Exploring Implementation Support Careers
By Dr. Julia E. Moore, Executive Director
9-min read
People ask me all the time how I have the job I am in now. The truth is, I had to create it. Although my training was in research, I was lucky to be mentored by people who had a very pragmatic world view and offered me a vision of what implementation support could look like. When I was introduced to implementation science, I knew I wanted to support people through the process of change. At the time, it was incredibly difficult to get an implementation support position doing what I wanted to do, but I ended up working in what I think was a unicorn role - leading a team within a research institute that supported both researchers and practice-based organizations in using implementation science for planning and implementation. The culmination of my experiences over several years is TCI – an organization that I created because a role dedicated to implementation practice support was very rare.
It's been 5 years since TCI was created, and the landscape looks very different now. There has been a significant rise in implementation support positions across human service and healthcare fields worldwide. Here, I share my thoughts and ideas on what this landscape looks like, given that this is a huge interest point for many people I have talked to recently.
Implementation support jobs and careers
We are hearing from graduate students around the world that they are looking for careers that have an impact. Many people share that they want their work to matter, and they want to feel like they are making a difference but don’t necessarily want to be service providers (e.g., nurses, doctors, teachers, social workers). Implementation support careers offer an amazing opportunity to be connected to the work and the impact while working a little further upstream. Implementation support practitioners (a relatively new term originally defined in this article) are professionals from a variety of disciplines who support others in implementing evidence-informed practices, policies and programs and who support sustaining and scaling these practices, policies, and programs for population-level impact.
Because implementation is challenging, complicated, and sometimes complex, these roles offer people huge learning opportunities. Plus, supporting implementation requires people to do such a diversity of activities that it keeps things interesting. At the same time, these positions can be challenging. Because implementation rarely goes as planned, people have to be able to pivot, to be agile, and to persevere through the face of challenges.
How implementation support positions benefit organizations
The benefits of implementation support positions extend to organizations as well. With increasing accountability for creating an impact in the system, human service and healthcare organizations are finding opportunities to leverage implementation support roles. By incorporating implementation science and related fields, practitioners can help organizations navigate internal changes and improve program and practice delivery and support.
In fact, so many organizations are recognizing the need for people with this unique skill set that the current demand for people to fill implementation support roles far exceeds the supply. In other words, there are many more job postings for implementation support positions than there are people who have been trained and have experience to fill them.
Despite the demand for these roles, there remains a lack of consistency in job titles, making it challenging to identify implementation support positions. Prior to hosting an event for graduate students about implementation support careers, we asked people within our Implementing Change Community for the different job titles they have had or seen for implementation support positions. This word cloud highlights the diversity that exists out there.
How an implementation support workforce can benefit entire systems
An implementation support workforce can greatly benefit entire systems. Imagine if every organization had team members equipped with knowledge and skills in implementation science, systems thinking, and relationship and partnership building? This workforce could support implementation effectively, meeting organizations where they are and using the best available evidence to improve service delivery and outcomes equitably.
Three tips for building a successful implementation support career:
So many people reach out to me for career advice or to understand what kinds of implementation support roles are out there. If the landscape I described above sounds appealing to you and you are considering pursuing an implementation support career path, here are my 3 tips:
Obtain training in foundational implementation knowledge and skills.
Similar to any career, it is crucial to start with a strong foundation of knowledge and skills. This involves understanding various theories, models, frameworks and approaches available and knowing when to apply each one. There are resources describing the core competencies for implementation support practitioners, and we are working on revising our own competencies document. Additionally, there are now two implementation support practitioner certificates available. We have launched our Level 1 certificate (Level 2 is in development), and the Collaborative for Implementation Practice also has a certificate program.
Learn from failure
Most implementation initiatives don't go exactly as planned, so the chances are high that you will encounter some significant challenges, even on your first project. Rather than being frustrated by the changes and challenges, use this as a learning opportunity. How could you have planned for or done something differently? How could you have leveraged a different way of thinking, a different theory, model, or framework? What can you do differently in the future if faced with the same challenges? Failure is often the biggest source of learning we have, so change it into an opportunity.
Connect with other professionals in implementation support.
While the number of implementation support positions is rapidly increasing, there are still relatively few professionals in this field. Building connections with people geographically close to you, even if they work in different fields, and with those working in your field but living far away, can be extremely beneficial. Understanding the various positions available, the types of organizations hiring for these roles, and having a network to reach out to while working on implementations can greatly enhance your career prospects. While more positions are being publicly posted, this unique skill set often leads to hiring decisions based on connections and relationships. Therefore, investing time in connecting with others is well worth it. This is exactly why we created the Implementing Change Community, to create an easy way to connect implementation support professionals, regardless of discipline or location.
The growth of the implementation support workforce is exciting, and we feel privileged to be a part of many people's journey into this rewarding career path.
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Related Resources
Non-Academic Careers With Impact: Implementation Positions You Neve Knew Existed (event recording)
An expanding implementation support workforce: Momentum and challenges (article)
Harnessing Our Collective Power: Building a strong implementation support workforce for improved and equitable outcomes (event recording)