Training Matters: Technical Assistance - Deliver Guidance That Works!
By Patricia A. Lauer, PhD | April 15, 2014
While there are numerous publications and guidance documents on effective training, the literature on effective delivery of technical assistance (TA) is sparse. To address this void, ETR’s Professional Development team recently conducted a focus group of ETR staffers who are experienced TA providers. We also searched the Internet for information on how organizations can provide technical assistance to clients that will result in positive outcomes.
What Is Technical Assistance?
The CDC defines technical assistance as “tailored guidance to meet the specific needs of a site or sites through collaborative communication between a specialist and the site(s).”
What does that actually look like? Effective TA starts with the TA provider’s plan for explaining and promoting the process to clients (those who are targeted for technical assistance). Providers must also establish a system for documenting and logging their activities. Those delivering the technical assistance must be trained in TA, have specific knowledge relevant to the TA process at hand, and have excellent general skills in teaching and interacting with adult learners.
Stages of Technical Assistance: The Best Practices Picture
In best practice, the TA process occurs in 4 stages analogous to what should happen when a patient seeks consultation with a doctor. These include:
1. Intake. The TA provider communicates with the client, learns about the client’s background and work context, and shares information about his or her own knowledge and skills. Provider and client agree to work together on the technical assistance as a collaborative intervention. Documentation starts at this stage and continues throughout the process, so there are records of the interactions and the work completed.
2. Diagnosis. The provider assesses the client’s needs. This can be done informally through conversations and review of client products, or in a more formal way, such as having the client complete a checklist. Provider and client identify the purpose and objectives of the technical assistance and establish clear agreements about what will be accomplished.
3. Treatment. The provider plans the processes that will be used to guide the technical assistance, tailored to the specific needs of the client and the agreed-upon purpose and objectives. An agenda and pertinent resources are shared with the client for input prior to the direct delivery of consultation. Pre-work may be assigned as well—for example, reading an article related to the TA topic.
The direct technical assistance of the treatment stage can be delivered in person or through conference calls, email messages, video chats or online meetings. The length of time and number of consultations depend on the complexity of the problem, objectives, and client and provider resources.
After the direct consultation is completed, the provider follows up by sending the client a summary of the consultation process and agreed-upon next steps, as well as web links to any helpful resources. The provider documents details of both the TA and the follow-up support in a log.
4. Evaluation. Some type of evaluation or assessment will be completed based on the objectives that were established at the outset of the process and the evidence documented in the provider’s log. Evaluation can be as simple as a check-in with clients on whether their needs have been addressed. It can also be more complex, such as reviewing work products clients revise after the TA. Evaluation can inform next steps and also help the provider determine whether the technical assistance process was successful or needs improvement.
(For more information about each of these stages, see this report by the Compassion Capital Fund National Resource Center.)
Skills of TA Providers
Our focus group of TA providers emphasized that good facilitation skills are critical throughout all of the stages of technical assistance. This includes being a good listener, asking the right questions, knowing when to probe and keeping the conversation on track.
In addition, following a few “rules of etiquette” facilitates the flow of TA interactions and helps build the client’s trust in the process. These include establishing norms for working together, always being on time for appointments, responding to client requests in a timely manner, and following through on action steps.
It Works
Well-designed technical assistance which follows these proven practices can have a significant positive impact on a program. Sometimes, the most useful part of the process is simply having a skilled and objective outsider—the TA provider—who can help clients identify their own best paths to improvement. The great power of technical assistance emerges through the effective use of collaboration and partnership.
Patricia A. Lauer, PhD, is an evaluator who has provided training and technical assistance to education agencies and health departments across the nation. She is a consultant for ETR and is the owner of QualQuest, LLC. Contact her at PLauerQ2@gmail.com.
