SPECIAL NEEDS STRATEGY

Guidelines for Local Implementation of Coordinated Service Planning

March 2014

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PURPOSE OF DOCUMENT

The purpose of the Coordinated Service Planning: Implementation and Capacity Building Plan Instructions and Templateis to provide Coordinating Agencies and their partners with expectations for the development of an Implementation and Capacity Building Plan.

Coordinating Agencies will lead the change process for the local implementation of coordinated service planning in their respective service delivery areas. Each Coordinating Agency and its partners will develop anImplementation and Capacity Building Plan based on a self-assessment of their implementation progress, the principles of coordinated service planning, and local priorities. This plan will guide the implementation and capacity building activities of the Coordinating Agency and its partners as they prepare to begin delivering coordinated service planning.

The companion document, Coordinated Service Planning: Implementation Markers, sets out the vision, goal and principles of coordinated service planning, as well as the implementation markers and a self-assessment tool for Coordinating Agencies to assess their implementation progress.

The Ministry of Children and Youth Services (MCYS) and the ministries of Community and Social Services, Education and Health and Long-Term Care are committed to the successful implementation of coordinated service planning. Capacity building and continuous improvement in coordinated service planning will be an ongoing process that will continue beyond implementation. MCYS will hold the contracts with the Coordinating Agencies and will lead the monitoring of implementation and capacity building; however, MCYS and its partner ministries will continue to collaborate to provide information and support to Coordinating Agencies and their partners in order to build provincial consistency and capacity to lead collaborative and family-centred coordinated service planning across sectors.

IMPLEMENTATION AND CAPACITY BUILDING PLAN INSTRUCTIONS

Self-Assessment

As described in Coordinated Service Planning: Implementation Markers, each Coordinating Agency will complete a self-assessment against the implementation markers to assess their service delivery area’s implementationprogress to dateand to identify the work that the Coordinating Agency and its partners will need to do to achieve the implementation markers.

Coordinating Agencies are encouraged to consult with their MCYS Program Supervisor in completing the self-assessment.

Implementation and Capacity Building Plan Development

Based on the self-assessment, each Coordinating Agency, in collaboration with their local partners, will develop aplan for achieving the implementation markers for their service delivery area, using the template included in this document. The coordinated service planning principles, outlined in Coordinated Service Planning: Implementation Markers, are expected to guide the implementation process and be considered in the work to achieve each implementation marker.

Coordinating Agencies and their partners are encouraged to prioritize work on the implementation markers that is necessary to begin delivering coordinated service planning within the first nine months of local implementation (including hiring one new Service Planning Coordinator). Local implementation begins once the Coordinating Agency’s Service Planning Coordinators Service Description Schedule has been finalized. Coordinating Agencies will be required to identify Service Planning Coordinators through existing resources, with the support of MCYS Regional Offices, and begin training Service Planning Coordinators to deliver coordinated service planning within the first six months following the finalization of the Service Description Schedule.

The Implementation and Capacity Building Plan will also identify areas of need for capacity building and how the Coordinating Agency and its partners will increase their capacity to deliver coordinated service planning. Coordinating Agencies are encouraged to collaborateon implementation and capacity building through the Provincial Network of Coordinating Agencies as well as local/regional partnerships. MCYS will also arrange provincial training and learning sessions for Coordinating Agencies and their partners to support capacity building. For more information, see Appendix 1: Capacity Building and Implementation Supports.

Coordinating Agencies are encouraged to consult with their MCYS Program Supervisor in developing their Implementation and Capacity Building Plan.

Implementation and Capacity Building Funding

Beginning in 2016-17, each approved Coordinating Agency will receive up to $110,000 for coordinated service planning.[1] This base funding for direct service is intended to build on existing resources within the community for coordinated service planning.

In the first year of local implementation, Coordinating Agencies may use a portion of the $110,000 to support one-time costs related to capacity building activities and implementation of the new service model for coordinated service planning. Coordinating Agencies are expected to provide a budget with the anticipated costs of their implementation and capacity building activities.

Examples of eligible one-time costs include:

  • Backfilling staff members responsible for leading implementation activities
  • Hiring a Service Planning Coordinator to lead implementation activities before beginning to serve families
  • Meetings and other engagement activities with families and youth
  • Meetings and other engagement activities with Indigenous communities and service providers
  • Training sessions for Service Planning Coordinators
  • Translation of tools into French and other languages
  • Developing a performance management framework for collecting and analyzing performance data for the service delivery area

The following expenditures and activities are not eligible for funding:

  • Ongoing costs, such as ongoing operational funding for information systems

Coordinating Agency Collaborations

Partnerships and knowledge sharing across Coordinating Agenciesare encouraged. The Implementation and Capacity Building Plan should note any capacity building and implementation costs that are part of a joint initiative with another or more than one other Coordinating Agency.

