Stages and Steps in the Implementation Process: A State Level Self-Assessment
The State Level Self-Assessment is a companion tool to A Guide to the Implementation Process: Stages, Steps and Activities. The Self-Assessment is used by a state Leadership Team as they guide and evaluate the systematic implementation, expansion and sustainability of new practices or innovations. The tool provides a way to systematically review progress and plan for the work ahead. Most change initiatives will take several years and plans will evolve. Re-checking progress with the self-assessment can help teams continue to move forward.
The Self-Assessment begins with a Pre-Test to determine current status and select the stage that should be the next focus of your work. The Pretest lists the outcomes that reflect the successful completion of each stage. The Assessment section describes major steps and activities that should be addressed in each stage. In reviewing the stages, the team should decide if each step or activity is relevant to their particular change effort. It is possible to delete or modify steps to better match the overall effort.
Instructions for Forms to be Used with Your Leadership Team
Pre-Test: Identify current status
- Read the outcomes for each stage. Mark (X) those outcomes that have already been accomplished.
- If most or all of the outcomes at a particular stage have been marked completed– move on to the next stage. Select the stage that reflects the State's current status, (e.g., most or all outcomes in prior stage(s) are complete, while the selected stage has many outcomes to work on).
- Keep track of outcomes in a preceding stage(s) that are not completed that should also be addressed.
Self-Assessment: Determine what to do next
- Begin your self-assessment with the stage selected in the Pre-Test. Using the appropriate stage file, from the list below, review all the steps in that stage and rate each as
- Not Begun;
- Needs Improvement;
- Completed; or
- NA-not appropriate.
- Review the Pre-Test and identify any steps that still need to be completed to achieve an outcome from a prior stage.
- As time allows, examine the next stages to identify potential longer term next steps to be accomplished.
- Stage 1: Exploration
- Stage 2: Installation: Building System Capacity
- Stage 3: Initial Implementation
- Stage 4: Full Implementation
- Stage 5: Expansion
Implementation Planning Form
- Use this form to plan steps/activities, assign responsibilities, and determine timelines for the implementation stage you are in.
- You may find it convenient to copy steps/activities from the full guide at https://ectacenter.org/~pdfs/implementprocess/implementprocess-stagesandsteps.pdf and paste them into the planning form. Then you may edit them to fit your circumstances.