Implementation strategies: Functions and intentions

Build knowledge and skills

To increase understanding, competence, and confidence.

Communicate and disseminate

To share information clearly and strategically so the right messages reach the right audiences at the right time.

Develop a competent workforce and staffing

To ensure the right people, with the right mix of skills and roles, are available to do the work.

Enhance engagement

To increase interest, involvement, and perceived relevance of the initiative.

Foster relationship building

To build strong working relationships.

Network

To intentionally create, expand, or strengthen connections among people or organizations.

Provide implementation support and develop infrastructure

To provide implementation supports, processes, and structures to enhance implementation and sustainability.

Provide supervision and support

To offer ongoing guidance, feedback, accountability, and emotional support.

Secure and allocate financial resources

To obtain, distribute, and manage funding and other resources.

Strengthen data and information systems

To generate, access, and use data to guide decision-making, learning, and improvement.

Strengthen leadership and organizational commitment

To increase visible leadership support and commitment to the initiative.

Support collective decision-making and address power dynamics

To enable shared decision-making, clarify roles, and intentionally surface and address power imbalances.

Support motivation and intentional action

To motivate and inspire people, or to use approaches to support initial and sustained behavior change.

Advocate

Enact strategies and actions to promote the importance of people and the work at hand.

Be adaptive

Flexibly respond to changing circumstances, challenges, and feedback by adjusting strategies, behaviors, or approaches.

Be culturally / socially responsive

Take steps and actions throughout implementation that recognize and respect a person’s and/or community’s culture (knowledge, values, traditions, etc.) and are responsive to / adaptable based on existing systems and structures (eg., historical and current).

Be intentional

Take purposeful actions that align with values and goals.

Be reflexive

Thoughtfully consider thoughts, assumptions, experiences, behaviors, context, emotional intelligence, triggers, and conflicts of interest.

Build skills

Develop competencies and capabilities.

Change physical environment

Modify the physical space, infrastructure, or switch environments.

Change work structures

Modify work structure procedures and policies, such as scheduling and staffing structures.

Clarify

Specify and reduce ambiguity (eg., providing role clarity).

Communicate

Share / disseminate thoughts, feelings and information.

Create belonging

Foster an environment where individuals feel safe, supported, respected, and included while recognizing and celebrating their skills, contributions, and achievements.

Cultivate trust

Build and strengthen trust amongst individuals or groups.

Demonstrate

Show, model, or illustrate something.

Develop self / collective efficacy

Achieve a high level of proficiency and confidence in skills.

Diversify

Involve various voices, roles, experiences, backgrounds.

Educate

Engage people in learning.

Embody

Personify or consistently behave in ways that are in alignment with the work.

Engage

Encourage / promote interaction and/or connection.

Incentivize

Provide rewards and benefits.

Leverage / acquire resources

Obtain and leverage funding, tools, materials, human resources, and other necessary supports.

Monitor

Track, observe, and evaluate behaviors, processes, and outcomes.

Normalize

Demonstrate that ideas and behaviors have become accepted standards.

Problem solve

Engage in processes, activities, and discussions to understand and resolve pressures and challenges.

Provide feedback

Provide feedback on behaviors, processes, and outcomes.

Raise awareness

Increase understanding, put information, opportunities and challenges on the radar.

Reinforce

Bolster or highlight when behavior changes have occurred.

Remind

Prompt, nudge, and remind.

Restrict

Impose limitations, controls, or boundaries.

Self-empowerment

Harness personal strengths, abilities, and potential to approach work with confidence, purpose, and impact.

Sensemake

Achieve a collective understanding or interpretation.

Shift mindset

Think differently about how to approach the work (eg., through innovation, different attitudes, dealing with uncertainty).

Spark motivation

Ignite motivation by connecting with values, sharing compelling messages, and fostering enthusiasm that drives people to act.

Support agency and ownership

Protect and support people’s agency and sense of ownership in the work.

Support emotional wellbeing

Foster feelings of being heard, valued, and understood through empathy, encouragement, and active listening.

Unify

Foster cohesion towards a common goal.