A PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION SCIENCE HEURISTIC FOR ORGANIZATIONAL READINESS: R = MC²

Abstract

There are many challenges when an innovation (i.e., a program, process, or policy that is new to an organization) is actively introduced into an organization. One critical component for successful implementation is the organization’s readiness for the innovation. In this article, we propose a practical implementation science heuristic, abbreviated as R= MC2. We propose that organizational readiness involves: 1) the motivation to implement an innovation, 2) the general capacities of an organization, and 3) the innovation-specific capacities needed for a particular innovation. Each of these components can be assessed independently and be used formatively. The heuristic can be used by organizations to assess readiness to implement and by training and technical assistance providers to help build organizational readiness. We present an illustration of the heuristic by showing how behavioral health organizations differ in readiness to implement a peer specialist initiative. Implications for research and practice of organizational readiness are discussed.

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“…Balancing decision-making around when to keep working with struggling agencies versus dismissing them from efforts to implement EBP is an area that warrants future research. Organizational readiness (Scaccia et al, 2015), or how ready an organization is to implement an innovation, can provide important insights into this process.…”

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“…One recently developed way of conceptualizing readiness takes into account this balance between general and intervention-specific readiness using the formula, R=MC 2 (Readiness=Motivation×General Capacity× InterventionSpecific Capacity; Scaccia et al 2015). In this formula, the authors suggest that being motivated to use a new intervention is important but is not enough.…”

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“…For example, Scaccia et al present a heuristic for organizational readiness, which is described as R = MC 2 . 47 The "R" is for readiness, while the "M" is for motivation and "C 2 " is for two types of capacity. Motivation includes perceived incentives and disincentives that make an innovation attractive.…”