Featured Resource: The Hexagon
By Dr. Jonathan Caballero, Strategic Operations Advisor
4-min read
The Hexagon is a practical implementation tool that teams can use to carefully assess the fit and adequacy of initiatives for implementation in their local context.
It can be used at any stage of implementation. Most often it is used early during the implementation planning process, as in this way it can also help you compare the relative advantages of candidate implementation initiatives.
To do so, it guides you to assess indicators about the program and the implementing site.
The Hexagon’s indicators
The program indicators help your team understand the characteristics of the prospective implementation initiative, such as:
Evidence base: Availability and quality of research data, evaluation reports, a strong underlying logic model, etc.
Usability: Whether it is well defined in terms of WHO needs to do WHAT for WHOM; whether there is guidance on core features and potential adaptations, etc.
Supports: Availability of expert guidance, training, resources, tools, evaluation materials, sample job descriptions, etc.
The implementing site indicators help your team assess it with your context:
Need: Whether the ideal beneficiaries of the prospective implementation initiative correspond to the characteristics of prospective beneficiaries in your context, whether prospective beneficiaries in your context perceive they have a need that is addressed by the implementation initiative, etc.
Fit: Whether the implementation initiative corresponds with the organization’s priorities, whether it is in line with local values, how it relates to other ongoing initiatives, etc.
Capacity to implement: Availability of resources to implement the initiative (staff, expertise, space, finance, etc.) and whether organizational changes might be needed.
The Hexagon includes guiding questions and numerical grading guidelines to make it easy for teams to assess these factors.
Supports to adapt and use the Hexagon
Something that might resonate with many of you is that the tool embraces adaptations and strives to consider equity.
Within the tool itself, the capacity to adapt implementation initiatives to the local context is a key consideration; moreover, paying attention to the source of evidence and whether it was generated taking into account diversity and breaking it down by sub-groups is brought to the attention of teams using the tool, among other equity considerations.
For people who might want to review the process of using the tool, The Hexagon’s webpage includes a link to an interactive lesson, and it is easy to find various resources related to the tool. One that I liked was a series of podcast episodes describing experiences using the Hexagon in the context of implementing initiatives in educational settings.
Its flexibility also allows combining it with other resources. For example, teams who might want to expand their thinking about equity while using the tool could use TCI’s equity guiding questions. Teams who would like to dive deep into assessing their local capacity to implement in terms of skillsets and expertise could take a look at training and capacity-building options for their teams.
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