NGA Policy Academy Improving Oral Health Care for Children

1. NGA Policy AcademyImproving Oral Health Care for Children Project Overview National Governors’ Association Center for Best Practices

2. What is Technical Assistance? The provision of data, research, expertise, and other support to help decision makers: • Think through policy options; • Design and implement new systems and programs; and/or • Make existing systems and programs more effective.

3. Types of Technical Assistance • Literature Reviews • Quick-Response Memoranda • Issue Briefs, Reports • Conference Calls • Onsite Visits • Seminars, Roundtables, and Policy Forums • Other

4. What is a Policy Academy? • Type of technical assistance • Structured workshop • Influential policymakers • Coordinated response • Specific issue • Process, not an event

5. Why a Policy Academy? • Promote strategic planning • Learn from other state experiences • Establish/reinforce dialogue • Build consensus and plan for change

6. Academy Purpose For each team to develop a state-wide policy initiative (Action Plan) that can be realistically implemented to improve oral health care for children

7. Participant States

8. General Team Composition • Governor’s health policy advisor • Member(s) of the legislature • State dental director • Medicaid/SCHIP director(s) • State dental association • Others

9. Executive Order(s) Legislation Budget proposals/ funding mechanisms Interagency agreements (Memoranda of Understanding or Agreement) Informal partnerships Rules or regulations Program standards/ guidelines (licensure requirements) Task forces/ Committees Other Hopeful Outcome(s)

10. Site Visit Objectives • Familiarize teams with Action Plan • Discuss Academy format • Ensure teams function • Set teams in motion (homework)

11. Policy Academy for State OfficialsImproving Oral Health Care for Children The Action Plan National Governors’ Association Center for Best Practices

12. A Return to Purpose For each team to develop a state-wide policy initiative (Action Plan) that can be realistically implemented to improve oral health care for children

13. Policy Initiative Framework(The Action Plan) • The Vision (Your State Tomorrow) • The Reality Assessment (Your State Today) • Priorities/Goals (Gaps) • Strategies with Potential (Tactical Plans) • Action Steps (Work Assignments)

14. The Vision(Your State Tomorrow) • Provides a statement of purpose • Presents a picture of your ideal future (independent of the current reality) • Serves as a reference point for all future decisions

15. Sample Vision Statement We envision a State where every child enjoys optimal oral health; where prevention is emphasized and treatment is available, accessible, affordable, and timely; where parents are involved, providers are engaged, and insurers are responsible; where government is a guarantor of resources, quality, and patient protection; and where the total well-being of the child is promoted.

16. The Reality Assessment(Your State Today) • Requires a review / inventory of: • Key problem issues in your State • Previous policy actions taken to address these issues • Current political environment • Assesses your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats • Helps to identify resources at your disposal • Provides context for your efforts

17. Team Priorities/Goals(Gaps) • Areas where you will focus your energy and resources • Likely to be the “gaps” between your vision and the current reality • Form the basis for planning, policy-making, and setting performance standards • May be short-term and/or long-term

18. Strategies with Potential(Tactical Plans) • Broad-ranging tactics to affect change • Often require statewide or cross-agency efforts • Usually involve the combination of several courses of action • Should be directly related to your priorities/goals

19. Action Steps(Work Assignments) • Specific activities undertaken based on your strategy(-ies) • Require action from specific individuals (or entities) • Considerations: • Who is responsible for coordinating each action? • Who is responsible for completing each action? • What resources are required? • What is the timeline? • Who will be affected? • How will success be measured?

20. Visualizing the Action Plan

21. Policy Academy for State OfficialsImproving Oral Health Care for Children The Planning Guide National Governors’ Association Center for Best Practices

22. What is the Planning Guide? • Guidance tool • Purpose is to help your team: • Prepare for the Academy • Develop your Action Plan

23. Academy Stages • State preparation • Site visits • Homework • Formal Policy Academy • Post-Academy implementation (and technical assistance)

24. State Preparation(Site Visits) • Familiarize teams with Action Plan • Discuss Academy format • Ensure teams function • Set teams in motion (homework)

25. State Preparation(Homework) • Formalize decision making process • Develop a common vision • Assess current reality • Narrow priorities / goals • Develop team presentation

26. Working as a Team • Choose a Leader • Establish Tasks, Time Table, and Timekeeper • Select a Scribe • Develop Team Ground Rules • Determine Decision Making Process • Check-In and Check-Out

27. Team Tips • Try to stay focused • Encourage ideas • Challenge your assumptions • Highlight and explore your differences • Differentiate between what you are totally committed to and what you can live with

28. During the Academy • Teams “complete” Action Plans • State Presentations • State Delegation Meetings • Report-Outs • Feedback from faculty and peers

29. State Team Presentation • Discuss your initial vision, priorities/goals • Elaborate on key issues and your efforts to address those issues • Emphasize transferable themes and activities • Solicit feedback from faculty and peers

30. State Delegation Meetings • Continue developing Action Plan • Reaffirm team vision, priorities/goals • Formulate policy and program strategies • Assign specific action steps based on strategies (optional) • Confer “one-on-one” with faculty, peers

31. State Report-Outs • Outline Action Plan (brief) • Discuss how priorities may have changed (or been reinforced) • Elaborate on immediate next steps • Identify potential technical assistance needs • Solicit feedback from faculty and peers

32. Following the Academy • Finalize strategies (short- and long-range) • Develop specific action steps • Implement the Action Plan • Agree on a timeline • Develop benchmarks / outcome measures • Report on progress • Seek technical assistance as needed

33. Team Challenges • Building team consensus around Action Plan • Staying focused • Encouraging ideas • Challenging assumptions • Highlighting/exploring differences • Differentiating between what team members are totally committed to and what they can live with

34. Team Challenges (cont’d) • Identifying politically feasible strategies • Presenting a clear message to influential policymakers • Generating public and political will to support Action Plan • Implementing the Action Plan through executive, legislative, administrative, and private sector (non-government) processes

35. NGA Center for Best Practices(www.nga.org/center) Robert J. Burns Policy Analyst National Governors Association Center for Best Practices 444 North Capitol Street, Suite 267 Washington, DC 20001-1512 (202) 624-7729 fax: (202) 624-5313 email: rburns@nga.org