A Guide for State Teen Pregnancy Prevention Organizations

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Over the last twenty years, researchers in the fields of public health, social science, and education have amassed a significant body of evidence about “what works” to prevent unintended pregnancy among teens.[1] State teen pregnancy prevention organizations play a critical role in translating these research findings to local program planners and advocates in schools, community-based youth programs, faith communities, and health agencies. In addition to simply raising awareness about science-based approaches, state organizations can train direct service providers, facilitate networking opportunities, host annual conferences, educate policy makers, and influence funding streams.

State teen pregnancy prevention organizations will be most effective in sustaining their efforts to promote science-based approaches among local programs when they themselves institutionalize a commitment to science and research. This requires state organizations to 1) build an organizational infrastructure that reflects the state organization’s commitment to science-based approaches and 2) ensure that local partner organizations have the resources, knowledge, and staff capacity to incorporate science-based approaches in their own teen pregnancy prevention efforts.

This document provides guidance and direction on how state organizations can achieve these two goals.

I. Building an Organizational Infrastructure that Reflects Your Organization’s Commitment to Science-Based Approaches

As a leader or staff member of a state teen pregnancy prevention organization, you can do much, both internally and externally, to demonstrate a commitment to science-based approaches. Board members, staff, and senior management all play important roles in strengthening your organization’s internal capacity to support science-based approaches -- through leadership, decision-making, strategic planning, fund-raising, administration, and public relations. You also can ensure that the organization's external work – its services and products, such as public education, Web services, training and technical assistance, research and data collection – reflect a commitment to science and research. In assessing how to build or strengthen your organization’s infrastructure, consider whether:

The Board:

• Receives training that includes an overview of science-based approaches
• Receives new research, reports, and verbal updates regularly from the executive director or CEO concerning science-based approaches
• Commits, in the organization’s values statement, to science-based approaches
• Adopts a position statement supporting science-based approaches
• Incorporates support for science-based approaches in the organization’s mission statement
• Incorporates the promotion of science-based approaches into the strategic plan
• Incorporates science-based approaches into the financial plan
• Includes competent spokespersons who promote science-based approaches
• Charges the executive director or CEO to develop strategies to disseminate information on science-based approaches
• Incorporates science-based approaches into the programs of each board member’s own organization, practice, or work
• Receives regular progress reports on the implementation of science-based approaches across the state
• Is of sufficient size (12 to 20 people) to govern the organization effectively
• Achieves and maintains a low level of absenteeism
• Achieves a high level of trust between members
• Comprises individuals who have a diverse set of connections, skills, and experience and who are each educated and committed to the organization’s mission
• Models the organization’s shared values and practices or culture
• Fosters a supportive and flexible work environment
• Completes an annual individual and full board evaluation
• Completes an annual evaluation of the executive director

Staff:

• Is united and collaborative in work
• Trusts one another to fulfill commitments
• Is diverse, cross-disciplinary, and multi-talented
• Receives intensive and frequent training on science-based approaches
• Is committed to integrating science-based approaches into all aspects of the organization’s work
• Receives regular updates on science-based approaches, including new research and program data
• Uses and disseminates publications, resources, and materials from national partners on science-based approaches
• Has teams of three-six trainers knowledgeable in each science-based program being used in the state
• Works closely and supportively with local science-based programming, especially to promote local acceptance and evaluation
• Creates and maintains an organization-specific file on science-based approaches
• Creates and maintains a science-based approaches section on the organization’s Web site
• Prepares articles, reports, presentations, and case studies on her/his work in science-based approaches for professional meetings and conferences
• Integrates science-based approaches into work and advocacy plans
• Is flexible and able to respond to internal or external opportunities and challenges
• Upholds the values and practices of the organization
• Can function independently when necessary

Senior Management:

