Facilitation for Results A Case Study: KANGO
by Nance Munderloh
Partners
Colby Community College
Colby Adult Education
Kansas Works
Norton Correctional
Facility
The Project
Raise skill sets of inmates for higher level employment and/ or post secondary entry.
Assist in obtaining WORKReady certificates.
Providing opportunity for inmates to enroll in and complete a college certificate program.
Provide assistance in reintegrating into individuals into the job market.
Purpose for Meeting
Dialogue concerning the KANGO grant.
Determine the current status.Discuss opportunities to solidify
and improve programming. Improve communication between
agencies.Recognize requirements for each
agency.
Issues in the Margins
• Previous relationships• Communication • Feeling left out of the loop• What’s in it for me?• Do we get credit?• Rules and regulations.
Key Stakeholder: Colby Community College
• President: Dr. Kreider
• Outreach Coordinator: Troy Beilser
• Outreach Instructor: Criquet Cole
Desire to grow CCC programming in the Norton Facility
Connectivity with partners Insight into inmate needs Need successful students Continued programming Implementation of new
courses Current status, positive
and negative Need successful students Future employment
Key Stakeholder: CAE
Director: Nance Munderloh
Instructor: Dian Organ
Instructor: Jesse Vincent
Permanent education classes for inmates
Curriculum meeting the needs and challenges of the men
Continued interest and funding opportunities at NCF
Outcomes
Key Stakeholder: Kansas Works
Offender Workforce Development Specialist: Cindy Villerreal
WIA eligible Career
Opportunities Aptitude Release Plans WorkReady
Certification Follow Up
Key Stakeholder: NCF
Staff Inmates
Less recidivism Better
preparation More resources Breaking the
cycle of incarceration
Facilitator: Nance Munderloh
Knowledgeable concerning the grant
Acquainted with all agencies
Concern for all parties to be included and active participants
Responsible for reporting
By default
Professional meeting Covered agenda Time used
effectively All voices heard New information
gathered No dominance Remained neutral Did not dominate,
asked for input
Selection Effectiveness
Pre-planning
Determine time and location of meeting (scheduled the meeting after an event all were attending related to the grant)
Scheduled with NCF Invited key stakeholders: Sent
out an agenda and a copy of the grant for all to review prior to the meeting
Invitation and Agenda
MEMO To: Dr. Lynn Kreider, Troy Beilser, Criquet Cole, Cindy Villerreal, Jay
Shelton, Hazel Petersen, Matthew Woodyard and Dian OrganFrom:Nance Munderloh, CCC Adult Education Director, and KANGO
CoordinatorDate: January 23, 2010 (following the first KANGO graduation in the
reentry building) Re: Planning and Review Meeting for the KANGO Project PartnershipMessage: Hello Everyone The KANGO grant was an enormous undertaking in a short
amount of time but the work we put into the planning and execution is paying off! We are seeing the results of our efforts in many areas including 25 WORKReady certificates achieved, a class of nine completing the college certificate class, and scores increasing in skill and academic areas. The men involved in the project as well as those hoping to be included are excited and see new hope and opportunity because of this initiative.
With one session under our belts, it is time to re-evaluate and review. I would like for all of you to plan to meet after the graduation. Please take time to review the grant and reflect upon how the partnership is working and if your expectations have been met.
There have been many questions concerning who is doing what and why. For this meeting, plan to share your agency’s focus. It will be a time to educate others on your specific roles in the community and with the grant. The more we know about each other, the better we can partner and assist one another in meeting the required criteria of each agency.
To attempt to increase productivity and to be sure all involved have a voice, this meeting will be facilitate. Attached you will find a basic agenda, plan for the meeting to last about an hour and a half. Another meeting will be set to follow up the next session, and a final meeting at the conclusion of the grant.
I look forward to seeing all of you at the ceremony and hope you will be able to stay for the meeting. Please feel free to include additional stakeholders that I have overlooked.
January 26, 2010Meeting in re-entry building following
graduation ceremony AgendaReview of the meeting purpose.Set ground rules.Introductions.Discussion Topic 1: KANGO at NCF Define KANGO goals What is your agency’s function? Topic 2: Current Status Positives Negatives Barriers and issues Change or delete Topic 3: Future College Adult Education Work Force NCF 5. Recap
Room Set Up
A circle of chairs provided eye contact and easy communication for participants.
Ground Rules
No side bars, let everyone hear all discussion
Stay focuses on the Opportunity for all to be heard Listen first, speak after digesting
information Be considerate of time constraints Ask, don’t assume Be sure the recorder is able to write
the meaning of your comments, be prepared to recap and/or summarize
Facilitation Process
Emphasis on hearing and clarifying each participant’s response
Around the circle participation used to be sure all are heard process with the option to pass
Responses from individuals who were quiet
Questions were asked in open ended format
No conflict, interested and cooperative learning and collaboration
Participate Please
Expert Sponsor Clarify Visioning Concerns Devil’s
Advocate
Share Knowledge What is required Request more
information Picture how it will
look Look at drawbacks Bring out
perspectives
Key Points of Discussion
What see do you see as the major purpose of the grant project?
