SIM administrators seeking planning consultants should avoid prior mistakes

State SIM administrators are soliciting bids for a new set of consultants to guide the implementation process. Given the problems with the SIM final plan development process, advocates offer these recommendations. This time:

• ·      Use an transparent, objective process that is open to all qualified applicants
• ·      Avoid any perceptions of political and other conflicts
• ·      Require a familiarity with CT’s health system and history, or at least a willingness to learn
• ·      Require strong, broad research skills
• ·      Require the consultants to be open to and respectful of all stakeholder ideas and perspectives
• ·      Prohibit biases toward pre-conceived payment or other theoretical models that conflict with CT realities
• ·      Select for strong listening skills, both to committee members and the much larger wisdom of the stakeholders crowd, avoid perception that all the answers reside in any small committee
• ·      Select for a record of respectfully engaging that wisdom and incorporating it into implementation to engage everyone in making SIM work
• ·      Select for consensus-building skills over rhetoric

Advocates look forward to contributing to SIM’s implementation and ensuring a success that benefits every state resident.