Sage Squirrel Consulting supports our clients in turning policy into sustainable actions through a focus on the “long game”. Success occurs when an organization’s mission and goals (the WHAT) aligns with vision (the WHY), value (the WHO), and strategy and action (the HOW). We use our diverse capabilities, knowledge of a wide variety of techniques, and our ACE approach to ensure that people and families are supported in the ways they want and need through the services and supports available within organizations and systems.
We understand the interconnectedness of advocacy and engagement, safety and security, daily life and employment, social and spiritual needs, and health and community living. We know how to apply our capabilities through a person and an organizational lens to realize outcomes for older adults and people with disabilities through accurate, consistent and efficient service and support delivery. Sustainable policies and practices occur when clients play the long game and we hope to join our clients in a lasting relationship of discovery and transformation.
What We Do
We offer a well-rounded and experienced team who believes making a program or policy work starts with the engagement of the people administering, using or impacted by the program/policy. Our capabilities are diverse and flexible. We use the right combination of capabilities built on our vast consulting experiences to identify what works best to address the unique needs of clients. We bring innovation, creativity and fun to every situation. The range in our capabilities is illustrated across six components.
In all circumstances, we provide project management and planning support to save clients time and money, improve communication and facilitate alignment across people and teams, empower data-driven decision-making, optimize workflow and manage risks. Capabilities include:
Project Management & Planning
- Staff with project management certification
- Project plans with work breakdown, timelines and reporting
- Project charters
- Visualized workflow
- Process mapping
- Milestone quality and delivery
- Deliverable wireframes and prototypes
- Deliverable and budget trackers
- Risk logs
- Team management
- Stakeholder analysis
We help clients to identify their goals and take actions to achieve those goals. There are different levels of strategy and we can help our clients confirm a mission, vision and values and take that to action through development of parallel processes that ensure a clear line of sight from the organizational strategy down to functional on-the-ground implementation. Capabilities include:
Strategy & Active Decision-Making
- Use of a wide variety of strategy tools such as the SOAR, SWOT, five P’s, scenario analysis, and blue ocean
- Mission and vision statements
- Logic models
- Governance support
- Use of decision-making tools such as decision analysis, paired comparison, cost-benefit, break-even, Monte-Carlo, Delphi
- Facilitation using evidence-based practices such as ideastorm, break-outs, world café and walk the wall
- Business case development
- Constructing a call to action
- Partnership development and formation
We have a long history supporting the development or revision of operational processes as leaders in human resources and health and social service delivery. We are former Human Resource Directors, Long Term Service and Support Directors, Department of Aging Director, and Senior Vice Presidents of Consulting Practices. Capabilities include:
- Accurate, Consistent, Efficient (ACE) tools and processes to support operational efficiency and effectiveness
- Integration of processes and programs
- Certified human resource professional
- RFP Support
- Grant Design and Implementation
- Network and Partnership Development
Operational and Administrative Support
We specialize in organizational and system transformation. We have experience facilitating stakeholder engagement, constructing change using evidenced informed practices, engaging in learning and diffusion, and managing cycles of change and corresponding evaluation and measurement. Capabilities include:
Organization and System Transformation
- Accurate, Consistent, Efficient (ACE) tools and processes
- Using LifeCourse to transform systems
- Internal & External Stakeholder Engagement
- Organizational/Program Assessment and Design
- Program and Process Mapping
- Program Evaluation
- Performance Management
- Use of techniques such as appreciative inquiry and theory of change
- Culture change techniques
A hallmark of any effort is the ability to transfer knowledge and scale practices. We are trained in adult learning theory and have used a wide set of skills to transfer information to diverse audiences using both push and pull techniques. Capabilities include:
- Communication planning and strategy
- Plain language and accessibility
- Training and Resource Development
- Leadership / Management Training
- Data Literacy Development
- Technical Assistance Knowledge Translation and Learning Dissemination
- Learning collaboratives, sessions, and workshops
- Peer action learning techniques
- Microlearning
- Business and organizational acumen
Communications, Learning, and Scaling
We use person centered practices and evidence-based approaches to design and implement programs that provide services and supports and/or connect to services and supports. Capabilities include:
Person-Centered Program and Policy Design & Implementation
- LifeCourse ambassador and use of other person-centered practices
- Knowledge and application of health and social service strategies (e.g. housing, food security, employment)
- Workforce analysis and application of long and short term practices
- Access to, and coordination of, services and supports within Medicaid and across other payer sources
- Data-driven Policy and Operations
- Goal Relevant Outcome and Quality Measures
- Continuous Quality Improvement
- Population Health
- Policy and Operational Support during IT System Design and Implementation
- Administrative and Legislative Rule Writing (including Medicaid state plan and waiver design
- Environmental scans, qualitative and quantitative research, survey design
What kind of nut are you trying to crack?
We are always happy to talk!
812.929.7323
generalmail@sagesquirrel.com
