Measurement of Implementation Components Ten Years After a Nationwide Introduction of Empirically Supported Programs

Ten years after the nationwide dissemination of two evidence based programs in Norway, the status of

the implementation components was evaluated in a cross-sectional study. The aim of the study was to

pilot a standardized measure of implementation components by examining the factor structure, the

reliabilities of the scores, and their association with implementation outcome variables. The aim was

also to compare implementation profiles of the two evidence-based programs based on multi informant

assessments.

Methods

The 218 participants in the study were therapists, supervisors, and agency leaders working with

Multisystemic Therapy (MST) or Parent Management Training (PMTO: . Interviewers filled in an

electronic version of the Implementation Components Questionnaire (Fixsen et al., 2008) during a

telephone interview.

Results

The factor analysis of the eight one-dimensional subscales resulted in an individual clinical-level factor

and an organizational system-level factor. Age, experience, and number of colleagues in the workplace

were negatively correlated with positive ratings of the implementation process, but the number of

colleagues working with the same program predicted positive ratings. MST and PMTO had different

implementation profiles and therapists, supervisors, and managers evaluated some of the

implementation drivers significantly differently.

Discussion

The psychometric quality of the questionnaire was supported by measures of internal consistency,

factor analyses of the implementation components, and the comparisons of implementation profiles

between programs and respondent groups. A moderate, but consistent association in the expected

direction was found with the implementation outcome variables.