Form 002 - ECCS 002 - ECCS Attachment B - ECCS Team Member Survey

Attachment B: ECCS State Team Member Survey

Survey of ECCS State Team Members

The Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services would like to learn about the progress that the Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems Initiative (ECCS) has made in improving State early childhood systems. Your responses to this questionnaire will be part of a national evaluation of the implementation and effectiveness of the ECCS Grant Program.

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0990-XXXX . The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 20 minutes per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed, and complete and review the information collection. If you have comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate(s) or suggestions for improving this form, please write to: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, OS/OCIO/PRA, 200 Independence Ave., S.W., Suite 537-H, Washington D.C. 20201, Attention: PRA Reports Clearance Officer

Your agency’s name and location, and your general job title (e.g. State Home Visiting Coordinator) will be identified in reports prepared for this study and in data files provided to HRSA. None of your responses will be released in a form that identifies you or any other staff member by name.

Your feedback is important. Please answer each question honestly and thoughtfully. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Amy Brown, the Altarum Institute Project Manager, at 202–828–5100.

I. State Team Structure and Function

First, we will cover the structure and functioning of your ECCS State Team. MCHB defines your State Team as all your partners who are working with you to implement the systems-building activities included in your state plan.

Please check the box that corresponds to the extent to which you agree or disagree with each of the following statements. (Check one in each row)

Statement	Strongly Agree	Agree	Neither Agree nor Disagree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree
State Team member roles and responsibilities are clearly defined.
State team members are mostly middle or upper management in early childhood and human service agencies or organizations.
The appropriate agencies and organizations are represented on the State Team.
There has been minimal turnover of State Team members.
State Team members are engaged in the meetings and work of the Team.
State Team members value the contributions and ideas of others.
State Team members are communicating enough and in the appropriate ways.
I am satisfied with how decisions are made within the State Team.
State Team members have meaningful input in decisionmaking.
State Team members understand the early childhood system.
The State Team’s goals are clear to me.
The strategies to accomplish the State Team’s goals are clear to me.
State Team goals and strategies are regularly reviewed for alignment with the current data, political environment, etc.
I am confident in the State Team’s ability to carry out our ECCS Plan.
Our ECCS Plan is realistic, given the time frame and available resources.
My organization or agency values my representation on the State Team.
State Team members engage and build partnerships with other key stakeholders in the State.

18. Overall how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the progress that the State Team has made on improving the early childhood system in your state or jurisdiction? (Check one)

Very satisfied

Satisfied

Neutral

Dissatisfied

Very dissatisfied

II. Governance

Now we will ask how ECCS has worked to affect change in early childhood governance. Governance involves oversight and authority over your early childhood system, including such things as agency structure, the role of private or public/private entities in that structure, and requirements for interagency collaboration.

Please check the box that corresponds to the extent to which you agree or disagree with each of the following statements. (Check one in each row)

Statement	Strongly Agree	Agree	Neither Agree nor Disagree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree
As a result of ECCS, early childhood agencies or institutions work more effectively together.
The ECCS Initiative is coordinated with other cross-system early childhood initiatives in the State.

21. To what extent has the existence of the State ECCS initiative lead to greater collaboration and coordination with other early childhood initiatives? (Check one)

Large extent

Moderate extent

Minimal extent

Not at all

22. How has political recognition of the need for coordination between early childhood programs changed over the years? (Check one)

Decreased substantially

Decreased somewhat

No change

Increased somewhat

Increased substantially

Unsure

III. Family Leadership on Early Childhood Issues

Now we will ask how ECCS has worked to affect change in family leadership on early childhood issues. Here the focus is on efforts to promote family leadership in your State’s early childhood system.

23. How much focus has ECCS put on promoting family leadership in your state or jurisdiction? (Check one)

A great deal

A fair amount

Limited

ECCS has not made an effort to promote family leadership

24. To what extent are families involved in State early childhood advocacy efforts? (Check one)

Not at all involved

Minimally involved

Somewhat involved

Involved

Very involved

25. Has parental/family leadership on early childhood issues changed over the past 5 years? (Check one)

Decreased substantially

Decreased somewhat

No change

Increased somewhat

Increased substantially

Unsure

IV. Data/Data Development

Next we will ask about how ECCS has affected change in the collection, coordination, and use of early childhood data.

Please check the box that corresponds to the extent to which you agree or disagree with each of the following statements. (Check one in each row)

	Strongly Agree	Agree	Neither Agree nor Disagree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree
The amount of data sharing across programs and components of the early childhood system has increased over the past five years.
ECCS has contributed to the development of procedures that will facilitate the elimination of programs that have failed to demonstrate effectiveness.
The State Team uses data on culturally diverse groups to inform early childhood program/policy discussion and development.