• Achieves all of the staff criteria [above]
• Is respectful, collaborative, and courageous
• Has effective skills, including managerial, leadership, analytic, strategic, and communications as well as sound financial judgment and awareness of opportunities
• Implements a public relations plan for promoting science-based approaches
• Fosters an organizational culture that is flexible, supportive, and proud
• Is a team member as well as a leader
• Manages effectively, giving appropriate attention to each of the following:
  • Organizational structure, such as board, staffing, and supervisory assignments
  • Strategies for recruiting, developing, and retaining staff
  • Financial management
  • Policies, procedures, and protocols [revisited and updated as needed]
  • Planning systems and decision-making frameworks
  • Physical infrastructure, including equipment and technical needs
  • Strategies for knowledge dissemination, such as updated Web sites, current publications, and internal communications
  • Development plan

Fund-Raising/Development Staff:

• Raises funds for promoting science-based approaches
• Incorporates work in science-based approaches in every appropriate funding proposal
• Educates potential funding sources about science-based approaches
• Leverages existing funds that support science-based approaches to solicit additional funds
• Seeks funds to develops publications and resources that promote science-based approaches
• Seeks funds to build a resource center or library of science-based approaches, programs, curricula, and materials
• Seeks funds to invest in developing a cadre of trainers in science-based approaches
• Seeks funds to build partnerships with state agencies and private youth-serving organizations, to encourage the use of science-based approaches

II. Ensuring that local partner organizations have the resources, knowledge, and staff capacity to implement science-based approaches

One of the most important roles of a state teen pregnancy prevention organization is to provide resources, training, technical assistance and networking opportunities to local organizations which, in turn, provide direct services and education to young people. This section identifies critical issues that the state organization should address with local organizations, in order to help them move toward sustainability and ensure that they promote science based approaches in their work with youth. Consider the following questions:

• Does the local site receive funding from your state organization in order to promote science-based approaches?
• Can you propose new sources of funding or strategies in order to build and sustain the local program?
• Is the local site committed to the use of science-based approaches, both internally and externally?
• Is site staff trained in science-based approaches?
• Is the executive director an integral part of planning and implementing science-based approaches?
• Is the state organization keeping case notes on its work with each local site or organization?
• Can the state organization create case studies for publication and dissemination to local partners?
• Is the local organization actively participating in data collection on the science-based approach(es) that it is implementing?
• Has the local site trained staff in the science-based approach(es) that it is implementing?
• Are more than one or two people in the local organization committed to science-based approaches?
• Has every staff person been given an overview of science-based approaches?
• Does the local organization have a financial plan that includes raising funds to support its work in science-based approaches?
• Does the local site have basic fund-raising skills and strategies?
  • Does staff have strong grant writing skills?
  • Does staff incorporate and/or promote science-based approaches into every funding proposal?
  • Does staff leverage existing funds to solicit additional funds?
  • Does staff have networking and communication skills?
  • Is staff collaborative, politically savvy, and able to build a compelling case for funding science-based approaches?
• Does the local organization have a public relations plan that promotes science-based approaches?
• Does the local site have a mission that is strong, meaningful, and easily explained?
• Does the local organization build effective partnerships to coordinate strategies and services?
• Does the local site collaborate effectively with others – including local, county, and state agencies – in order to promote science-based approaches?
• Does the local organization respond effectively to outside circumstances, such as community needs and policy climate that may affect its efforts?
• Does the local site develop relationships with its wider community so that it is well known to the community, involved in it, and includes community members as staff?
• Does the local organization acquire and disseminate teen pregnancy prevention and STI prevention materials?
• Does the local site reach out to and work with relevant community groups regarding teen pregnancy and STI prevention?

Written by Barbara Huberman, RN, MEd with contributions from Laura Davis, MA; Tanya Gonzalez, MPH; Tom Klaus, MS; and Elizabeth Umbro, MPH Candidate © 2008 Advocates for Youth

2008-01-14 ASH/TPP/PSBA-Sustain SBA This publication is made possible through a Cooperative Agreement (Grant #: 5U58/DP324962-03) with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Any part of this publication may be copied, reproduced, distributed, and adapted, without permission of the authors or the publisher, provided that the materials are not copied, distributed, or adapted for commercial gain and provided that the authors and Advocates for Youth are credited as the source on all copies, reproductions, distributions, and adaptations of the material.

References:

1. Alford S. Science & Success: Programs that Work to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections. [Rev ed.] Washington, DC: Advocates for Youth, © 2008, in press.