Creating a Shared Triple P Vision

“If you don’t have a vision, you’re going to be stuck in what you know. And the only thing you know is what you’ve already seen.”

Iyanla Vanzant

The Importance of a Shared Vision

Creating a shared vision for any community is a heavy lift, and at the same time creates space for growth and innovation. Developing and monitoring a shared vision to identify and prioritize community scale-up goals for Triple P work is essential to reach the child and family outcomes your community wants to see.

How to Establish a Shared Vision

There are several processes and strategies that communities can use to establish a shared vision. Here are some general steps:

1. Convene a workgroup of stakeholders to kick-off process
2. Identify and involve all stakeholders
3. From the start, embed equity into the process and vision
4. Use tools and frequent communication to establish goals and co-create a draft vision
5. Refine the vision into a final working version, often defined by goals, objectives, strategies and evaluation measures
6. Ensure all stakeholders voice how they may contribute to the greater vision and create clear roles
7. Develop multiple ways to communicate the vision (graphics, images, messaging, etc.)
8. Monitor the vision and progress, and update the plan over time

Signs it may be time to revisit and revise your vision

• There has been a lot of turnover in your team or leadership
• There is a change in funding
• There are new initiatives among your community and co-creation partners
• There has been change in the goals or focus of your initiative
• There is a lull in progress toward your goals, such as a focus on equity

Using Data Walks for Visioning

Beth Jamieson and the Greenville First Steps team explain how they used data walks to revisit their Triple P vision.

Question: Why did the Children’s Trust of South Carolina decide to pursue the vision of Triple P Greenville?

Answer: In 2019, Greenville First Steps Board of Directors embarked on a strategic planning process that resulted in an increased focus on the social and emotional well-being of children in Greenville County. Knowing a child’s social and emotional well-being starts at home, staff and board did a deep dive into evidence-based parenting programs to ensure parents and caregivers have the tools they need to raise healthy and successful children. Triple P quickly rose to the top as a universal parenting program that was needed in Greenville County.

Through various community conversations during the strategic planning process, it became clear that there were organizations working directly with parents and caregivers who, if properly equipped, would be best to implement Triple P. Greenville First Steps was awarded a grant from SC Children’s Trust to be the Activating Agency, or backbone agency, to increase the capacity of local nonprofits, schools, businesses, and community volunteers to implement Triple P.

Question: How did you get started and then keep the momentum?

Answer: During the grant application process, Greenville First Steps received support and commitments from over 50 organizations including the Greenville County School District, Prisma Health System, churches, childcare centers, and nonprofits who worked directly with families. The Triple P Greenville project began in the Fall of 2019 with a Level 2 Seminar training for 18 professionals. In total, the Triple P Greenville project has trained 93 professionals across Level 2 Seminars, Level 3 Primary Care, Level 3 Discussion Group, Level 4 Standard, and Level 4 Group.

The implementation of two leadership teams and ongoing practitioner communication and support has helped keep the momentum throughout the last 3 years. The Triple P Leadership Team has guided implementation and helped the project navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and virtual delivery. The Triple P School Leadership team has specifically helped integrate Triple P within all school district child development centers as well as most elementary schools.

Question: Who has been involved in creating a shared vision?

Answer: Throughout the planning and implementation process, many individuals and organizations have been involved to shape a shared vision for Triple P Greenville. Triple P Greenville support comes from Greenville County Schools, Greater Greenville Mental Health, PRISMA Health System, YMCA of Greenville, Bon Secours St Francis Health System, SHARE Head Start, United Way of Greenville, Community Foundation of Greenville, Greenville County Library System, Livewell Greenville, over 30 early care and education centers and educators, and many more. In addition, support from SC Children’s Trust, the Impact Center, and other activating agencies have helped guide our shared vision.

Question: What have been the biggest lessons learned related to creating a shared vision?

Answer: As we are on year four of a shared vision of Triple P being available to all parents, across our community, one of the biggest lessons we have learned is the importance of communication. Triple P is a complex system that we need professionals and parents to understand. There is still a stigma surrounding parenting supports. Greenville First Steps must continually process check our internal communications around parenting supports, our communications with Triple P practitioners and other professionals, and especially our external communications with parents and caregivers. Additionally, our partners need training and support regarding the best way to communicate with others in their organization (supervisors, funders, etc.) and parents/caregivers. Communication around our shared vision is always a work in progress.

Question: How have you included equity as a piece of the vision?

Answer: From day one, Greenville First Steps identified equity as a priority. By intentionally implementing Triple P at organizations where children and families already are, as opposed to creating new touch points, we have ensured universal access to all families. Crucial to this was the integration of Triple P within Greenville County Schools. There is no better way to reach all children and families than at their trusted school. Effort was also made to ensure the professionals trained reflected the demographics of our community.

Question: How have you thought about or utilized data in your revision process?

Answer: In December of 2022, Greenville First Steps again started a needs and resource assessment and a new strategic planning process. Over 50 organizations gathered at our annual meeting to examine data trends. Led by industry experts, participants examined data on child welfare, kindergarten readiness, early language and literacy, maternal health, infant mortality, childcare and early care and education, and physical health and well-being.

Through these conversations, a community needs assessment was drafted. The community identified child welfare as the number one priority. The number of children affected by child abuse has been on the rise over the last 10 years, and we don’t yet know the effect the COVID-19 pandemic has had on child welfare. Greenville First Steps will continue to monitor child welfare data and continue to provide opportunities for professionals to support the parents and caregivers they serve.

Tool Box-Featured Resources

• Assessment tools for integrating data into a shared vision
  • Health Equity Impact Assessment 
  • Community Capacity Assessment
• Strategic Mapping & Planning Tools
  • What is a strategy map?
  • McKinsey 7S Model
  • Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) Framework
  • SWOT Analysis
• Resources about Identifying co-creation partners to support a shared vision
  • Co-Creation in UNaLab
  • In it Together Video

Contributors

The Impact Center at Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, UNC-CH
Shannon Chaplo, Kimberly Maloney

Greenville First Steps, Greenville, South Carolina
Beth Jamieson

For Triple P Support

For Triple P Service Delivery Agencies in North Carolina and South Carolina:
Connect with your regional Triple P Lead Implementing Agency or county Backbone Organization.

For Triple P Lead Implementing Agencies in North Carolina:
Contact your implementation support team with The Impact Center at FPG.

For Triple P Backbone Organizations in South Carolina:
Contact your community capacity coach with Children’s Trust.

Have questions about implementing your Triple P program? Please connect with us!