VI. Provider/Practitioner Support

Next, we will ask about ways in which the ECCS Initiative supports providers and practitioners who serve young children and their families.

Please check the box that corresponds to the extent to which ECCS has contributed to the development or enhancement of each of the following. (Check one)

Item	Large Extent	Moderate Extent	Minimal Extent	Did Not Contribute
Information dissemination to early childhood providers and practitioners to support the implementation of best practice/core competencies

Please check the box to the left that indicates the extent to which different items have been used. (Check one in each row to the left) For each item in wide or limited use, check the box to the right that corresponds to how effective it was. (Check one in each row to the right where applicable)

In Wide Use	In Limited Use	Does Not Exist	Item	If you checked “In Wide Use” or “In Limited Use” for an item, indicate how effective it was
				Very Effective	Effective	Neither Effective nor Ineffective	Ineffective	Very Ineffective
			Standardized administrative forms across agencies
			Standardized administrative processes and rules across agencies (e.g., developmental screening processes, eligibility rules)

Please check the box that corresponds to the extent to which ECCS has contributed to the development or enhancement of each of the following. (Check one in each row)

Item	Large Extent	Moderate Extent	Minimal Extent	Did Not Contribute
Development or enhancement of a training system for early childhood providers and practitioners on best practices/core competencies
Development or enhancement of technical assistance for early childhood providers and practitioners on best practices/core competencies.
A technical assistance system for communities engaged in early childhood system building

IF YOU CHECKED “DID NOT CONTRIBUTE” FOR 32, 33, AND 34 THEN GO TO 39

Please check the box that corresponds to the extent to which you agree or disagree with each of the following statements. (Check one in each row)

	Strongly Agree	Agree	Neither Agree nor Disagree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree
Training/technical assistance reflects current literature and best practices.
Training/technical assistance addresses cross-system competencies in areas where the needs of early childhood providers and practitioners overlap.
Feedback mechanisms are used to improve the content, reach, and effectiveness of early childhood provider training/technical assistance.
Training/technical assistance developed with the support of the ECCS Initiative is linked to the content and timing of training offered by other partners.

Please check the box that corresponds to the extent to which you agree or disagree with each of the following statements. (Check one)

	Strongly Agree	Agree	Neither Agree nor Disagree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree
ECCS provider/practitioner support activities have made providers and practitioners more effective in providing comprehensive early childhood services.

VII. Communication

Next we will ask how ECCS has affected communications. Communications covers efforts to explain the importance of system building and early childhood investment to a variety of audiences as well informing the public, providers/practitioners, or policymakers about early childhood development topics.

Please check the box that corresponds to the extent to which you agree or disagree with each of the following statements. (Check one in each row)

Statement	Strongly Agree	Agree	Neither Agree Nor Disagree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree
ECCS outreach efforts are coordinated with the early childhood outreach efforts of other agencies or organizations.
Feedback mechanisms are used to improve the content, reach, and effectiveness of ECCS outreach materials.

42. How effective have the outreach/awareness-raising efforts been? (Check one)

Very effective and sufficient to accomplish larger goals

Moderately effective but not sufficient to accomplish larger goal

Somewhat effective but not sufficient to accomplish larger goal

Efforts have been made BUT have not been effective or have been minimally effective

No or almost no effort has been made

VIII. Federal Efforts

Lastly, we will ask about how Federal efforts have influenced your State’s ECCS Initiative. The Federal Partners workgroup includes representatives from a variety of agencies that address early childhood issues. They have sponsored the partnership meetings that took place in 2007 and 2008 and have worked together on a variety of other issues.

43. How supportive or unsupportive has the Federal Partners Workgroup been of State-level comprehensive systems building? (Check one)

Very supportive

Supportive

Neither supportive nor unsupportive

Unsupportive

Very unsupportive

Not knowledgeable enough about the Workgroup’s activities to respond

44. How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the progress that the Federal Partners Workgroup has made on enhancing coordination among agencies that address early childhood issues? (Check one)

Very satisfied

Satisfied

Neutral

Dissatisfied

Very dissatisfied

Not knowledgeable enough about the Workgroup’s activities to respond

45. How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the progress that the Federal Partners Workgroup has made in coordinating technical assistance across the multiple agencies that address early childhood issues? (Check one)

Very satisfied

Satisfied

Neutral

Dissatisfied

Very dissatisfied

Not knowledgeable enough about the Workgroup’s activities to respond

46. Overall how supportive or unsupportive are Federal agencies of State-level comprehensive systems building? (Check one)

Very supportive

Somewhat supportive

Neither supportive nor unsupportive

Somewhat unsupportive

Very unsupportive

47. What other key outcomes, if any, have you achieved in your State that were not captured in this survey?