Submission of the Plan

The plan will be signed by an authorized signing officer from the proposed Coordinating Agency who has the authority to bind the corporation.

Plans will be submitted to the Coordinating Agency’s MCYS Program Supervisor by the date specified at the top of the Implementation and Capacity Building Plan template.

Review and Approval Process

Plans will be reviewed by MCYS Regional Offices, in consultation with MCYS Corporate, against the following criteria:

  • Completeness: The plan is complete, provides an adequate amount of detail and is signed by the Coordinating Agency.
  • Relevance and anticipated impact:Articulates a reasonable plan to achieve the implementation markers that reflects the service delivery area’s capacity at the beginning of implementation, the priorities of the Coordinating Agency and its partners, and demonstrates a commitment to embedding the principles of coordinated service planning in implementation activities.The plan demonstrates how the Coordinating Agency and its partners will be ready to begin delivering coordinated service planning to children and youth with multiple and/or complex special needs and their families within the first nine months of local implementation.
  • Budget: The implementation and capacity building budget provides value for money for use of government funds, proposes reasonable costs for the proposed activities and demonstrates that the proposed activities will have a significant positive impact on the implementation of coordinated service planning and the capacity of the Coordinating Agency and its partners.

MCYS reserves the right to enter into discussions with Coordinating Agencies regarding the timelines for beginning to deliver coordinated service planning and the implementation and capacity building budget.

Reporting

Coordinating Agencies will report on implementation progress through quarterly implementation reports, interim performance measures and check-ins with MCYS Regional Offices.

Quarterly Implementation Reports

A quarterly implementation progress report is due to MCYS Regional Offices according to the following timeframes:

Quarter / Date the Quarter Begins / Date the Quarter Ends / Quarterly Report Due Date
1 / April 1 / June 30 / July 31
2 / July 1 / September 30 / October 31
3 / October 1 / December 31 / January 31
4 / January 1 / March 31 / May 15

Reporting will commence with the current quarter following MCYS Regional Office approval of the Implementation and Capacity Building Plan, unless the current quarter ends within one month. For example, if a Coordinating Agency’s plan is approved in September 2016, the Coordinating Agency will submit the first quarterly report by January 31, 2017 for Q2 and Q3.

MCYS will provide Coordinating Agencies with a template for the quarterly implementation reports.

Interim Reporting Measures

To support implementation, MCYSexpects Coordinating Agencies to report on a series of interim performance measures and output measures. These measures will provide Coordinating Agencies, their partners, and MCYS with basic information about coordinated service planning to inform future planning.

The interim reporting measures will be included in theCoordinated Service Planning: Policy and Program Guidelines for Coordinating Agencies (to be released in Fall 2016).

Check-ins with MCYS Regional Offices

MCYS Regional Office Program Supervisors will be available to provide supports to Coordinating Agencies through formal and informal check-ins (at minimum quarterly).

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Roles and Responsibilities

Coordinating Agencies / MCYS Regional Offices / MCYS Corporate Team
  • Complete a self-assessment against the implementation markers to assess progress to date towards the full implementation of coordinated service planning.
  • Prepare an Implementation and Capacity Building Plan that details the Coordinating Agency and partner activitiesto complete the implementation markers and build capacity.
  • Report on implementation progress in a timely manner to MCYS Regional Offices.
  • Deliver coordinated service planning to families within the first nine months of local implementation (including hiring one new Service Planning Coordinator).
  • Identify risk management and mitigation strategies, implementing them as needed.
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  • Lead interaction with Coordinating Agencies with respect to local implementation of coordinated service planning and capacity building activities, guided by regular Regional Office business practices.
  • Answer questions from Coordinating Agencies in consultation with MCYS Corporate Team.
  • Identify issues and barriers related to implementation and capacity building.
  • Review Coordinating Agencies’Implementation and Capacity Building Plans, in consultation with MCYS Corporate Team.
  • Contract with theCoordinating Agenciesand flow funding for coordinated service planning per the payment schedule using detail code A600 – Service Planning Coordinators.
  • Review and analyze quarterly implementation reportsagainst the Implementation and Capacity Building Plans.
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  • Lead policy development for coordinated service planning (e.g. Coordinated Service Planning: Policy and Program Guidelines for Coordinating Agencies, interim reporting measures).
  • Support MCYS Regional Offices in engagement with Coordinating Agencies.
  • Consult with MCYS Regional Offices regarding Coordinating Agencies’ Implementation and Capacity Building Plans to identify potential efficiencies and opportunities for collaboration across service delivery areas.
  • Arrange provincial training and learning sessions for Coordinating Agencies and their partners to support capacity building.
  • Monitor change and lead benchmarking exercise for coordinated service planning in consultation with MCYS Regional Offices, and Coordinating Agencies.

