Recommendations for other networks wanting to replicate project

1. If networks want to establish a measure of how stressful changes associated with LBS Program Reform have been for members, we suggest they have their members rate the degree of stress associated with different areas of reform. For example, we asked members to rate how stressful demonstrations and assessments have been. In another year's time, it would be worthwhile to include mandatory literacy testing and workplace initiatives. This would also help to generate a better overall understanding of the impact of Program Reform on the literacy field throughout Ontario.
2. If a similar workshop is to be coordinated, allow sufficiently more time for the section on best practices. Even though practitioners may not want to devote more than one day to such a workshop, the evaluation results indicated that most participants wanted more time for hands-on practice and discussion. Therefore, we would recommend allowing a day and one-half for the session.
3. Because of the recency associated with LBS Program Reform, new best practices that address managing change in literacy will likely be developed. Therefore, an updated scan of the literacy field (and related fields) should be completed to identify the newest resources and best practices.
4. Ensure that participant comments and concerns are properly captured and validated with them. This can be done by sharing survey, interview and focus group results, workshop comments and other, more informal, feedback. This will help achieve buy-in and provide confirmation that members are an integral part of the change process.
5. We also recommend that a similar project be consultative from beginning to end. By keeping members informed and by soliciting their input into the project, the chances of the project being successful will increase, while modeling a healthy organizational change process.
6. Depending on the timing of the workshop, other networks may want to allow even more time than we did between the workshop and the follow-up survey. The Christmas break may have been too disruptive and perhaps did not allow sufficient time for people to confidently evaluate the transfer of learning from the workshop to their professional and personal lives.
7. We encourage other networks to share resources with their members that will allow managers and staff to easily identify characteristics of a change-responsive organization. Pam Patterson's "What Works and What Doesn't" list in the Appendix is one example.