**[Slide 1]{.underline}**

[What Works: Systems Change Strategies]{.underline}

[Improving Access to Mainstream Services for Homeless Families with
Children]{.underline}

[Carol Wilkins]{.underline}

[Director of Intergovernmental Policy]{.underline}

[Corporation for Supportive Housing]{.underline}

[ January 28, 2004]{.underline}

**[Slide 2]{.underline}**

[The Corporation for Supportive Housing]{.underline}

\
[A national nonprofit intermediary organization]{.underline}

[CSH helps communities create permanent housing with services to prevent
and end homelessness]{.underline}

[For more information visit ]{.underline}

**[Slide 3]{.underline}**

[Why Systems Change?]{.underline}

-   [Integrated services and supportive housing are products with
    ]{.underline}***[proven effectiveness]{.underline}***[ ending
    homelessness and improving outcomes for families with multiple
    barriers to work and stability -- ]{.underline}***[but without a
    system to produce them]{.underline}***

-   [Homeless families with children must hunt for and combine discrete
    services for their needs]{.underline}

-   [Every project is a patchwork of authorizations and
    funding]{.underline}

-   [Often, success means using money for purposes that weren't
    officially intended]{.underline}

**[Slide 4]{.underline}**

[Fragmented Systems ]{.underline}

[Share responsibility for homeless families]{.underline}

-   [Homeless Services]{.underline}

-   [Social Services]{.underline}

-   [Employment]{.underline}

-   [Child Welfare]{.underline}

-   [Education]{.underline}

-   [Mental Health]{.underline}

-   [Substance Abuse]{.underline}

-   [Housing Development Finance ]{.underline}

-   [Rent Subsidy]{.underline}

-   [Hospitals, Clinics, Public Health]{.underline}

**[Slide 5]{.underline}**

[What's In a Changed System?]{.underline}

-   ["Any door" leads to effective bundle of housing and services for
    families who are at risk of homelessness]{.underline}

-   [Service and housing resources are allocated in a single or
    coordinated process, timed as needed for project
    implementation]{.underline}

-   [Rules and funding not improvised project-by-project, or on
    exceptional basis, but established in routine practice]{.underline}

**[Slide 6]{.underline}**

[Key Components of Systems and indicators of a changed system
]{.underline}

-   [Power ]{.underline}

-   [Money]{.underline}

-   [Habits]{.underline}

-   [Technology and Skills]{.underline}

-   [Ideas and Values]{.underline}

[... all linked to achieve a mission or goal]{.underline}

**[Slide 7]{.underline}**

[Changes in Power]{.underline}

-   [Duties and authority are rearranged]{.underline}

-   [Designated positions are given formal authority and responsibility
    for supportive housing and other new activities to prevent and end
    family homelessness]{.underline}

-   [Stakeholders who have not been heard or involved assume new or
    different roles]{.underline}

**[Slide 8]{.underline}**

[Changes in Money]{.underline}

-   [New money is used as a catalyst for change ]{.underline}

-   [Old money ("mainstream resources") is used in new ways through
    targeting, eligibility changes, technical solutions,
    incentives]{.underline}

-   [Funding for all components of supportive housing projects (capital,
    operating, and supportive services) is available and reliable -- and
    coordinated]{.underline}

**[Slide 9]{.underline}**

[Changes in Habits]{.underline}

-   [People and organizations interact with each other to create and
    sustain integrated solutions (housing and more effective services)
    for homeless families as part of their normal ongoing routines and
    core work activities]{.underline}

-   [Requires new understanding and skills for working in a
    "multi-cultural" environment]{.underline}

**[Slide 10]{.underline}**

[Changes in Technology & Skills]{.underline}

[Skilled practitioners at all levels can effectively deliver
results]{.underline}

-   [Direct service delivery based on promising practices]{.underline}

-   [Organizational capacity to engage in new activities or partnerships
    and to use new financing strategies]{.underline}

-   [New procedures and systems and cross-training for government
    agencies to implement, monitor and evaluate new program
    activities]{.underline}

**[Slide 11]{.underline}**

[Changes in Ideas and Values]{.underline}

-   [A new understanding of the problems to be solved ]{.underline}

-   [Re-examine traditional definitions of success across multiple
    systems]{.underline}

-   [Re-define target populations based on shared
    priorities]{.underline}

-   [New performance expectations and definitions of success are widely
    shared]{.underline}

