Appendix 3 - Cross Center Recruitment and Reminder language

Dear [First Name],

My name is James DeSantis, from James Bell Associates. I am the project director for the Children’s Bureau’s Cross-Center Evaluation of the Capacity Building Collaborative. I am writing because we would like your feedback regarding [jurisdiction]’s recent experiences with the [assessment and work planning services] you participated in with the Center for [States/Courts/Tribes]. Information you provide will be used to identify activities that are working well and areas where improvements would be helpful.

We know that participants have different levels of involvement in the [court/state/tribe]’s work with the Center, so we are interested in learning about your perceptions, based on your experience. The survey will take approximately 9 minutes to complete.

If you have any questions about the survey, please contact James DeSantis via email at [email protected] or toll-free via phone at 1-800-546-3230.

The survey will close on [Date], so please be sure to complete the survey before then!

Please click on the link below to begin the survey.

Click Here to Start the Survey

We thank you for your participation!

James DeSantis, Ph.D.
James Bell Associates

First Reminder Email

Subject Line: Deadline Approaching: Your opinion on [Jurisdiction’s] Experiences with the Center for [States/Courts/Tribes]

Body message:

Dear [First Name],

I am writing with a reminder regarding the survey invitation I sent on [Date of Invite Email]. Perhaps you haven’t yet had a chance to complete the survey. Would you please do so now?

I understand you have many demands on your time; however you are in the best position to tell us how the Center for [States/Courts/Tribes] [assessment and work planning] services are received. Obtaining your feedback is the best way we have to measure what’s working and what’s not.

This survey will close on [date] and takes approximately 9 minutes to complete.

Click Here to Start the Survey.

Thank you in advance,

James DeSantis, Ph.D.
James Bell Associates

Second Reminder Email

Subject Line: Final Request: Your opinion on [Jurisdiction’s] Experiences with the Center for [States/Courts/Tribes]

Body message:

Dear [First Name],

This is a final request that you please complete a survey on your opinion of [Jurisdiction]’s experience with the Center for [States/Courts/Tribes]. Perhaps you haven’t yet had a chance to complete the survey. Would you please do so now?

This survey will close on [date] and takes approximately 9 minutes to complete.

Click Here to Start the Survey.

Thank you so much.

Sincerely,

James DeSantis, Ph.D.
James Bell Associates

Brief Tailored Services Survey

Initial Invitation Email

Subject Line: Please provide your opinion on [Jurisdiction]’s experience with [States/Courts/Tribes]

Body message:

Dear [First Name],

My name is James DeSantis, from James Bell Associates. I am the project director for the Children’s Bureau’s Cross-Center Evaluation of the Capacity Building Collaborative. I am writing because as a recipient of capacity building services from the Center for [States/Courts/Tribes], we ask that you complete a survey to give us your perspective about the services you received about [project name]. Information you provide will be used to help us to understand what teams learn through their work with the Center for [States/Courts/Tribes] and recipients' satisfaction with these services.

We know that participants have different levels of involvement in the [court/state/tribe]’s work with the Center, so we are interested in learning about your perceptions, based on your experience.

The survey will take approximately 3 minutes to complete.

If you have any questions about the survey, please contact James DeSantis via email at [email protected] or toll-free via phone at 1-800-546-3230.

The survey will close on [Date], so please be sure to complete the survey before then!

Please click on the link below to begin the survey.

Click Here to Start the Survey

We thank you for your participation!

James DeSantis, Ph.D.
James Bell Associates

First Reminder Email

Timing: To be sent 1 week after invitation.

Subject Line: Deadline Approaching: Your opinion on [Jurisdiction’s] Experiences with the Center for [States/Courts/Tribes]

Body message:

Dear [First Name],

I am writing with a reminder regarding the survey invitation I sent on [Date of Invite Email] to give us your perspective about the services you received about [project name]. Perhaps you haven’t yet had a chance to complete the survey. Would you please do so now?

I understand you have many demands on your time; however you are in the best position to inform our understanding about what teams learn through their work with the Capacity Building Center, and the team's satisfaction with these services. Obtaining your feedback is the best way we have to measure what’s working and what’s not.

