TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

The Build Initiative’s technical assistance (TA) has evolved over the course of the initiative.  Initially, grantee state leaders were provided TA “bank accounts” with which they could purchase outside assistance on almost any topic as long as it fit with the state team’s overall work plan.  Currently, grantee states are asked to incorporate their technical assistance requests into their grant proposal.

Below, is a description of BUILD’s  basic approach to technical assistance, including the BUILD Learning Community, which focuses on peer-to-peer assistance and presentations from/ discussions with outside experts to multi-state groups.

 

ROLES OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROVIDERS

Technical assistance providers for the Build Initiative play four critical roles:

  • Relationship builders who create a supportive environment for TA recipients
  • Facilitators who help technical assistance recipients identify problems and issues and the most appropriate ways to address them
  • Brokers who coordinate the assistance needed by TA recipients
  • Information specialists who organize and analyze information and provide it to the technical assistance recipients

 

ROLES OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE RECIPIENTS

Recipients of technical assistance are coalitions in each BUILD state that include state agency officials, non-profit organizations, advocates, business and community leaders, parents and others who work with young children.  Technical assistance recipients in the Build Initiative 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 BUILD state plan
  • Prepare the environment for infusion of new ideas and knowledge to realize the desired change

 

FEATURES OF BUILD TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

The Build Initiative seeks to provide technical assistance that is:

  • Clearly targeted:  clarifying the needs of the state and matching resources to needs
  • Responsive:  tailoring technical assistance to meet the unique needs of the state
  • Timely:  meeting states’ 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 within states while being ongoing and sustained
  • Enriching:  offering both technical assistance recipients and providers opportunities to enhance their learning and development

 

THE BUILD LEARNING COMMUNITY

Direct grants that include technical assistance to meet individual state needs are currently limited to the seven funded Build Initiative states (Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Washington).  In addition, the BUILD Learning Community offers the opportunity for cross-state learning.  Grantees, national experts and other states interested in systems-building can exchange information and ideas through:

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

 

BUILD TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROVIDERS

  • Technical Assistance Liaisons

BUILD’s director of state services works with all of the states and has staff or consultant that helps with each state.   Some BUILD states have specific TA liaisons that help the states continually assess their needs and access expertise to assist in meeting those needs.  The TA liaisons understand the context of the state and build relationships with the players in the group.  They offer feedback from a broader perspective to encourage states to reflect on their process and progress so states will be better able to identify areas where technical assistance might be useful.  Ongoing communication with each state 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 BUILD states.  National experts share not only their particular expertise but also the perspectives of multiple states 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 BUILD technical assistance providers, individuals are recruited on an ongoing basis depending on the needs and interests identified by individual states.  Efforts are made to link technical assistance with that provided by related initiatives in the Build states.  The Build Initiative 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.  

  • Vanguard States

States can shape their own work through in-depth learning about models in other states.  Mentoring relationships can be developed through sharing of written materials, phone consultation, and conference calls.  Cross-state site visits feature a vanguard state to states that are interested in learning the lessons learned and what works.

 

MENU OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE OPTIONS

The need for specific forms of technical assistance is expected to vary over time as states 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 an early childhood system
  • 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
  • Increasing family involvement and/or family supports
  • Integrating a family strengthening approach into the overall system development strategies
  • Coordinating and integrating various early care and education programs
  • Developing and/or advocating for policy reforms or new governance structures

 

A menu of technical assistance options for the Build Initiative includes:

  • On-site or phone consultation to the BUILD 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
  • Cross-state site visits or state-to-state phone consultation

 

PARAMETERS FOR STATES' USE OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

The Build Initiative attempts to budget time and resources for technical assistance fairly among state teams.  Requests must be made through the BUILD director of state services.  States are encouraged but not required to use the technical assistance resources available through the Build Initiative.