Supervision in professional action
Review
In 2008-2010 a lot of projects, the component of which was supervision, were performed in Lithuania. Supervision as consultation form refers to certain principles as well as attitudes. Projects also present requirements in respect of the activities performed within them. The following question emerges: how is it possible to coordinate these requirements, strict enough structure of projects and essential attitudes of supervision?
Referring to this question, the research, the basis of which was the survey-in-written of the supervisors who conducted the supervision at different projects and the interview of the discussion group members, was carried out during the annual meeting of supervisors' association in 2010. The research results are presented by performing the qualitative content analysis.
The analysis of the research results has allowed noticing strengths and weaknesses in the projects of the supervision process: supervision becomes more available for a client, dissemination of supervision grows, and the organizational part of supervisors' work gets easier, more possibilities for supervisors' inter-cooperation and acquisition of new practical experience emerge. The main weakness of supervision implementation in projects is that organizers of the projects identify supervision with trainings. Thus it is endeavoured either to simplify the supervision process too much or it is impeded with unnecessary requirements. At projects supervisors sometimes face low motivation of supervisors, preconceived sceptical attitude in respect of supervision expedience; however the results of the research show that motivation of the participants can positively change during the supervision process.
The insights, which would be useful in further practice of projects on supervision quality, organization of the process, supervision participants as well as supervisors, are summarised. In order to assure the quality of supervision, it is important to maintain essential principles of supervision, to find reasonable arguments for the compromise between project requirements and format of supervision, to solidify understanding of supervision as continuous process, to give certificates of the association of professional relationship consultants for their real participation. When organizing supervision, it is important to follow the recommendations of supervisors' association in respect of time, duration, place, and selection of participants.
