Phase 3: Team Assessment

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In the video below, Joan Bragar discusses the third phase in teamwork, which involves assessing yourself as well as team members.

After Action Review

The objective is to identify what worked and didn't work in the team. Each member will be evaluated based on their performance and their initial team contract.

One way to evaluate the progress and shared lessons learned is through an after action review meeting. Members on a team should discuss what worked well, did not work well and how things should be done differently. The After Action Review handout provides an overview of this process as well as an exercise that you may chose to work on with your team.

Self and Peer Assessment Form

The Self and Peer Assessment Form is a handout that includes eight categories that can be used to assess your peers and yourself. For each item, rate each person and yourself using the 4-point scale given. Think hard and honestly about each of the categories and how you and each group member performed.

Beside each rating item is a space for comments. Include examples or explanations that will explain your ratings, and your individual or peers strengths and contributions. Do your assessments independently - do not share or discuss your scoring or come to a decision based on a group opinion. A rating should be provided from each team member, based on your perceptions and experiences. Submit one form for each person, including yourself, with your name and the assessed person's name on each form.

Virtual Leadership Development Program (VLDP) Family Planning Case Study

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The following case study and related documents originated from the Management Sciences for Health's Virtual Leadership Development Program (VLDP). The case demonstrates how to go from vision to action using the challenge model and an action plan. Follow the example to understand the process for addressing the challenge identified by your team and moving from a vision to a clear action plan with specific activities, dates and accountabilities to move your team towards the vision.

Developing a Measurable Result

Now the time had come for the team to select one measurable result that would move them closer to achieving their vision and address their challenge. They had to set some priorities, and so they chose to focus on a result that would be achievable in the 6 months following the VLDP.

In order to be as clear as possible about their desired result, they used the SMART approach. SMART is an acronym often used to help teams develop good objectives but it can also be applied to developing a good desired measurable result. There are several definitions of SMART that you will read in the literature, but we prefer the following:

Their final measurable result read:

• By December of this year, four Voluntary Counseling and Treatment (VCT) centers will have 2 providers each who are trained in integrated family planning and VCT, leading to a 20% increase in the number of visits for HIV counseling and testing in which clients are asked about reproductive intentions and are counseled about family planning options.

Describing the current situation

The next step for the team was to describe the current situation in relation to their desired measurable result and put it at the head of the fishbone diagram. They put down that 40% of visits to the VCT centers currently included counseling about condoms, and they had been told by the VCT providers informally that providers never asked about current family planning methods or about whether clients wanted to delay or prevent pregnancy. Providers at the VCT centers referred clients who were HIV positive to the GFPA clinics for counseling about family planning. The team wrote down this information at the head of the fishbone diagram. They made a note that they would have to include the collection of data in their action plan in order to establish their baseline and be clear on the current situation. 

Analyzing Root Causes

As a first step in analyzing root causes the team members asked themselves why they hadn't already achieved their desired result if it was so important. They looked at the blank fishbone diagram and brainstormed, under each of the categories, the obstacles that they saw.

Look at the results of this brainstorm from GFPA in the completed fishbone diagram below.

Let's continue with the case to see how GFPA framed the challenge and how they used the Fishbone diagram and the "Five Whys" to analyze root causes.

When the GFPA team filled out their fishbone diagram they saw that there were a number of causes of the current situation that had to do with processes and procedures, policy, people, and the environment. Not all of these were appropriate for them to address.

Then the team used the Five Whys method to get at the root causes of the most important of these primary causes. The "Five Whys" method can be used on its own or it can be used, as the GFPA team did, together with the Fishbone diagram analysis to deepen understanding of the various root causes. Let's look at the results of their analysis below for four of the root causes they identified.

Completing the Challenge Model

The next step for the team was filling out the Challenge Model. They placed the team's vision at the top, followed by the desired measurable result they were seeking. Then they filled in the root causes on the left and the priority actions on the right that would specifically address each of those causes. At the very bottom they put their challenge statement which was richer due to what the team had discovered during the root cause analysis. Below is the team's completed Challenge Model:

Developing the Action Plan

Now the GFPA team was ready to develop their action plan that contained the specific activities to achieve their priority actions to address the challenge. Based on their root cause analysis they decided their four priority actions would focus on:

1. Working with the MOH to develop draft guidelines to integrate family planning and VCT that can be tested in the pilot project
2. Educating donor and senior MOH officials about FP as a critical intervention to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS, using compelling evidence
3. Integrating practical experience in integrated counseling into provider training
4. Hiring more women counselors for VCT centers and providing female clients with an escort home after hours

You can think of this action plan as a map that will start from the first step you have to take to reach your desired measurable result at the end of the journey.

Developing an action plan is not as easy as you might think. Your team has probably done countless action plans in the past, but you have probably not found them very useful as a management tool. We are so used to doing what we have always done, whether it be carrying out trainings or holding meetings that we forget that these activities may not be enough to affect the root causes that we identified in "Five Whys" and the "Fishbone Diagram."

Below you will see the GFPA team's action plan. They wrote down their challenge and their desired measurable result at the top left of the action plan sheet. Then they wrote down the indicators on the top right. Then they put all of the activities that they would implement to conduct the priority actions they selected.

Activities	Person Responsible	Activity Completion Date	Resources Needed
Meet with central level MOH officials to agree on guidelines for integrated services	Team	June 2009	Time of the team and counterparts
Meet with VCT staff to discuss the project and get buy-in	Team	June 2009	Time of the team and counterparts, refreshments
Prepare (scan for) a presentation to key MOH stakeholders and donors to show compelling evidence of the critical contribution of FP to halt the spread of HIV/AIDS	Team	June 2009	Time of the team and Internet access time
Present to donors and key stakeholders	GFPA Director & team	July 2009
Follow up to get assurance of a continuous flow of contraceptive commodities for VCT centers	GFPA Director	July 2009	Director's time
Carry out baseline study of what family planning information is communicated during VCT visits through provider questionnaires and client exit interviews	Noelia	July 2009	Noelia's time and transport to local radio stations
Adapt VCT training curriculum to include family planning information and education	Andreas and team	July 2009	Time of the team
Hire one female counselor for each VCT center	GFPA Director	July 2009	Time of GFPA director, salary of new staff
Meetings with community leaders to provide escorts for women using the center at night	GFPA Director	July 2009	Time of GFPA director, refreshments
Training of 8 providers	Cita	August 2009	Cita's time, transport, food and refreshments
Training post test	Noha	August 2009	Noha's time, test materials
Baseline assessment of availability of family planning commodities in 4 VCT centers	Noelia	August 2009	Commodities
Pilot project begins in VCT clinics	Providers	September to December 2009
Provider and client interviews for collection of indicator data for follow up	Noelia and Cita	December 20090	Noelias's time
Evaluation meeting with MOH officials and VCT providers	Team	January 2010	Time of team transportation, refreshments
Writing of report and dissemination of results to key stakeholders	GFPA Director	January 2010	Director's time, mailing

Checking the Quality of the Action Plan

For a final check, look back over the action plan for GFPA and answer the following questions from the Action Plan Checklist: