SOWK*4300 - Chapter 10: Selecting Appropriate Strategies and Tactics Flashcards
3 Ways People respond to the prospect of change
1) Perceived self-interest
2) Perceived responsibility associated with their role (formal or informal)
3) Concern for how constituents might view their stance on the proposed change
Political and economic considerations add complexity to the change effort
- Political and economic factors complicate change efforts.
- Balancing different interests is key in managing the politics of change.
- Sharing information among supporters aids in approaching key decision-makers effectively.
Analyzing the target system
- change agent should have an increased awareness of the politics of within which the change intervention is to occur
- assess arenas and their openness to change
Task 1:
Assess political and economic feasibility
- Assess urgency of the problem or condition
- Assess resource consideration
Assessing Urgency in Addressing the Problem
Examine urgency
1) Duration: How long has the problem been around?
2) Intensity: Is the problem considered an emergency?
3) Frequency: How often does the problem occur?
Assess Resources
Cost of Change
Cost of Change:
- Decision makers primary concern is cost
- Will often consider the cost before urgency
- What are the costs involved in making the change? (monetary, personal, time, physical resources etc.)
- difficult to demonstrate costs because change is still in the proposed stage
- Best option: to have estimates based on expert advise or comparisons from similar projects
Assess Resources
Cost of Inaction
Cost of Inaction:
- compare the economic/social costs of doing nothing
- show decision makers the current costs of the problem and and how the costs escalate over time
- then show the costs of the proposed change and how it is less expensive (over the long run) than doing nothing
Politics
refers to the reasons/motivations behind the different ways individuals respond when asked to support a change effort
Selecting Public Spokesperson
- need to choose spokesperson based on public opinion (pereceived negatively, positivity or neutrally)
- this feature is more important in communities/organizations where people know one another very well
Understanding Decision Makers’ Perspectives:
- Change agents need to be clear about how their proposals might affect the individuals who have power to make decisions
- These decision makers might feel that the proposed changes could diminish their prestige (reputation) power (ability to influence outcomes), or the resources available to them (funding)
Recognizing Positions and Interests:
- Change agents need to be aware of the “positions” people hold and the “interests” of the proposed change
- Positions tend to be entrenched
- Interests are underlying needs - room for negotiation and compromise
Task 2: Selecting a Change Approach
- Involves choosing a method (policy, program, project, personnel, or practice) to enact change
- Deciding WHAT needs to change and HOW to achieve it effectively.
Policy Approach
Is represented by:
- A formally adopted statement about what is to be done and how it will happen
- Establishes direction for operational efforts
- Guidelines for operations
- Governs sectors of the organization (e.g. finance, personnel, communication)
Programs
- Structured activities aimed at achieving specific goals and objectives.
- Often provides services directly to communities or client groups.
- Typically long-term and ongoing.
Project Approach:
- Similar to programs but smaller in scale and time-limited.
- More flexible and may be termed “pilot projects.”
- Often preferred for testing new approaches due to their smaller scope.
