Designing and Implementing Career Development Programs and Services

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Designing and Implementing Career Development
Programs and Services

• Chapter 9

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Reasons for Program Planning

• Not possible to provide career planning services
  to all students on one-to-one basis other
  approaches are needed.
• Using a systematic development process improves
  the quality.

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Counselor Roles in Program Planning

• Advocacy - convincing other of the importance of
  career planning services
• Coordination - working closely with other
  stakeholders department heads, teachers,
  employers, etc.
• Participation - helping to deliver services
• Design and development - designing services by
  following the program planning process

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Step 1 Define the target population.

• Determine whom your program will serve.
• Identify their characteristics -- such as gender,
  racial-ethnic mix, socioeconomic class, reading
  level.

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Step 2 Determine the needs of the target
population.

• Look at data that may already exist.
• Use a questionnaire or focus groups.
• Use knowledgeable consultants who can identify
  typical developmental needs.
• Review the needs of the environment.

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Step 3 Write measurable objectives.

• An objective is a clear statement of a desired
  outcome, often including how to determine whether
  the outcome is achieved.
• Writing objectives
• forces counselors to specify what they want to
  accomplish.
• lays the basis for content and evaluation.

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Format for Writing Objectives

• By the end of this (curriculum, workshop, unit),
  participants will be able to
• ( ).
• ( ).
• ( ).
• ( ).
• Remember that each of these endings must be
  measurable.

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Step 4 Determine how to deliver the services.

• Offer special career planning courses or units
  within existing curriculum
• Offer workshops
• Use career planning software
• Develop or use websites
• Provide self-help materials

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Step 5 Determine the content of the program.

• Content flows from the objectives -- since it is
  the content that will produce the desired
  outcomes.
• Break content into units, then determine
• time needed
• whether curriculum or other resources can be
  acquired, or need to be developed

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Step 6 Determine the cost of the program.

• Staff time
• Software, if any
• Equipment
• Materials
• Duplication costs
• Facilities
• Etc.

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Step 7 Begin to promote the services.

• Consider using an advisory group that can help
  with promotion.
• Communicate clearly and often to supervisors so
  that there will be adequate administrative
  support.
• Promote to those who will receive the services
  and potentially their parents.
• Consider starting with a pilot test.

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Step 8 Deliver the full-blown program.

• This step will be easy if the first seven steps
  have been completed.

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Step 9 Evaluate the program.

• Reasons to evaluate
• Did program produce the outcomes stated in the
  objectives?
• How can the program be improved the next time it
  is delivered?
• What information should be provided to
  supervisors and other stakeholders?

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Methods of Evaluation

• Questionnaire
• Exit interview
• Pre-post questionnaire or test
• Follow-up study

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Step 10 Revise the program.

• No program is ever perfect at first delivery.
• Be sure to gather information from others
  involved in the program soon after its
  completion.
• Make notes about changes you want to make next
  time.
• Revise the program at next delivery.