Standards for Certified Social Work Managers
June 2004

The standards for social work managers provide a basic framework of knowledge and skills for effective and sound social work management in fourteen core areas.

ADVOCACY

Knowledge and understanding of the theory and practice of working for policy change at the organizational, local, state and national level.

Ability to take a position and be an activist on important social justice issues as well as specific issues of importance to clients, staff and the organization as a whole

COMMUNICATION AND INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS

Ability to achieve desired outcomes through clear and succinct use of the spoken and written word.

Ability to achieve a widely accepted solution to a dispute without recourse to formal processes.

Ability to observe and understand the interactions of members of a group and act on that understanding to guide the group to meet its objectives.

Ability to achieve the goals of a meeting on time while soliciting the input and acceptance of all members of the group.

Ability to work within a team context inside the organization.

Ability to form collaborative groups inside and outside the organization.

ETHICS

Commitment to meeting the needs of clients within the purview of the services offered by the organization.

Commitment to the work and the organization that transcends personal desires.

Loyalty to the mission of the organization.

Commitment to the social work values of social justice, equity and fairness

EVALUATION

Knowledge, understanding and use of outcome/results oriented work.

Ability to be an informed consumer of research findings.

Ability to design and conduct program and organizational assessments using appropriate scientific methods.

Ability to generate and use operations and program statistical information.

FINANCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Knowledge and understanding of proposal and contract development.

Ability to identify and access resources from diverse private and public funding sources.

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

Knowledge and understanding of effective systems and procedures for managing agency resources.

Ability to develop and use budgets and other financial data and reports to guide agency operations.

GOVERNANCE

Knowledge and understanding of the policies which govern the operation of the organization.

Knowledge and understanding of effective organizational structures.

Ability to work effectively with agency boards and other governing bodies.

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT

Ability to hire, train, develop and place the appropriate individuals in the appropriate jobs while following organizational policy.

Knowledge and understanding of effective and appropriate personnel policies.

Knowledge and understanding of the local, state, and national laws and regulations that govern employers.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Ability to be an informed consumer of information technology systems data.

Knowledge and understanding of ways to use the internet for marketing, advocacy, research, community education, and service delivery.

Skill in developing and using computer generated data bases and reports.

Ability to provide leadership in assuring that the organization has appropriate computerized infrastructures to support its work.

LEADERSHIP

Ability to blend the expertise of others in a coordinated fashion in order to achieve the purposes of the organization.

Skill in inspiring excellence in program, staff, and organizational performance

Skill in handling situations of great complexity.

Ability to make and state clearly decisions required by one's position.

Ability to bring together disparate groups and individuals to carry out specific tasks in an efficient and effective manner.

Willingness to take calculated risks which may result in gain to the organization, but may also result in loss.

PLANNING

Ability to assess the organization's internal and external environment.

Knowledge and understanding of different planning processes, strategies, and models.

Skill in developing goals and objectives that reflect the organization's mission.

Skill in developing approaches and methods for achieving desired outcomes.

Ability to facilitate involvement of important constituents in planning for the future.

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND ORGANIZATIONAL MANAGEMENT

Knowledge and understanding of the methods for delivery of the services provided by the organization.

Knowledge and understanding of the theories which explain organizational behavior, development, and operations.

Knowledge and understanding of the fields of health and/or human services.

PUBLIC/COMMUNITY RELATIONS AND MARKETING

Knowledge and understanding of the community (demographics, resources, needs and strengths) in which the organization operates.

Ability to work collaboratively with other organizations and groups.

Skill in developing appropriate and effective approaches for identifying and engaging service recipients.

Skill in promoting an organization's products and services through formal and informal means and contracts.

PUBLIC POLICY

Knowledge and understanding of the local, state and national policies which impact on services and clients.

Knowledge and understanding of the process by which local, state and national policy makers are chosen and the process by which they make decisions.