Core Intervention Components
There is some evidence that the more clearly the core components of an intervention program or practice are known and defined, the more readily the program or practice can be implemented successfully (Bauman, Stein, & Ireys, 1991; Dale, Baker, & Racine, 2002; Winter & Szulanski, 2001).
From an implementation point of view, the particular practice or program being implemented (the SOURCE, see Figure 1 in Chapter 3) could be anything: cognitive behavior therapy practices, supported employment programs, intensive homebased treatment programs, group home treatment programs, medical practice guidelines, drug treatment algorithms, new hotel management methods, reforestation programs, or advanced manufacturing technologies.
Aside from the specific content and purpose of evidence-based practices and programs, there are characteristics of those practices and programs that seem to influence implementation. In human services, evidence-based practices and programs usually begin in one location where they are developed, tested, and carefully researched.
A purveyor's goal is to implement only those attributes of a program or practice that are replicable and add value. At first, purveyors can only speculate about what is most important to replicate among the myriad variables contained within a program or practice, even one that has been the subject of extensive research in its original location.
The speed and effectiveness of implementation may depend upon knowing exactly what has to be in place to achieve the desired results for consumers and stakeholders: no more, and no less (Arthur & Blitz, 2000; Fixsen & Blase, 1993; Winter & Szulanski, 2001). Not knowing the core intervention components leads to time and resources wasted on attempting to implement a variety of (if only we knew) non-functional elements.
Knowing the core intervention components seems essential to answering persistent questions about local adaptations of evidence-based practices and programs. Core intervention components are just that, they are essential to achieving the outcomes desired for consumers.
The core intervention components are, by definition, essential to achieving good outcome for consumers at an implementation site. Thus, the specification of core intervention components becomes very important to the process of developing evidence-based practices and programs.