This survey will close on [date] and takes approximately 3 minutes to complete.

Click Here to Start the Survey.

Thank you in advance,

James DeSantis, Ph.D.
James Bell Associates

Second Reminder Email

Timing: To be sent 1 day before survey close.

Subject Line: Final Request: Your opinion on [Jurisdiction’s] Experiences with the Center for [States/Courts/Tribes]

Body message:

Dear [First Name],

This is a final request that you please complete a survey to give us your perspective about the services you received about [project name]. Perhaps you haven’t yet had a chance to complete the survey. Would you please do so now?

I understand you have many demands on your time; however, you are in the best position to inform our understanding about what teams learn through their work with the Capacity Building Centers, and the team's satisfaction with these services. Obtaining your feedback is the best way we have to measure what’s working and what’s not.

This survey will close on [date] and takes approximately 3 minutes to complete.

Click Here to Start the Survey.

Thank you so much.

Sincerely,

James DeSantis, Ph.D.
James Bell Associates

Collaboration and Communication Survey

Initial Invitation Email

Subject Line: Please provide your perspective about collaboration and communication in the Capacity Building Collaborative

Body message:

Dear [First Name],

My name is James DeSantis, from James Bell Associates. I am the project director for the Children’s Bureau’s Cross-Center Evaluation of the Capacity Building Collaborative. I am writing because you were identified by one of the Capacity Building centers, as someone that is expected to interact with people from other Centers and/or federal staff in your role in the Capacity Building Collaborative.

We ask that you complete a survey to give us your perspective about the factors that support collaboration among the Centers and with federal staff. Information you provide will help us learn more about how the Centers and federal staff work together. You will be asked to complete this survey two times. This is the [first/last] time you will be asked to respond.

The survey will take approximately 13 minutes to complete.

If you have any questions about the survey, please contact me via email at [email protected] or toll-free via phone at 1-800-546-3230.

The survey will close on [Date], so please be sure to complete the survey before then!

Please click on the link below to begin the survey.

Click Here to Start the Survey

We thank you for your participation!

James DeSantis, Ph.D.
James Bell Associates

First Reminder Email

Timing: To be sent 1 week after invitation.

Subject Line: Deadline Approaching: Your perspective about collaboration and communication in the Capacity Building Collaborative

Body message:

Dear [First Name],

I am writing with a reminder regarding the survey invitation I sent on [Date of Invite Email]. Perhaps you haven’t yet had a chance to complete the survey. Would you please do so now?

I understand you have many demands on your time; however you are in the best position to inform our understanding of collaboration and communication in the Collaborative.

This survey will close on [date] and takes approximately 13 minutes to complete.

Click Here to Start the Survey.

Thank you in advance,

James DeSantis, Ph.D.
James Bell Associates

Second Reminder Email

Timing: To be sent 1 day before survey close.

Subject Line: Final Request: Your perspective about collaboration and communication in the Capacity Building Collaborative

Body message:

Dear [First Name],

This is a final request that you please complete a survey on your perspective about collaboration and communication in the Capacity Building Collaborative. Perhaps you haven’t yet had a chance to complete the survey. Would you please do so now?

I understand you have many demands on your time; however you are in the best position to inform our understanding of collaboration and communication in the Collaborative.

This survey will close on [date] and takes approximately 13 minutes to complete.

Click Here to Start the Survey.

Thank you so much.

Sincerely,

James DeSantis, Ph.D.
James Bell Associates

Collaborative Team Survey

Initial Invitation Email

Subject Line: Please provide your perspective about collaboration among the [collaborative team name]

Body message:

Dear [First Name],

My name is James DeSantis, from James Bell Associates. I am the project director for the Children’s Bureau’s Cross-Center Evaluation of the Capacity Building Collaborative. I am writing because you were identified by one of the Capacity Building centers as someone, , that contributed to [name of co-created project or communication team].

We ask that you complete a survey to give us your perspective about how the team worked together and whether factors that support collaboration were present. You will be asked to complete this survey two times. This is the [first/last] time you will be asked to respond.

The survey will take approximately 14 minutes to complete.

If you have any questions about the survey, please contact me via email at [email protected] or toll-free via phone at 1-800-546-3230.

