Form 1 Web-based Network Survey

OMB No.: XXXX-XXXX

Expiration Date: 00/00/0000

Web-Based Network Survey

Introduction

James Bell Associates and ICF International are conducting an independent evaluation of the Children’s Bureau’s Child Welfare Training and Technical Assistance (T/TA) Network. One component of the evaluation assesses the functioning and cohesion of the T/TA Network as a whole. To this end, we would like to ask your cooperation in completing this questionnaire on the T/TA Network. The questions concern perceptions of and experiences with the Network; the relationships among providers; and the use of knowledge, information, and resources.

The survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete. We ask that one respondent on behalf of each organization in the T/TA Network (preferably the project director) complete this survey. Your participation is a critical component of this evaluation and is vital to providing important information to the Children’s Bureau on the T/TA Network. Your privacy is very important to us. Except for responses related to interactions among Network members, which will be used for social network analyses and diagramming, your answers will be combined with answers from other agencies and will not be associated with individual organizations or respondents. If you should have any questions about the survey, please contact Dr. James DeSantis at JBA via email at [email protected] or via phone at 800-546-3230.

1. Demographic Background

We would first like some information about you:

DROP-DOWN

1. What is your T/TA Network Member Organization?

2. W

   DROP-DOWN

   hich title most closely describes your position?

3. How long have you been working with the T/TA Network organization/project? _______years or ___ months

2. Perceptions and Experiences with the Overall Network

1. Please rate your perceptions of how true the following statements are with respect to members of the T/TA Network.

	Don’t know	None of the Network Members	A Few Network Members	Some Network Members	Most Network Members	All Network Members
Our Center/Project
Network members effectively use the skills and expertise of our center/ project.
Network members appropriately cite our project’s/center’s publications, website, and other work products.
Network members recognize and value our center’s /project’s contributions to the Network.
Our center/project is well informed about upcoming events of Network members.
Our center/project understands the work and services of Network members.
Network Members
Network members share a common vision and purpose for their network-related work.
Responsibility for topical areas is a barrier to collaboration and information sharing among Network members.
Proprietary interests are a barrier to collaboration and information sharing in the Network.
The skills, expertise, and knowledge developed by Network members are utilized effectively.
The roles and responsibilities of each Network member are clear to other members of the Network.
Network members share information with one another in a timely manner
Network members work together in a coordinated manner to avoid duplication of efforts.
Competition is a barrier to collaboration and information sharing among Network members.
Network members collaborate to identify, assess, and disseminate evidence of best and promising practice in Child Welfare.
Network members perform integrated and complementary activities that increase the likelihood that each member’s services will be effective.

2. What suggestions do you have for improving the way in which the members function as a T/TA Network?

3. Relationships with Other Network Members

The following questions explore the relationship of your organization with individual Network members. Please rate your responses using the scales provided.

In the past year, how often has your center/project interacted with each of the following Network Members (outside of participation at the T/TA Network meetings)?
National Resource Centers (NRCs)	Never	Rarely	Sometimes/ Occasionally	Frequently/ Often	Very Often
1. NRC on Adoption
[NOTE to reviewers: As each scale rating is completed for the providers listed, if the response is “sometimes/occasionally,” “frequently/often,” or “very often,” the following sub-questions will appear] a. In the past year, about how often did your center/project communicate with this Network member? (a few times per year/every other month/once a month/several times per month) b. In the past year, how frequently were TA materials, products, and knowledge shared between your center/project and this Network member? (a few times per year/every other month/once a month/several times per month) Please rate your level of agreement or disagreement with the following statements: c. Our center’s/project’s communication with this Network member is frequent enough so that we are able to successfully accomplish tasks and generate high-quality work. (Strongly Disagree/Disagree/Agree/Strongly Agree) d. The quality of our center’s/project’s communication with this Network member enables us to successfully accomplish tasks and generate high quality work. (Strongly Disagree/Disagree/Agree/Strongly Agree) e. As a result of our center’s/project’s working relationship with this Network member, we produce/provide better products and services. (Strongly Disagree/Disagree/Agree/Strongly Agree)
2. NRC on Child Protective Services
3. NRC on Child Welfare Data and Technology
4. NRC on In-Home Services
5. NRC on Legal and Judicial Issues
6. NRC on Organizational Improvement
7. NRC on Permanency and Family Connections
8. NRC for Recruitment and Retention of Foster and Adoptive Parents
9. NRC for Tribes

C1. continued

Quality Improvement Centers (QICs)	Never	Rarely	Sometimes/ Occasionally	Frequently/ Often	Very Often
1.QIC Differential Response in Child Protective Services
2. QIC Early Childhood
3. QIC Non-Resident Fathers and the CW System
4. QIC Privatization of CW Services
5. QIC Representation of Children in CW System
National Centers, Repositories, and Child Welfare T/TA Entities	Never	Rarely	Sometimes/ Occasionally	Frequently/ Often	Very Often
1. National Resource Center for Community Based Child Abuse Prevention
2. National Center on Substance Abuse & Child Welfare
3. Child Welfare Information Gateway
4. National Abandoned Infants Assistance Center
5. National TA Center for Children’s Mental Health
6. National Child Welfare Workforce Institute
7. TA Partnership for Child and Family Mental Health
8. National TA and Evaluation Center for CW Systems of Care Grantees
9. National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect
10. TA to State Legislators on the Child and Family Services Reviews
Implementation Centers (ICs)	Never	Rarely	Sometimes/ Occasionally	Frequently/ Often	Very Often
1. Atlantic Coast IC
2. Midwest IC
3. Mountains and Plains IC
4. Northeast and Caribbean IC
5. Western and Pacific IC

2. What suggestions do you have for strengthening communication among T/TA Network Members?

3. What suggestions do you have for fostering information sharing among T/TA Network Members?

4. What are some of the barriers to developing one overall, integrated T/TA Network?

5. What are some of the facilitators to developing one overall, integrated T/TA Network?

C6. To what extent do you feel membership in the T/TA Network is central to the identity of your center / project?

3. Knowledge and Resources

1. Please rate how often your center/project consults the following sources of information annually and then rate the usefulness of the information.

Information Sources	How often does your center/project consult the following sources of information?				How useful is the information?
	Never	Rarely	Sometimes	Often	Never Useful	Rarely Useful	Often Useful	Always Useful
Articles in journals written by other Network members
Conferences sponsored by other Network members
Other Network members’ websites
Presentations given by other Network members
Other Network members’ clearinghouses
Direct Consultation with experts within the Network
Informal discussion with peers who are part of the Network
Evaluation/research reports of other Network members
Other: Specify:___________________ Specify:___________________

Thank you.

This is the end of the survey.

We greatly appreciate your participation in this important evaluation of the

Children’s Bureau’s T/TA Network.

Web-Based Network Survey 6