Posting - Youth Program Manager.
10.	If using the CCSA's Competencies resource as is, *determine the* *Competencies* *guides and tools required.*	See the Competencies' Guide to Competency-based Interviewing, Interview Tools, Guide to Competency-based Performance Management and Performance Management Tools.
11.	If adapting the Interview or Performance Management Tools, *customize* them to create your organization's unique Competency-based interview and performance management tools for selected job clusters.	Submit Permission to Adapt Form to CCSA. See Sample Interview Tool - Youth Program Manager. Consider using the Sex, Gender and Diversity Analysis Checklist to ensure your adaptations are relevant to your population(s), policies and practice. If adapting for the Aboriginal substance abuse workforce and others working with Aboriginal populations, review the following for cultural context, language and understanding: the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Health Core Competencies - A Curriculum Framework for Undergraduate Medical Education, the National Aboriginal Health Organization's report, Cultural Competence and Safety: A Guide for Health Care Administrators, Providers, and Educators (July 2008), the PowerPoint presentation, Cultural Competency and Safety: A First Nations, Inuit and Métis Context, and the Professional Code of Ethics and Standards section (page 5) of the First Nations Wellness/Addictions Counsellor Certification Board's Standards and Procedures Manual (July 2010).
Stage 5: Confirmation *Seeking reinforcement for the innovation decision*
Integration Steps to Consider		Tools and Tips
12.	*Choose the* *Performance Management Tools* you will use to assess/evaluate your staff and their levels of competencies.	See the Competencies' Guide to Competency-based Performance Management and Performance Management Tools. Learn about how competencies are related to social and emotional intelligence.
13.	*Seek support.* How can others support your competency-based workforce development work?	To increase your pool of qualified job candidates for new positions in your organization, meet with local academic institutions to discuss how their programs and curriculums could support your organization's workforce development needs by teaching competencies. To increase your staff's level of competence and professionalism, consider contacting representatives from regulatory bodies/professional associations to discuss the value and/or complementarity of the CCSA Competencies to their existing professional standards and association members.
14.	*Share your results* with others who have similar interests.	Set up meetings with partner organizations to discuss how the Competencies can support your community's collaboration efforts and workforce development goals.
Stage 6: Evaluation* *Measuring the impact of the innovation*
Integration Steps to Consider		Tools and Tips
15.	*Measure your effectiveness.* What impacts have the Competencies had on your organization?	Evaluate your efforts—find out how your organization's integration of CCSA's Competencies has aided the organization by determining your evaluation framework and indicators. Develop your own program Logic Model in order to get a graphic depiction of your Competencies implementation goals, objectives, indicators and resources. See Framework for Program Evaluation in Public Health for use as a template in developing your own Competencies Implementation Evaluation Framework. See Suggested Clusters for CCSA's Behavioural Competencies to understand how competencies might be grouped into logical clusters for evaluation and training purposes.

Source of Rogers' Stages of the Innovation-Decision Process:
Rogers, E.M. (2003). Diffusion of innovations (5th ed.). New York: Free Press. ISBN-13: 978-0-7432-2209-9.

* Though not included in Roger's model, a sixth stage called "Evaluation" is added here as some individuals/organizations may choose to systematically measure the impact of integrating various aspects of the Competencies resource to determine their return on investment.

Note: The Competencies Implementation Checklist and its related tools and hyperlinks do not represent an exhaustive list of Competency resources.

What do you think of the Competencies Integration Checklist?
We'd like to hear your comments, questions and suggestions on the Competencies Implementation Checklist. Please forward your comments to competencies@ccsa.ca. Thank you!

Date Modified: 2011-12-14