The survey will close on [Date], so please be sure to complete the survey before then!

Please click on the link below to begin the survey.

Click Here to Start the Survey

We thank you for your participation!

James DeSantis, Ph.D.
James Bell Associates

First Reminder Email

Timing: To be sent 1 week after invitation.

Subject Line: Deadline Approaching: Your perspective about collaboration among the [collaborative team name]

Body message:

Dear [First Name],

I am writing with a reminder regarding the survey invitation I sent on [Date of Invite Email]. Perhaps you haven’t yet had a chance to complete the survey. Would you please do so now?

I understand you have many demands on your time; however you are in the best position to inform our understanding of how [name of co-created project or communication team] collaborated.

This survey will close on [date] and takes approximately 14 minutes to complete.

Click Here to Start the Survey.

Thank you in advance,

James DeSantis, Ph.D.
James Bell Associates

Second Reminder Email

Timing: To be sent 1 day before survey close.

Subject Line: Final Request: Your perspective about collaboration among the [collaborative team name]

Body message:

Dear [First Name],

This is a final request that you please complete a survey on your perspective about collaboration among the [name of co-created project or communication team]. Perhaps you haven’t yet had a chance to complete the survey. Would you please do so now?

I understand you have many demands on your time; however you are in the best position to inform our understanding of how this team worked together.

This survey will close on [date] and takes approximately 14 minutes to complete.

Click Here to Start the Survey.

Thank you so much.

Sincerely,

James DeSantis, Ph.D.
James Bell Associates

Leadership Interview

Children’s Bureau Letter Template to Tribal Chair

[ACYF Letterhead]

[Name of Tribal Chair]

[Title/Position]

[Tribe]

[Address]

[City, State, Zip]

Dear [Chairman/Chairwoman LAST NAME],

On behalf of the Children’s Bureau (CB) in the Administration on Children, Youth, and Families, Administration for Youth and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I am writing to invite the Director of your Tribal Child Welfare Agency to participate in an important evaluation of the Child Welfare Capacity Building Collaborative, a federally funded partnership that is comprised of three Centers – the Center for States, the Center for Tribes and the Center for Courts. The Capacity Building Collaborative provides free resources, training, technical assistance, and consultation to tribal, state, and territorial child welfare systems and Court Improvement Programs in order to support their efforts to build organizational capacity and improve practice. This letter also has been sent directly to your Tribal Child Welfare Director.

In September 2019, CB awarded a contract to James Bell Associates (JBA) and ICF International to independently evaluate the services provided by the Collaborative. Findings from this multi-year, cross-center evaluation will provide CB and the Centers with valuable information about the factors and conditions that may contribute to improved organizational capacity and about the quality, utilization, and effectiveness of services.

In the coming weeks, JBA will send out letters to all state child welfare agency directors and to directors in select tribes, territories, and Court Improvement Programs that have received services that were tailored to the unique needs of their systems. JBA’s letter will provide greater detail about the cross-center evaluation, and it will invite your Tribe’s Child Welfare Director or designees to participate in a 75 minute phone interview. Directors are invited and encouraged but not required to participate in this interview and can skip questions or sections if they choose. Whether or not your Director participates will not affect your Tribe’s eligibility for capacity building services from the Collaborative in the future. If your director chooses to participate, an interview will be scheduled at his or her convenience. The interview will include questions about your system’s efforts to build capacity and implement changes in practice, factors that have facilitated or inhibited change initiatives, and the impact this assistance from the Collaborative had on the agency. Each respondent’s privacy is very important to us. Information will be aggregated across tribal child welfare agencies and responses will not be associated with individual respondents. We hope that your Child Welfare Director or designee is able to participate in this important evaluation.

Sincerely,

[SIGNATURE BLOCK]

Name

Position

Children’s Bureau

Children’s Bureau Letter Template to Child Welfare and CIP Directors

[ACYF Letterhead]

[State/Tribe CW Director or CIP Director] Name, Title

[State/Tribe CW Department]

[State/Tribe CW Division]

Address1

Address2

City, State, Zip

Dear Director Last Name,

On behalf of the Children’s Bureau (CB) in the Administration on Children, Youth, and Families, Administration for Youth and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I am writing to invite you to participate in an important evaluation of the Child Welfare Capacity Building Collaborative, a federally funded partnership that is comprised of three Centers – the Center for States, the Center for Tribes and the Center for Courts. The Capacity Building Collaborative provides free resources, training, technical assistance, and consultation to state, territorial, and tribal child welfare systems and Court Improvement Programs in order to support their efforts to build organizational capacity and improve practice.

