Technical Assistance (TA)

ROLES OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

SPI Technical Assistance play four critical roles:

• We create a supportive environment for TA recipients
• SPI facilitates technical assistance recipients; identify problems and issues and the most appropriate ways to address them
• SPI coordinates the assistance needed by the recipients
• Provide information specialists who organize and analyze information and provide it to the technical assistance recipients

ROLES OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE RECIPIENTS

Recipients of Technical Assistance include local, state and federal agencies, officials, non-profit organizations, advocates, business and community leaders, International Organizations, Foreign Governments, and Non Government Agencies (NGOs) Technical assistance recipients working with SPI have four primary responsibilities:

• Recognize their need for help
• Be clear about the assistance needed
• Use the assistance to work toward the vision and goals in their plan
• Prepare the environment for infusion of new ideas and knowledge to realize the desired change

FEATURES OF SPI TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

SPI seeks to provide technical assistance that is:

• Clearly targeted: clarifying the needs of the client and matching resources to needs
• Responsive: tailoring technical assistance to meet the unique needs of the client
• Timely: meeting clients needs when they occur
• Objective: offering a broader outside perspective
• Holistic: facilitating connections between and within systems
• Non-prescriptive: sharing best practices without imposing particular mechanisms for accomplishing goals
• Non-partisan: offering assistance without regard to political or other affiliations
• Highly qualified: enlisting individuals with recognized subject expertise who also have well developed diagnostic, facilitation, and problem-solving skills
• Dynamic: adapting to changes and developments with client while being ongoing and sustained
• Enriching: offering technical assistance recipients opportunities to enhance their learning and development

THE SPI COMMUNITY

Grantees, national experts and other clients interested in the Technical Assistance provided by SPI can exchange information and ideas through:

• Internet technology
• Conference calls
• Multi-state discussions
• Meetings
• Written materials

SPI TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROVIDES:

Technical Assistance Liaisons

SPI’s Management Team works has staff or consultants that helps with each client. In all cases, SPI has specific TA liaisons that help the clients continually assess their needs and access expertise to assist in meeting those needs. The TA liaisons understand the context of the client and SPI relationships with the players in the group. They offer feedback from a broader perspective to encourage clients to reflect on their process and progress so clients will be better able to identify areas where technical assistance might be useful. Ongoing communication with each client is maintained through e-mail, phone conference calls, and on-site visits. National Experts

By using national technical assistance experts, great minds in the field are available to meet the needs of the client. Our experts share not only their particular expertise but also the perspectives of other similar clients and communities. Those who “arrive by plane” also lend legitimacy to the group’s efforts and often attract players who might not normally get involved with the group. Rather than enlisting a cadre of SPI technical assistance providers, individuals are recruited on an ongoing basis depending on the needs and interests identified by individual client. Efforts are made to link technical assistance with that provided by related initiatives in the area of operation. SPI staff participates in developing awareness of national technical assistance providers and their areas of expertise and in establishing peer support among the technical assistance providers themselves.

MENU OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE OPTIONS

The need for specific forms of technical assistance is expected to vary over time as our clients move through different stages of implementation and face varying challenges. The range of subjects that could be covered is almost limitless. Among other areas, sites may seek assistance in developing capacity in:

• Designing and/or administering various strategies to improve the quality of early care and education programs and services such as professional development opportunities, scholarship programs, and Quality Rating and Improvement Systems.
• Identifying and adapting financing models and strategies to develop and sustain a specific project.
• Conducting specific types of research, collecting data, or evaluating past and current efforts.
• Crafting and/or communicating effective messages.
• Designing business or other public engagement strategies
• Training advocates.
• Integrating a strengthening approach into the overall system development strategies.
• Coordinating and integrating various continuing education programs.
• Developing and/or advocating for policy reforms or new governance structures.

A menu of technical assistance options from SPI includes:

• On-site or phone consultation to the SPI team on a particular topic or issue
• Presentations at conferences or trainings
• Meeting facilitation
• Development of products such as issue briefs on a particular topic
• Testimony before a legislative, executive or judicial body