Technical Assistance
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Course Description
The Art of Technical Assistance course is offered in four 2-day sessions over a period of four months -or- two 4-day sessions over two months. Class size ranges from 15 to 20 participants to ensure that there is ample time for in-depth discussion and collaborative learning and to allow for new skills and approaches to be fully integrated into practical applications.
Course content addresses each of the technical assistance roles and competencies. These topics are interconnected and are continually reinforced over the eight sessions.
Nationally, technical assistance has become a central strategy for increasing the quality of early care and education. However, the standards for best practices and systems of accountability have been underdeveloped. The Art of Technical Assistance is at the forefront in establishing standards and systems to ensure that investments in technical assistance produce significant and enduring changes in the quality of early care and education.
The Art of Technical Assistance course establishes a common knowledge base and represents the foundation for high quality technical assistance consultants. The course was developed to create a uniform standard for best practices and was based on an extensive review of more than 100 technical assistance resources. As a result of this review, a team of national experts and stakeholders developed guiding principles and defined the roles and competencies for technical assistance. The Art of Technical Assistance course reflects these principles and is a 55-hour instructional program designed to prepare technical assistance consultants to meet standards of best practices.
Introduction and Overview of a Technical Assistance System
Explore elements of a state technical assistance system, competencies and certification. Examine the philosophy and guiding principles for technical assistance, their significance and implications for best practices. Learn to use reflective practice as a learning process for self and clients.
Forming Client Partnerships
Identify elements of effective partnerships with clients, including potential barriers and builders. Construct model service agreements that capture the spirit and intent of partnerships that foster commitment to common goals and mutual accountability.
Assessing Needs, Finding the Facts
Identify a variety of assessment strategies to gather objective, accurate, complete and relevant information about a client's program. Select an appropriate assessment strategy and tool based on the client's desired outcomes. Analyze assessment information to identify program strengths and weakness and translate information into appropriate goals and plans of action.
Facilitating Change: Taking Action
Increase knowledge of a variety of change models and the implications of these models for technical assistance strategies, as well as for clients and their respective organizations. Increase knowledge and understanding of the role and impact of organizational culture on client programs. Learn a variety of approaches to facilitate client strategic planning, plan execution, and realization of goals. Expand communication skills including: use of reflective questioning, when and how to introduce charge, and how to deliver difficult feedback. Learn strategies to work with clients to discern the most effective solutions and actions. Develop a model plan of action with timelines, milestones, and measurable outcomes.
Joint Problem Solving
Learn how to identify the root of challenges and obstacles to change, clarify intent and establish goal alignment in partnership with clients. Establish systems for jointly examining strategies for identifying the barriers to clients' goals. Learn how to create realistic solutions to the barriers and assist the client to design action plans with the "right action for the desired results".
Maintain Cutting-Edge Knowledge
Review relevant state, federal, and national regulations and standards, as well as their interrelatedness and implications for best practices. Examine strategies for managing multiple early care and education standards. Increase awareness of state and national trends. Identify key components of effective business management and available client resources.
Educating and Training
Identify strategies for assessing training needs and designing learning experiences based on client needs. Expand knowledge of adult learning principles. Principles of adult learning will be transformed into practical applications and best practices for designing and facilitating training.
Effective Managing Caseloads
Create a systematic approach to managing technical assistance services. Identify strategies to effectively manage time in working with clients to ensure measurable outcomes. Utilize appropriate strategies that match client needs, and develop efficient and effective strategies to address common needs among clients in caseloads. Maximize the form and function of technical assistance documentation.