**[Slide 12]{.underline}**

[The "Art" of System Change]{.underline}

[Besides their framework of rules and incentives, systems deal with
]{.underline}*[behavior]{.underline}*[ -- habits, ideas,
relationships]{.underline}

[Change thus becomes a behavior-modification recipe: ]{.underline}

-   [Persuasion]{.underline}

-   [Incentives]{.underline}

-   [Trust]{.underline}

-   [Practice]{.underline}

**[Slide 13]{.underline}**

[Coercion and its Limits]{.underline}

-   [People can be forced to change, but only by superiors who will last
    long enough -- and enforce the change long enough -- to make it
    stick]{.underline}

-   [Usually, that doesn't happen. Politicians leave office, top
    executives have other priorities, and constant coercion is
    exhausting]{.underline}

**[Slide 14]{.underline}**

[Effective Systems Change]{.underline}

[Requires persistent pressure on most or all of the key elements over a
sustained period of time ]{.underline}

-   [This takes years, not months of effort ]{.underline}

[To get there, often begins with:]{.underline}

-   [Persuasive short-term accomplishments]{.underline}

-   [Producing a new product or service by extraordinary means, just to
    show it can be done and is worth replicating]{.underline}

**[Slide 15]{.underline}**

[Building to a 'Tipping Point']{.underline}

[The spread of new ideas, habits, values, and know-how often comes from
three forces:]{.underline}

-   [Gifted "sellers" ]{.underline}

-   [A receptive audience (aware of a need, or caught in a moment of
    crisis)]{.underline}

-   [A message that "sticks" when delivered]{.underline}

[(courtesy of Malcolm Gladwell)]{.underline}

**[Slide 16]{.underline}**

[Building Blocks ]{.underline}\
[Tested Tactics of Systems Change]{.underline}

1.  [Collaborative Planning]{.underline}

2.  [Investment and Leveraging Resources]{.underline}

3.  [Coordination, Streamlining, and Integration of Funding]{.underline}

4.  [Building Provider Capacity]{.underline}

5.  [Quality Assurance: Establishing and Monitoring Industry
    Standards]{.underline}

**[Slide 17]{.underline}**

[Building Blocks ]{.underline}\
[Tested Tactics of Systems Change (continued)]{.underline}

6.  [Research and Data ]{.underline}

7.  [Communication and Advocacy]{.underline}

8.  [Cultivating Leaders, Champions, and Advocates]{.underline}

9.  [The Irresistible Force -- Events that Compel Action]{.underline}

10. [An Intermediary as Neutral Catalyst]{.underline}

**[Slide 18]{.underline}**

[Their Problem = Your Opportunity]{.underline}\
["Head for the dysfunction"]{.underline}

[Mainly, system reformers look for places in the ]{.underline}*[old
]{.underline}*[system where players are unhappy, frustrated, losing the
race]{.underline}

[Whoever feels the pain the worst may be your first ally]{.underline}

[Most of all show them solutions -- something they could take credit
for. Field trips to visit model programs often help!]{.underline}

**[Slide 19]{.underline}**

[Expect Resistance]{.underline}

-   [The tools of System Change are meant to unsettle old systems while
    building new ones]{.underline}

-   [Old systems will resist -- they exist because they have survived
    pressures and onslaughts before]{.underline}

-   [Services and Housing are not just separate systems, but (many)
    separate cultures, disciplines, and sets of values]{.underline}

**[Slide 20]{.underline}**

[Collaborative Planning]{.underline}

-   [Consensus-building]{.underline}

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-   [Clarifying need and opportunity]{.underline}

-   [Establishing numeric goals]{.underline}

-   [Estimating costs/identifying resources]{.underline}

-   [Planning together/sharing ownership]{.underline}

-   [Accomplishing something together]{.underline}

-   [Becoming used to working together -- through MOUs, task forces,
    projects, etc.]{.underline}

-   [Beginning to advance a wider change]{.underline}

**[Slide 21]{.underline}**

[Who Should Collaborate?]{.underline}

-   [Programs that target homelessness and mainstream
    programs]{.underline}

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-   [Housing: development and finance, rent subsidy]{.underline}

-   [Services: family and children's services, mental health, addiction
    treatment, health care, education, employment, juvenile and criminal
    justice]{.underline}

-   [Create linkages to ongoing planning efforts to improve systems for
    families with multiple challenges to work and stability]{.underline}