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IMPLEMENTATION AND CAPACITY BUILDING PLAN TEMPLATE

Please submit your completed and signed plan to your MCYS Program Supervisor within one month following the finalization of your coordinated service planning Service Description Schedule.

Deadline (to be set by MCYS Program Supervisor):

Name of Service Delivery Area
/ Name of Coordinating Agency
Completed by:
Name
/ Contact Information
Email:
Phone:
Date
  1. Briefly describe your service delivery area’s progress to date in implementing coordinated service planning. Please attach your completed Coordinated Service Planning: Implementation Markers self-assessment. (500 words maximum, exclusive of attachment)
  1. Coordinating Agencies will be required to:
  • Identify Service Planning Coordinators through existing resources, with the support of MCYS Regional Offices, and begin training Service Planning Coordinators to deliver coordinated service planning within the first six months of local implementation[2]; and
  • Begin delivering coordinated service planning within the first nine months of local implementation, including hiring one new Service Planning Coordinator.

Please estimate when your service delivery area will be ready to begin delivering coordinated service planning (month and year). Provide a rationale for this estimated timeline and identify any risks and mitigating strategies. Add rows as needed. (500 words maximum)

Estimated date to commence service planning:
Rationale:
Risk / Mitigating Strategy

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  1. Please describe, in the table below, your plan for achieving level 4 of each of the implementation markers (i.e. 100% completed and sustained through a continuous quality improvement process). Multiple implementation markers may be grouped together if the activities towards marker completion are the same. Add rows as needed.

Please identifythe markers for whichyou will prioritize work, to be ready to begin delivering coordinated service planning according to your estimated timeline.

Implementation Marker / Target Completion Date / Description of Activities Towards Marker Completion / Capacity Building Activities
(if applicable)

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  1. Please describe how your service delivery area will embed the coordinated service planning principles, described inCoordinated Service Planning: Implementation Markers, into achieving the implementation markers and implementing coordinated service planning. (600 words maximum)
  1. Beginning in 2016-17, each approved Coordinating Agency will receive up to $110,000 for coordinated service planning.[3]In the first year of local implementation, Coordinating Agencies may use a portion of the $110,000 to support capacity building activities and implementation of the new service model for coordinated service planning. Note that Coordinating Agencies will be required to begin delivering coordinated service planning within the first nine months of local implementation, including hiring one new Service Planning Coordinator.

Please provide a budget for the costs associated with implementation and capacity building activities. Note whether any costs will be shared with other service delivery areas. Add rows as needed.

Activity / Estimated Cost / Details of Costand Rationale
*Please note any costs that are part of a joint initiative with another Coordinating Agency
TOTAL

Signature (I have the authority to bind the corporation)

Name

Title

Date

APPENDIX 1: CAPACITY BUILDING AND IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORTS

Provincial Network of Coordinating Agencies

The Provincial Network is a forum for Coordinating Agencies to discuss best practices and lessons learned; share tools and resources; and establish collaborations across the province. Coordinating Agencies may want to use the meetings of the Provincial Network to share their experiences with implementation; share strategies and tools for capacity building; and collaborate on capacity building activities. Coordinating Agencies will be invited to join the Provincial Network once they have a signed Letter of Agreement in place and are ready to begin implementing coordinated service planning.

Coordinating Agencies may choose to establish communities of practice as part of the Provincial Network to collaborate on implementation and capacity building, and leverage regional and/or provincial capacity in priority areas.

Provincial Network of Coordinating Agencies Collaborative Website

MCYS has set up a SharePoint website to enable Coordinating Agencies to share and collaborate on documents and materials. MCYS will also post resources that may be useful to Coordinating Agencies and their partners.

Provincial Training

MCYS will arrange provincial training and learning sessions for Coordinating Agencies and their partners on topics relevant to implementation and capacity building. Planned sessions include:

  • Child, youth and family centred service
  • Engaging and partnering with First Nations, Métis, Inuit and urban Indigenous communities and Indigenous service providers
  • Performance measures and data definitions

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[1] Per service delivery area.

[2] Local implementation begins when the Coordinating Agency’s Service Planning Coordinators Service Description Schedule has been finalized.

[3] Per service delivery area.