Developing balanced scorecard facilitators: Evaluating a multi-participant training method

To date, the process of learning balanced scorecard facilitation in a small, rural healthcare setting has been time and labor intensive. It has required that a trainee watch an experienced facilitator during an actual implementation. Only after observing a practiced facilitator for sometime might a trainee take over pieces of the implementation process until he/she can do all of the work alone. Understanding how to best share balanced scorecard information, as well as assessing each organization's unique needs, is crucial in optimizing the likelihood of successful implementations.;While many texts have been written about balanced scorecard theory, and though case studies exist that point to the balanced scorecard's success in practice, there has been little done to discuss how to be a balanced scorecard facilitator. Learning how to teach balanced scorecard, or facilitate its implementation, is difficult and requires more than a basic understanding of the framework. Training more people in the practice of rural healthcare balanced scorecard implementation will help rural healthcare organizations reduce their reliance on consultants and maximize their limited resources.;The purpose of this project was to explore the development of multi-participant workshops to teach trainers how to facilitate balanced scorecard sessions in rural healthcare. This project will weave management and balanced scorecard theory into a comprehensive training workshop and companion manual intended to support new balanced scorecard trainers in a rural healthcare environment. Creating a workshop will allow facilitator trainings to be geared to larger groups of individuals, optimizing resources. Materials and resources compiled into a training manual will also be useful to participants who can access tools and resources they might utilize during implementations.