This toolkit provides information using two assumptions about father engagement:
ASSUMPTION #1 - Users are tasked with helping to make their organizations more reflective and inclusive of fathers and don't know where to start, what to do, or who to ask, AND
ASSUMPTION #2 - Users may have implemented some or all components of a father engagement initiative and need help with organizing specific components or pieces of their work.
For both of these scenarios, this toolkit can be useful. For users who don't know where to start, Stages of Implementation provides suggestions from beginning to end, using the five (5) stages of implementation as a guide. Although not exhaustive, the document provides a few case examples as well.
If users want to choose the tools individually, they can select specific tools located in the following categories:
- Definitional Tools - Definitional Tools describe the problem that the county or organization is trying to solve. They explain the logic and theory used in making a decision about a practice, program, or intervention. They define the practice, program, or intervention in ways that are concise and easily understandable and can be executed by using the tools that have been provided in the toolkit. They articulate the benefits for their target population.
- Engagement & Communication Tools - Engagement and Communication Tools provide leaders with materials for communicating to stakeholders about the practice, program, or intervention. They might include informational statistics about the issue to be addressed, the vision for implementation, and promotional or advertisement items. Engagement and communication tools are used to send a message to staff and others about the future direction of the county or organization related to the new practice, program, or intervention. The tools can be downloaded to lead focused discussions for a variety of audiences.
- Assessment Tools - Assessment Tools guide information-gathering from quantitative and qualitative sources. They assist in determining whether your county or organization is ready for the new practice, program, or intervention. The assessment tools contained in specific toolkits may be different depending on the practice. They can be tailored so that they meet county or organizational assessment needs.
- Planning Tools - Planning Tools are things to help implementers put their county or organizational goals into achievable, sequential action steps that enable measurement of progress toward full implementation.
- Training/Coaching, and TOL - Training is one of the links between policy and practice. Training tools are helpful in teaching policies and procedures, imparting values and principles, modeling awareness, and conveying steps for implementation. The tools in this section can be used for transfer of knowledge and skills from the classroom to the field.
- Evaluation Tools - Evaluation Tools provide a framework for consideration in a county or organization, provide suggestions on how to extract or export data, and assist a county in knowing that other reports can be used to get results for their implementation efforts. The goal is to increase the fidelity of evaluation efforts by providing assistance in the form of the materials in this section.
- Fiscal & Funding Tools - In times of scarcity, finding money to fund new projects may be difficult because organizations are already taxed, and managers have to operate with stricter budget requirements and limits. This is particularly true for the child welfare system; the same or similar level of productivity is expected with less resource allocations. Potential funding sources may be available for your practice, program, or intervention. Potential funding sources may be available for your practice, program, or intervention. Sometimes, people have been able to secure funding in creative ways.