**[Slide 22]{.underline}**

[How Big a Group?]{.underline}

-   [Large enough to include the people you need ]{.underline}*[to get
    started ]{.underline}[--]{.underline}[ ]{.underline}*[planners,
    funders, and builders who will actually ]{.underline}*[be
    involved]{.underline}*

-   [Not so big that people feel marginal, bored, or unable to
    contribute]{.underline}

**[Slide 23]{.underline}**

[Who Should Participate?]{.underline}

-   [Usually not the top executives -- they won't stick with
    it]{.underline}

-   [Usually not the front-line staff -- they don't have enough
    influence over the wider system]{.underline}

-   [People who are trusted, influential, able to pull
    levers]{.underline}

-   [Trusted bridge-builders or "boundary spanners"]{.underline}

**[Slide 24]{.underline}**

[Investment and Leveraging Resources]{.underline}

-   [New money is powerful, but scarce and hard to sustain]{.underline}

-   [Most change is "old money" or mainstream resources used in new
    ways: ]{.underline}

    -   [TANF]{.underline}

    -   [Medicaid]{.underline}

    -   [Block Grants]{.underline}

    -   [State and local funding for family and children's
        services]{.underline}

    -   [Affordable housing ]{.underline}

**[Slide 25]{.underline}**

[Using old money in new ways]{.underline}

-   [Changing eligibility rules ]{.underline}

    -   [Target populations]{.underline}

    -   [Providers or projects]{.underline}

    -   [Services]{.underline}

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-   [Targeting]{.underline}

    -   [Priorities or preferences]{.underline}

    -   [Set aside]{.underline}

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-   [Solving technical problems]{.underline}

-   [Sustaining and increasing funding opportunities]{.underline}

**[Slide 26]{.underline}**

[Coordination, Streamlining and Integration of Funding]{.underline}

[Even when using money for the same ]{.underline}*[purposes
]{.underline}*[as before, a key goal is to make applications and the
administration of funding consistent with the process and needs of
supportive housing and other integrated responses to family
homelessness]{.underline}

**[Slide 27]{.underline}**

[Interagency Coordination planning bodies, task forces and MOU's
establish:]{.underline}

-   [Consistent standards for eligibility and shared set of
    priorities]{.underline}

-   [Single or coordinated application process for funding and project
    approvals]{.underline}

-   [Calendar for applications and decisions that matches program
    development and start-up]{.underline}

-   [Shared decision-making for multiple sources of funding
    ]{.underline}

-   [Consistent and efficient reporting and oversight]{.underline}

**[Slide 28]{.underline}**

[Grooming Champions and Leaders]{.underline}

-   [The most effective champions aren't always the most powerful
    individuals]{.underline}

-   [Business people, budget officials, staff aides and advisers, all
    may be better than professional advocates or top elected
    officials]{.underline}

-   [Needs to be passionate, untiring, a gifted "salesperson," with a
    huge Rolodex and a convincing command of the subject]{.underline}

**[Slide 29]{.underline}**

[Catalysts for systems change]{.underline}

[Often the most effective broker for changing systems is a person or
organization that is...]{.underline}

-   [Independent of the old system. A new or outside force without
    longstanding alliances to factions that old systems failed to
    integrate]{.underline}

-   [With a clear point of view, and a way out of the woods]{.underline}

-   [Drawing from experience, not just ideas ]{.underline}

**[Slide 30]{.underline}**

[Making the Case for Change]{.underline}

-   [Communicate key results from research to policymakers:
    ]{.underline}

    -   [Focus on results instead of the problem]{.underline}

    -   [Keep it simple]{.underline}

    -   [Personal stories make an impact]{.underline}

    -   [Use the media]{.underline}

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-   [Use site visits and tours of promising projects to put a "face" on
    data and policy message]{.underline}

**[Slide 31]{.underline}**

[Leadership for Change]{.underline}

-   ["To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream;
    not only plan, but also believe." ]{.underline}

[- Anatole France ]{.underline}

-   ["Goals are dreams with deadlines." ]{.underline}

[- Diana Sharf Hunt ]{.underline}

**[Slide 32]{.underline}**

[For more information]{.underline}

[Read the new CSH publication]{.underline}

[Laying a New Foundation: Changing the Systems that Create and Sustain
Supportive Housing]{.underline}

[Visit ]{.underline}

[Carol Wilkins]{.underline}

[Director of Intergovernmental Policy]{.underline}

[Corporation for Supportive Housing]{.underline}