Innovating Organizational Resources with the National Institute of Corrections

As organizations work to adopt more evidence-based practices (EBP), it has become clear that the context in which they deliver services is a critical component to effective implementation. Policies and procedures that influence organizations’ culture; leadership and supervision styles; the depth and transparency of cross agency communication; and use of data to inform decision making all create an environment that affects the delivery of change-oriented interventions. In fact, a growing body of literature suggests that internal culture and administrative structure has a significant impact on an organization’s ability to effectively implement EBP as well as the outcomes of people on supervision. That’s why JSP is working with the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) and pilot sites across the country to develop a new tool to assess the environment in which evidence-based practices are implemented. 

The Organizational Coaching Assessment for Implementing EBP™ is centered around aligning purpose with practice—examining all aspects of an organization in order to create an agency that is supportive of behavior change. The assessment not only aims to measure aspects of supportive service delivery, but it also examines supportive practices and mindset throughout all levels of the organization. We believe that nurturing an organizational culture that supports behavior change, learning, and growth of staff in turn helps staff create an environment that supports change in those they supervise- a perspective that is truly innovative in community supervision and corrections. Our team is working with Kansas Parole Division, Brazoria County CSCD, and Michigan Field Operations Administration to pilot the assessment process— with promising outcomes to date. By interviewing staff across management levels, reviewing a comprehensive set of relevant documents, and conducting an organization-wide survey of employees, we are able to gain in-depth insight into each organization’s culture, scoring each assessment site and providing useful insight to each organization.

Alongside NIC, we’ve developed an OCA  that has helped our partners in Kansas, Brazoria County, and Michigan to identify strengths to build on and opportunities for growth. Our team is tailoring innovative recommendations to each pilot site, helping the organizations identify actionable ways to nurture an environment in which staff can do their best work, and in turn supporting those on supervision to do their best. The assessment is only the beginning of this journey, though. After sharing our recommendations, we will be working with sites to prioritize strategies for evolving organizationally, developing and executing tactical plans to achieve a transformative vision of community supervision. We’re also launching online learning communities for agencies that have participated in the OCA- bringing sites together from across the country as we together envision and facilitate that transformation.