USING A SUPERVISORY FRAMEWORK TO SUPPORT AND EVALUATE A MULTIPROJECT PRACTICE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

The paper describes a multiproject practice development programme unde rtaken over a period of 1 year. The background and development of the programme are outlined, whilst attention is paid to the innovatory nat ure of the work, particularly the use of inductive, deductive and inte grated approaches to both change implementation and project supervisio n. The programme was monitored throughout using different data sources and the paper uses evaluative material retrospectively to provide ans wers to organizational and professional difficulties which arose durin g the course of the programme. The authors conclude that the use of co mbinations of different models for practice development has potential, but requires careful supervision. They also recommend that those invo lved in practice development are made fully aware of its local or micr opolitics, and develop strategies to deal with change before it occurs , not after it has taken place.