A review of 25 technical assistance models and frameworks was conducted to identify the core elements of technical assistance practices. The focus of analysis was on generally agreed upon technical assistance practices that were considered essential for planning, implementing and evaluating the effectiveness of technical assistance. Results…

The article illustrates how the South Africa-Netherlands Research Programme on Alternatives in Development (SANPAD), a doctoral research preparation programme for candidates on the African continent, evolved from an aid programme to an exemplary model of innovation, namely SANTRUST, an ownership-driven partnership within the framework of…

Demands on community-based prevention programs for performance accountability and positive outcomes are ever increasing in the face of constrained resources. Relatively little is known about how technical assistance (TA) should be structured to benefit community-based organizations and to lead to better outcomes. In this study, data from multiple…

The National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (NECTAC) was charged by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) from 2001-2006 to develop, implement, and evaluate an approach to technical assistance that would result in sustainable systems change in state Early Intervention and Preschool Special…

Although youth mentoring programs are widespread, it is clear that there is a great need to increase their quality and quantity. This article provides background on funding initiatives in mentoring, and the role of community organizing and advocacy in influencing the demand for programs. A model that examines the community's role in influencing…

The authors review the relationship of technical assistance agencies with both the sponsor and clients, as well as the general reasons for technical assistance. Technical assistance efforts usually involve a three-party relationship--the funding agency, the client system, and technical assistance coordinator. Technical assistance systems in…

Over time, improvements in HIV/AIDS surveillance and service utilization data have increased their usefulness for planning programs, targeting resources, and otherwise informing HIV/AIDS policy. However, community planning groups, service providers, and health department staff often have difficulty in interpreting and applying the wide array of…

Women farmers are underserved in agricultural education and technical assistance. Long held social constructions of farming women as "farmwives" and in some cases "the bookkeepers" rather than farmers or decision-makers influence the direction of most educational programming delivered through extension programs in land-grant…

Check & Connect was created in a five year period from 1990 to 1995. The original manual, entitled "Keeping Kids in School: Using Check & Connect for Dropout Prevention" and written by David Evelo, Mary Sinclair, Christine Hurley, Sandra Christenson, and Martha Thurlow, was published in 1996 (ED398701). This newly revised Check…

This document includes reports of three research studies concerning the process of providing supported employment services to persons with disabilities. An introductory chapter by Frank Rusch et al. describes the Illinois Supported Employment Project, noting its target population and its technical assistance and program evaluation services. In…

As a result of an evaluation of Title IV programs commissioned by the Utah State Office of Education, this manual addresses the needs of government agencies in providing technical assistance, such as proposal and report preparation or budget management, to local education agencies. Emphasis falls on the funding of technical assistance services,…

The Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired provides outreach services for students with visual impairments throughout the state. Outreach services staff serve families and agencies by providing on-site consultation, workshop presentations, resource and referral, and technology loan services. (JDD)

The Enabler Model (EM), a non-prescriptive approach to help communities implement their early childhood programs, is described in this paper. The model is based on the positive educational value of human individuality, the life-long ability of all humans to learn and develop, and the power of human sociability in determining the content, extent,…

Providing technical support to a large, geographically diverse population is a daunting task. Information technology (IT) organizations must contribute to the teaching and learning mission, while supporting complex and visible administrative operations. All universities and colleges face unprecedented challenges in providing effective computing…

This report analyzes the effectiveness of the High/Scope Parent-to-Parent (PTP) Model as a system for disseminating support to families and communities. Focusing on dissemination to a variety of program sites and efforts to help selected sites function as Regional Training and Dissemination Centers (RTDCs) for the model, the report is divided into…