Evaluating facilitators’ challenges administering a program building on existing strengths in families facing difficulties

Abstract

The primary objective of this study was to understand the challenges faced by 12 facilitators (9 women and 3 men) of the Strengthening Families Program (SFP) implemented in the Adélard-Dugré and Jean-Nicolet neighbourhoods of Trois-Rivières, Quebec. This objective was operationalized as the following question: How did facilitators manage to buy in to, and align themselves with, program principles while avoiding an expert stance and remaining focused on participating families’ strengths? This question has not been investigated before in connection with the SFP program. This study was conducted between 2011 and 2014, and relied on semi-annual group interviews. The results indicate that facilitators’ first step was to acknowledge their expectations. Once they had accomplished this, they were able to let go and distance themselves from an expert stance. This allowed them to recognize the benefits flowing from application of the program’s principles, and understand how they could repurpose their expertise for intervention with program participants. Facilitators also came to realize that they had developed strong relationships with the families and better understood the latter’s realities. Finally, this article explores the implications of the results, both for practice (in terms of program compliance) and research (in terms of program evaluation).