| 1. Assess the stage of development and readiness of the effort to use technical assistance. - The group has identified specific areas or processes that could be enhanced through technical assistance & support.
- The group, including staff & board members, values external assistance & support.
- The group has assessed the internal capacity of the staff, board members, & partners to provide technical assistance & support based on their areas of knowledge & expertise.
- The group has identified organizational processes that are more appropriate to be facilitated through external rather than internal sources of technical assistance or support.
- The effort is currently engaged in a form of technical assistance or have they been in the past.
| Chapter 15, Section 2: Providing Supervision for Staff and Volunteers Chapter 15, Section 4: Promoting Internal Communication Chapter 38, Section 3: Understanding Community Leadership, Evaluators, and Funders: What Are Their Interests? Section 4: Developing Successful Strategies: Planning to Win Checklist: http://ctb.ku.edu/en/tablecontents/sub_section_tools_1088.htm Chapter 16, Section 4: Techniques For Leading Group Discussions CTB Toolkit: Assessing Community Needs and Resources Troubleshooting Guide: We need to understand the community or situation better. |
| 2. Identify appropriate technical assistance and support providers for the initiative. - The group, including staff & board members, has decided on the form or method of technical assistance that is most appropriate for the initiative at its current stage of development.
- The group has decided upon either a formal technical assistance provider, or a knowledgeable staff or partner to provide or assure needed trainings, information, & technical support for the effort.
- The group considered the appropriateness or fit of potential technical assistance providers based on the context, history, experience, & interest of the organization & community.
- The group has a plan that includes a timetable, activities, & resulting product (if applicable) for each form of technical assistance to be provided.
- The group has secured & allocated sufficient resources necessary to support the technical assistance.
| Chapter 15, Section 3: Providing Support for Staff and Volunteers Chapter 8, Section 1: Overview of the Process of Strategic Planning, VMOSA (Vision, Mission, Objectives, Strategies, Action Plans) Chapter 12, Section 2: Designing a Training Session Chapter 12, Section 3: Delivering a Training Session Chapter 12, Section 4: Conducting a Workshop Chapter 12, Section 6: Organizing a Teleconference |
| 3. Establish regular feedback mechanisms and use the feedback to improve technical assistance efforts. - The technical support provider(s) give regular feedback & appropriate support to the group.
- The group provides the technical assistance provider with regular feedback to make necessary adjustments & adaptations.
| Chapter 36, Section 5: Developing an Evaluation Plan Chapter 36, Section 6: Participatory Evaluation Chapter 39, Section 2: Providing Feedback CTB Toolkit: Evaluating the Initiative Troubleshooting Guide: We don’t know how to evaluate our program or initiative. Chapter 8, Section 6: Obtaining Feedback from Constituents: What Changes are Important and Feasible? Chapter 32, Section 4: Providing Corrective Feedback |