NJ Department of Human Services Initiates Cultural Shift By Using Appreciative Inquiry
NJ Department of Human Services Moves Toward An Appreciative Environment
James M Davy , Gary L. Brown
NJ Department of Human Services
Trenton, NJ United States
Date 06/17/2004
Annotation: The NJ Department of Human Services (DHS) recently launched a massive organizational-wide Appreciative Inquiry Initiative. DHS provides social services to more than one million New Jersey residents. The largest department in NJ State Government, DHS employs more than 20,000 people. Its budget exceeds $10 billion.
During June, DHS launched a train-the-trainer initiative involving approximately 75 staff representing various offices within the department. The goal of the initiative is to develop a cadre of trained staff who will help infuse Appreciative Inquiry principles throughout the department.
DHS first developed a core team who worked with a consulting group (Weiss Consulting) to develop a train-the-trainer curriculum, participant selection criteria and project selection criteria. Eleven teams comprised of one ambassador (project lead) and a group of facilitators will complete an AI project by October 31, 2005.
After initial training and project completion, core team members, ambassadors, facilitators, with support of DHS training staff, will replicate the initial training throughout the entire department. The ultimate goal is to develop the internal capacity to apply AI in everyday practice including policy development and service delivery.
This is a very ambitious, but attainable goal. Participants are very energized and look forward to:
Discovering and appreciating the best of what is,
Dreaming about bold futures,
Designing affirmative statements that describe an ideal organization
And securing their Destiny by developing inspired actions to
support ongoing learning and innovation to encourage a more positive core.
James M. Davy
Commissioner
NJ Department of Human Services
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