In the coming weeks, JBA will send out letters to all state child welfare agency directors and to directors in select tribes, territories, and Court Improvement Programs that have received services that were tailored to the unique needs of their systems. JBA’s letter will provide greater detail about the cross-center evaluation, and it will request your participation in a one-hour phone interview. You are invited and encouraged but not required to participate in this interview and you can skip questions or sections if you choose. You can also designate someone to respond to the interview questions on your behalf. Whether or not you participate will not affect your organization’s eligibility for capacity building services from the Collaborative in the future. If you choose to participate, an interview will be scheduled at your convenience. The interview will include questions about your system’s [program’s] efforts to build capacity and implement changes in practice, factors that have facilitated or inhibited change initiatives, whether assistance was provided by members of the Capacity Building Collaborative, and the impact this assistance has had on your organization. Your privacy is very important to us. Information will be aggregated across child welfare agencies and Court Improvement Programs and responses will not be associated with individual respondents. We hope that you are able to participate in this important evaluation.

Sincerely,

[SIGNATURE BLOCK]

Name

Position

Children’s Bureau

James Bell Associates Letter Template to Child Welfare and CIP Directors

[JBA Letterhead]

[State/Tribe CW Director or CIP Director] Name, Title

[State/Tribe CW Department]

[State/Tribe CW Division]

Address1

Address2

City, State, Zip

Dear Director Last Name,

Recently, a letter was mailed to you from [Name, Title, Children’s Bureau (CB), Administration for Children and Families], regarding an evaluation of the Capacity Building Collaborative, a federally funded partnership that is comprised of the Center for States, Center for Tribes, and Center for Courts. James Bell Associates (JBA) and ICF International are conducting this independent evaluation. The cross-center evaluation examines the role of the Collaborative in helping states, territories, tribes, and Court Improvement Programs to build capacity and implement changes in practice that are intended to improve child and family outcomes.

One component of this national evaluation involves telephone interviews with child welfare and Court Improvement Program directors from states, territories, and tribes. The interviews are intended to gather valuable information that will help CB and Centers understand factors that facilitate or inhibit agency and court improvement initiatives; whether assistance was received from Centers in the Collaborative; and the impact this assistance may have had on improvement efforts. If you are unavailable to participate, we encourage you to designate someone to participate in the interview on your behalf.

In the coming weeks, a member of the JBA cross-center evaluation team will contact you by e-mail to arrange a telephone interview at your convenience. The interview is expected to last approximately [60/75] minutes. A copy of the interview questions will be provided to you in advance so that you can review the questions. Our past experience has found that similar interviews may require the input of additional staff in order to answer all of the questions. In the event that additional staff are needed to respond to the interview questions, you may wish to have them participate during the interview or seek input from them in advance.

Also, your privacy is very important to us. Information that is shared with us during the interview will be aggregated across state child welfare agencies, tribal child welfare agencies, and court improvement programs and will not be associated with individual respondents. Participation in this interview is not required and questions or sections can be skipped, if desired. Participation in these interviews will have no impact on the ability of your [agency/program] to receive capacity building services from the Centers in the Collaborative.

If you have any questions about the interview, please feel free to contact me via e-mail at [email protected] or by telephone at 703-528-3230. We hope that you are able to participate in this important evaluation and look forward to speaking with you in the near future.

Sincerely,

[SIGNATURE BLOCK]

James DeSantis, Ph.D.

Project Director

James Bell Associates

Email to Leadership Interview Respondents

Dear [Agency/CIP Director]:

James Bell Associates (JBA) is conducting an independent evaluation of the Children’s Bureau’s Child Welfare Capacity Building Collaborative, which includes the Center for States, Center for Tribes, and Center for Courts. This evaluation addresses the role of the Collaborative in helping States, Tribes, and Court Improvement Programs (CIPs) to enhance the capacity of their child welfare systems.