• Assist in changing individuals so they won’t return to prison• Be sure needs are assessed and appropriate education is provided• Instill a less victimized thinking and become more focused on positive moves for the future• Instruct individuals in gaining the skills (academic, social, and personal) needed for successful employment and contented lives.• Outcomes, outcomes, outcomes.• Hope and opportunity.• Continue visioning for the remainder of the grant
Topic 1
Key Points of Discussion
Guidance and direction. Safety and foundational rules and regulations
(NCF). Assistance in building skills. Assistance in preparing for college courses. High level skills. A certificate program for higher paying jobs. Provision of curriculum and materials. Provision of required equipment. Instructional power. Pre and post counseling and career/job
assistance. Emphasis on constructive steps while
incarcerated to assist on the outside. Opportunity to take aptitude tests to assist in
career choices. Assuring the requirements of the grant are
met. Tracking and administering the grant. Communicating with all partners
What do you see your agency or institution’s part in the grant?
Topic 1
Key Points of Discussion
“I got a lot out of all of the classes. My self esteem was boosted, I found I was able to focus and apply myself. My skills have improved in many areas including how I act in and out of class, my basic math, reading and writing, and of course the focus area of business and technology.”
Many inmates are benefiting: the work and life skill classes have been bolstered with more content, materials and extended time to work on more skill sets.
Inmates involved with the grant are talking and sharing the positive changes in their life with others. This is becoming a desired course. It means changes in daily behavior and attitudes as the inmates strive to become a part of the program.
Most of the participants have finished courses. Only one has been unable to complete the college course, and for the most part, those leaving work and life skills classes are due to unavoidable court dates.
Collaborative efforts to serve specific individuals before release. Setting a higher standard for life. Changes the limitations inmates had because of their lack of tool set
needed for a vocation. Interest’s individuals in furthering their education; these trickles
down to family. Has individuals leaving with WORKReady giving them a step up. Beginning to reorient the inmate and the community through
collaborative efforts and positive news and information shared outside the fence.
Current Status – Positive
Topic 2
Topic 2
Not a hard and fast determination of who is to be accepted in college courses. Suggest setting a good baseline of expectations for future groups and vetting names through all partners to determine best candidates based on the requirements outlined.
Learners in college course are not as receptive unless they have already gone through the work and life skills course. Obvious difference in the first group. Suggest requiring it as a prerequisite.
Not enough available, some are attending both work and life and college concurrently. Suggest doing a study to determine how students compare if they a) took work and life skills then the college course, b) took the course concurrently or c) had never taken the course at all.
Large barrier we are currently overcoming has been misunderstanding of who was responsible for what and when. This problem didn’t appear for a while, but when it did it merely showed a lack of communication. This meeting is an excellent “right step” in solving the problem.
Trying to fulfill the requirements of all agencies. This will be easier now that we have shared what is required by all.
Having inmates move or go to segregation. Lack of internet. Not knowing release dates. Provide more in depth curriculum for WorkReady specific
instruction. More collaboration for resumes, cover letters and interviewing.
Current Status: Barriers, Negatives, Change or Delete?
Key Points of Discussion
Topic 3
Possible follow up and tracking after release. Consider manufacturing skill set. Concrete application process for college classes. Only offering half the certificate without cost so more men can take
advantage of the grant and also start a trend for continuing classes.
Possible exceptions from the college concerning fees or tuition. What other grants are possible? Who might apply for them? Have Jess Randal go through volunteer training so he is able to
work on the technology. Change the process for entering in Kansas Works. Go through
Colby office to lessen work load for Hays. Meeting to identify WIA eligible. Review LSIR. “Remember this is a gift through stimulus, what makes it
successful is high expectations for staff and inmates.” Prepare inmates for reality, to be ready for re-entry, not a watered
down idea of what awaits them. Have collaborative re-entry plans for inmates designed with the
assistance of the inmate so it is real and viable. Add more college credit classes. Have more specific classes leveled according to assessments. Year - long schedule to be used so courses can be identified and
administered at the most optimum time for inmates. Follow up, follow up, and follow up. Look for continued financial support.
The Future
Key Points of Discussion
Key Points of Discussion
PROJECTED
WorkReady 30
Enter College Course 20
Complete College Course 10
Enter the workforce ?
CURRENT STATUS
WorkReady 25
Enter College Course 20
Complete College Course 9
Enter the workforce ?
Objectives
**** Plan to test 30 additional in WorkReady and potentially have 20 more entering college courses. Difficult to determine job entry because of incomplete follow up information.
Outcomes of the Meeting
Solid understanding of the project
All agencies on the “same page”Clarification of all agency
contributions Awareness of partner
requirementsCooperative effortsCollaborative mindset Vision for the future
Future Plans
Meet again following second session
Final meeting after grant completion
Explore collaborative projects Investigate continued funding
Evaluation
Facilitation makes the difference between a time wasting and ineffective meeting and a well organized, efficient and productive meeting allowing for the voices of all and the coming together of many ideas and backgrounds.