Understanding the Role of Academic Partners as Technical Assistance Providers: Results from an Exploratory Study to Address Precarious Work

Abstract

Universities may be well poised to support knowledge, skill, and capacity-building efforts to foster the development of multi-level interventions to address complex problems. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) engaged organizations interested in developing policy- and systems-level initiatives to address the drivers of precarious work in a six-meeting Action Learning (AL) process, in which the researchers served as technical assistance (TA) providers focused on facilitating learning and promoting critical thinking among participants. This exploratory qualitative study examined the role, facilitators, challenges, and impacts of university facilitation in this context. A total of 22 individuals participated in this study, including UIC TA providers, content expert TA providers from labor-focused organizations, and TA recipients from health-focused organizations. Results from interviews and a focus group highlight the utility of a university connecting organizations from different disciplines that do not traditionally work together, and suggest that the TA provided by UIC helped participants think concretely about precarious work and ways in which their organizations might work collaboratively to bring about sustainable change. Findings from this study suggest that university facilitation using an AL approach may be effective in increasing knowledge to action.

Leveraging Key Informant Interviews to Inform Intervention Development: The Greater Lawndale Healthy Work Project

“…Key informants were also able to discuss work in the context of local culture and diversity, and identify assets, gaps, and resources at the neighborhood-and community-level. 33 A preliminary thematic analysis of the data did not deepen our understanding of the phenomenon of work at the neighborhood level. Instead, we found the nature of the interview data well-suited to contribute to a broader understanding of emic stakeholder perceptions about multi-level community interventions.…”

A scoping review of the evaluation and effectiveness of technical assistance

“…Second, among studies that do include TA definitions, definitions are highly variable, reflecting different understandings of TA’s purpose, process, and provision. For example, some definitions reflect a general aim for TA (e.g., “to build the capacity of individuals or organizations” [ 32 ]), while other definitions offer a more specific aim (e.g., “to facilitate knowledge and skill acquisition” [ 44 ]). In terms of implementation, some TA definitions encompass a variety of processes or activities (e.g., a “multi-tiered approach” [ 32 ]; “different types of activities including community-friendly manuals, on-site consultation, regional workshops, train-the-trainers models, and interactive Web-based systems” [ 43 ]).…”

“…For example, some definitions reflect a general aim for TA (e.g., “to build the capacity of individuals or organizations” [ 32 ]), while other definitions offer a more specific aim (e.g., “to facilitate knowledge and skill acquisition” [ 44 ]). In terms of implementation, some TA definitions encompass a variety of processes or activities (e.g., a “multi-tiered approach” [ 32 ]; “different types of activities including community-friendly manuals, on-site consultation, regional workshops, train-the-trainers models, and interactive Web-based systems” [ 43 ]). Others use less specific language (e.g., “support to help…” [ 36 ]; “tailored or targeted support to…” [ 38 ]).…”

Evaluation Results From the Healthy Work Collaborative: A Cross-Sectoral Capacity Building Partnership to Address Precarious Employment

“…TA to support systems change has begun to show progress (Asada et al, 2019) and involves both process and content components (Le et al, 2016). In the HWC, TA occurred in two ways: (a) labor sector activists were paid to share content expertise on PE as well as to support transformative skill building process expertise (e.g., power analysis; Bonney et al, 2020); and (b) University researchers provided process TA to help facilitate action learning (Bonney et al, 2019).…”

“…Participants learned tools such as Rich Picture—a systems-thinking-based participatory modeling exercise (Checkland, 2000) in Phase 1; Power Analysis—a process for analyzing individual, group, organizational, and systems power and privilege ( Power Analysis, Racial Equity Tools , n.d.) and Current State/Future State—an adapted strategic planning tool for action planning (Conner, 1993) in Phase 2; and Theory of Change—a planning and measurement tool used in complex contexts ( Center for Theory of Change, Theory of Change Community , n.d.) in Phase 3. HWC has been described elsewhere in more depth (Bonney et al, 2019); Table 1 presents the HWC Logic Model.…”