Executive Leadership Challenges Implementing Systemic Change Under Conditions of Litigated Reform

ABSTRACT

A case study was conducted using the lens of second-order change to examine leadership challenges during litigated-based reform of New Jersey’s child welfare agency. Six challenges identified included (a) difficulty implementing the comprehensive reform plan; (b) attempting systemwide change within a weak infrastructure; (c) leadership instability; (d) unclear leader roles and responsibilities; (e) poor diffusion of the case practice model, and (f) weak quality control mechanisms. Three recommendations for reducing implementation failures included developing rich pictures to understand system interdependencies, using open communication to facilitate change readiness, and implementing a sustainable quality review system to guide the change process.

KEYWORDS:

• Management
• leadership and organizational change
• policy research to guide organizational decision making
• organizational theory and analysis

Notes

¹ The New Jersey child welfare system went through several name changes during the litigated reform. To avoid confusion and for consistency in the discussion, the New Jersey child welfare system is referred to as the Division of Children and Families (DCF) throughout the entire discussion. The agency was called the Office of Children’s Services (OCS) when under the auspices of DHS and was renamed DCF when the agency was elevated to an independent cabinet-level agency.