One important component of this national evaluation involves telephone interviews with State and Tribal child welfare directors and CIP directors. The interviews are intended to gather valuable information that will help us better understand the factors that influence your decisions to use the services of the Centers and your experiences with the services you have received from the Capacity Building Center for [States/Tribes/Courts].

During the last few weeks you should have received an invitation to participate in these interviews from [Name, position, Children’s Bureau], and a follow-up letter from JBA about a week later. I am attaching here a copy of the Children's Bureau letter as well as a copy of the JBA letter.

We hope that you are able to participate in this important evaluation. If you are unavailable to participate, I would encourage you to designate someone to participate in the interview on your behalf.

The telephone interview is expected to last approximately [enter time]. We will send you the interview questions in advance so that you can review the questions before the call.

We are currently scheduling the phone interviews through [enter month]. What dates and times might be convenient for you for the phone interview, during [enter months]? You can reach me via email [your email address] or phone [your phone number].

We look forward to speaking with you soon.

Sincerely,

[your name]

Tailored Services Survey

Initial Invitation Email

Subject Line: Survey about your team's opinions on [Jurisdiction's] experience with the Center for [States/Courts/Tribes]

Body message:

Dear [First Name],

My name is James DeSantis, from James Bell Associates. I am the project director for the Children’s Bureau’s Cross-Center Evaluation of the Capacity Building Collaborative. I am writing because as the lead recipient of capacity building services from the Center for [States/Courts/Tribes], you are in the best position to provide us with your team’s perspective on the services you received about [project name]. We ask that you complete a survey about your team’s experiences. . Information you provide will be used to help us to understand what teams learn through their work with the Center for [States/Courts/Tribes] and recipients' satisfaction with these services.

Before completing the survey online, we ask that you consult with any other key team members who worked on the project to obtain their perceptions about the answers to these items. A copy of the survey questions is attached, so you can share it with your team members for their review and consideration. When you have done that, please complete the online survey on behalf of the team.

The survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete.

If you have any questions or concerns about the survey or the evaluation, you may contact Project Director James DeSantis at [email protected].

The survey will close on [Date], so please be sure to complete the survey before then!

Click Here to Start the Survey

We thank you for your participation!

James DeSantis, Ph.D.
James Bell Associates

First Reminder Email

Timing: To be sent 1 week after invitation.

Subject Line: Deadline Approaching: Your team's opinion on [Jurisdiction’s] Experiences with the Center for [States/Courts/Tribes]

Body message:

Dear [First Name],

I am writing with a reminder regarding the survey invitation I sent on [Date of Invite Email] to provide your team's perspective regarding the services received about [project name]. Perhaps you haven’t yet had a chance to complete the survey. Would you please do so now?

I understand you have many demands on your time; however, you are in the best position to inform our understanding about what teams learn through their work with the Capacity Building Center, and the team's satisfaction with these services. Obtaining your feedback is the best way to measure what’s working and what’s not.

This survey will close on [date] and takes approximately 15 minutes to complete.

I’ve included my original email with your survey link below or you can Click Here to Start the Survey.

Thank you in advance,

James DeSantis, Ph.D.
James Bell Associates

[Original Message, as written above]

Second Reminder Email

Timing: To be sent 1 day before survey close.

Subject Line: Final Request: Your opinion on [Jurisdiction’s] Experiences with the Center for [States/Courts/Tribes]

Body message:

Dear [First Name],

This is a final request that you please complete a survey on your team's opinion of [Jurisdiction]’s experience with the Center for [States/Courts/Tribes] regarding the services received about [project name]. Perhaps you haven’t yet had a chance to complete the survey. Would you please do so now?

This survey will close on [date] and takes approximately 15 minutes to complete.

I’ve included our original email with your survey link below or you can Click Here to Start the Survey.

Thank you so much.

Sincerely,

James DeSantis, Ph.D.
James Bell Associates

[Original Message, as written above]

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Author	Amanda Thomson
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File Created	2022-05-20

Appendix 3 - Cross Center Recruitment and Reminder language