TULSA, OK – ImpactTulsa is proud to be one of the co-hosts of the CLI Professional Group. At the end of 2020, the Continuous Learning & Improvement (CLI) Professionals group was birthed through collaboration among representatives from five organizations in Tulsa – Asemio, CAP Tulsa, City Year, ImpactTulsa, and Youth Services of Tulsa. This space was designed for peer learning as a way to strengthen the practice of CLI across the community. This initiative creates the opportunity to have a community that thrives on continuously improving and being data-driven. The CLI framework enhances the decisions that impact programs, processes, and systems in ways that disrupt inequities.
The CLI Professionals Group Journey:
Throughout 2022, 84 attendees gathered to collaborate, learn and share resources. Here are notablehighlights from those convenings:
- Expanded offerings in Community Asset Mapping Portal (CAMP)
- Implemented game-like learning to explain the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) to someone who has never used it before
- Adapting CLI tools for implementation of a specific work and team
- Measuring what matters and going beyond just numbers “Strong facial expressions can in fact be data”- For example, even reading the body language of a group can provide valuable insight, but it will only be valuable if you take the time to notice and discuss.”
- Collaborating on how to make data more engaging and increasing data literacy
- Identifying and trying out new collaboration tools, that provide collaborative spaces in real-time or asynchronously
- Adopting the idea that CLI is more than just a framework or tool, it is “a way of being”
While the CLI Professionals Group is co-led with other organizations in the community, ImpactTulsa’s priority for CLI is a more collaborative improvement approach. This includes being equity and results-driven, human-centered in design, and of course using continuous improvement. When we begin to consider all of those components, it was a good reminder to SLOW DOWN and think about the people and community, and most importantly, what it means for the work and purpose of this group.
“My hope is that people were able to see the connectivity between presentations and how building success for the broader goals of our work requires intentional planning and collaboration across many groups with a cross-section of ideas. We all can and must be supportive of each other, to feel comfortable asking each other for thought partnership as we struggle through our daily grind.”
-Jim Provenzano, CLI Professional Group Guest Speaker
Where We Are Now:
In preparation for 2023, the planning committee, made up of eight individuals from seven different organizations, came together to finetune the vision for the group. These conversations led us to expand the target audience, define a clearer purpose, identify key components of the group, and develop outcomes on an individual, organizational, and community level. While planning sessions will continue, the 2023 calendar is set!
Where We Are Headed:
The February session focused on the overview of continuous learning and improvements. The regular bi-monthly sessions will be based on themes guided by the different phases of the CLI process. By the end of 2023, we will have journeyed through the CLI Cycle, as seen here. From understanding the current conditions of the problem, to reviewing and celebrating successes, we will continue to collaborate and share our progress. We hope to see many more iterations of this work in order to meet the needs of our community and the individuals who carry out improvement work.
What This Means for You:
If the CLI Professionals Group sessions apply to your work or interests, we encourage you to jump in. Sessions are structured in a way that allows individuals to find meaning whether they are dropping in for the first time or if they’ve attended previous sessions.
To learn more about this peer learning space, click here. If you’re interested in being a guest speaker for an upcoming session, please reach out to tulsaciprofessionals@gmail.com
