Governance Workshop

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Governance Workshop

• Sustaining Commitment and Momentum Systems
  Building and Transitions

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Virginia

• Bethany Geldmaker, PhD, PNP
• Program Director
• Early Childhood Health
• Virginia Department of Health

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Goals of the Workshop

• Discuss how ECCS initiatives have handled major
  administrative transition
• Provide suggestions on strategies for preparation
  for change
• Discuss strategies for addressing change when it
  happens
• Describe lessons learned

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Coming together is a beginningKeeping together
is progressWorking together is success.

• You cannot set a vision for people who are not at
  the table

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Systems Building and TransitionWe are at the
table, now what?

• How to build a system of systems to integrate,
  coordinate, and manage efforts across multiple
  systems and funding efforts when it involves a
  change in administration (Charles Bruner)
• How to institutionalize such a system when it is
  based on relationshipstrust and communication
  (Dean Clifford)

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Administration Transition

• Transition was democrat to democrat
• Both governors expressed strong commitment to
  young children and families

• VECCS
• Virginia Early Learning Council
• Alignment Project
• Start Strong Council
• Smart Beginnings grants
• Early Childhood Foundation
• Governors Working Group Early Childhood
  Initiatives
• Annual Governors Early Childhood Summits

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Strategies for Preparation for Change

• Strategy Convene a broad-based group of
  stakeholders to establish communication and
  collaboration with the transition teams
• Activity Pre-election Period bi-partisan
  representation on the Virginia Early Learning
  Council
• Activity Pre-election Period Candidates
  outlined their proposed early childhood policies
  and committed election committee staffers to
  attend key early childhood events

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Strategies for Preparation for Change (Continued)

• Activity Pre and Post electionBring members of
  both administrations together (gate keepers from
  both transition teams)
• Activity Immediate post-election Public/private
  sponsorship of a breakfast with key early
  childhood leaders

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Strategies for Addressing Change When It Happens

• Strategy Relationship building to improve
  collaboration and communicationtrust in efforts
• Strategy Move towards a comprehensive plan for
  Virginia
• Activity Develop a strong coordinating body to
  facilitate the recruitment and retention of
  champions with sufficient influence and power to
  provide leadership and garner resources to
  sustain the work

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Strengths

• Gubernatorial leadership
• Strong board and staff leadership
• Previous collaborative planning efforts VECCS,
  School Readiness Indicators Project, Virginia
  Early Learning Council
• Business and bipartisan participation in Virginia
  Early Learning Council (top down)
• Public and private participation in VECCS (bottom
  up)
• Successful implementation at community level of
  Governors Early Childhood Partnership grants

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Challenges

• One-term governor
• Early childhood governance structure NOT
  institutionalized (Childrens Bureau or Cabinet)
• Limitations in funding for system building and
  staff (good will/voluntary)
• Need to build public will about the importance of
  the early years and family support
• History of mixed success in advocacy efforts
• Insufficient collaboration and communication in
  service planning and implementation
• Limited involvement of families in efforts

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Lessons Learned

• Not for the faint of heart
• It is all about politics
• Developmental process analogous to early
  childhood
• Be specific about what you wish to promote

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Lessons Learned

• Change how you lead change how you react (listen
  reflect on what you hear)
• Groups need each other to make change and move
  the agenda

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Next Steps

• Working with North Carolina Smart Start Technical
  Assistance Center
• Developing a working group to pull the
  collaboration and communication together
• Reviewing existing statewide plans
• Achieving buy-in on a single plan from new and
  existing stakeholders
• Developing a data warehouse
• Moving towards uniform performance measures and
  results-oriented outcomes

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Thank You !
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Resources

• www.vahealth.org/childadolescenthealth/indexech.as
  p
• www.SmartBeginnings.org