2026-001/knowledge-base/documents/ubersicht-prozessschritte-kpg.md

Übersicht Prozessschritte KPG

Overview

This document provides a comprehensive overview of the Kooperative Prozessgestaltung (KPG), a structured process design model for social work practice. It systematises the seven process steps that form the foundation of KPG methodology, organised around the W-Questions framework (What? What's wrong? Why? Where to? How and with what? How was it? Do it!). The document was prepared for Präsenzforum 2: Fallverstehen (Presence Forum 2: Case Understanding) and serves as a comprehensive guide to implementing KPG in professional practice.

Conceptual Foundations

What is KPG?

KPG is defined as a process design model that serves as an orientation framework for professional thinking, action, and cooperation at multiple levels—both within professional teams (intra- and interprofessional) and in collaboration with clients. The framework is method-integrative, meaning it does not prescribe specific intervention recipes or procedural rules, but rather establishes standards for theory-driven and method-guided practice. As a model, KPG is fundamentally a simplification of reality intended to reduce complexity. Using the metaphor of a "map and compass," the document emphasises that KPG is an orientation tool that represents reality but does not constitute reality itself.

The model serves both as a positive orientation guide—indicating possible support points and "rest stops"—and as a warning system, highlighting obstacles and pitfalls in the process. This dual function makes KPG valuable for navigating the complexities of social work intervention.

The Seven-Step Process Structure

The KPG process is structured into seven steps, divided into two main phases:

Analytical Phase:

• Step 1: Situationserfassung (Situational Assessment)
• Step 2: Analyse (Analysis)
• Step 3: Diagnose (Diagnosis)
• Step 4: Ziele setzen (Goal Setting)

Action Phase:

• Step 5: Interventionsplanung (Intervention Planning)
• Step 6: Interventionsdurchführung (Intervention Implementation)
• Step 7: Evaluation (Evaluation)

These steps are organised around the W-Questions framework, which provides the logical progression: Was ist? (What is?) → Was ist los? (What's wrong?) → Warum? (Why?) → Wohin?! (Where to?) → Wie und womit? (How and with what?) → Tun! (Do it!) → Wie war es? (How was it?).

Step 1: Situational Assessment (Situationserfassung)

The first process step aims to comprehensively capture a situation and obtain an initial picture of the presenting issue. This establishes the IST-Zustand (current state) of a given situation.

Key Principles

The assessment phase requires open and unbiased perception of the situation, emphasising the principle of "seeing as much as possible, understanding as little as possible" and practising "mirror-like perception" (spiegelgleiche Wahrnehmung). This means gathering relevant information without premature evaluation, maintaining an attitude of openness and curiosity.

A resource-oriented, holistic, life-world-focused approach is essential, meaning professionals assess the person in their specific situation rather than applying a deficit-oriented lens. The focus is on task-aligned observation that captures objective data (age, gender, family structure, living situation, school, legal status, involved support systems) as well as biographical trajectory data.

Data Collection Scope and Methods

Data collection should be expanded beyond the initial presenting problem to encompass broader life domains: peers, clubs, leisure activities, "hidden worlds," health status and diagnoses, and other relevant areas. The document specifies several data collection methods:

• Erkundungsgespräche (exploratory conversations): both formal (guided) and informal
• Beobachtung (observation): ranging from free, participatory observation to systematic observation with structured instruments
• Aktenstudium (file review): reflective engagement with written documentation and anamnestical information

Step 2: Analysis (Analyse)

Analysis represents a systematic investigation of the subject matter with regard to all components that determine it. This step involves structured organisation and assessment of the information gathered in step 1.

Case Thematic Recognition

The central focus of analysis is answering the question: Worum genau geht es hier? (What exactly is this about?). This requires recognising the core case thematic—the fundamental issue or theme that unifies the various elements of the case.

Analysis Methods

The document provides a comprehensive list of analysis methodologies:

• Notation systems: genograms, timelines, network maps, silhouettes, etc.
• Perspective analysis: conducted cooperatively with all involved parties (family, professionals, etc.)
• Classification systems: qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods
• Systemic analysis methods
• Reflective analysis: using the professional's own lived experience of the case
• Open-ended analysis questions used in practice

These methods help structure and make sense of the data collected in the assessment phase.

Step 3: Diagnosis (Diagnose)—Social Diagnosis

Social diagnosis seeks to illuminate, interpret, explain, and understand the situation, behaviour, and subjective meaning-making of the client. A social diagnosis forms the basis for helpful interventions and is characterised as an interpretive attempt (Versuch verstehen) at case understanding.

Theory-Guided Case Understanding

The diagnosis process follows a specific methodology of theory-guided case understanding (theoriegeleitetes Fallverstehen), structured in five substeps:

Substep 1—Theory Selection: Which different knowledge bases (theories, concepts, research findings) could be enlightening and help clarify the case thematic? This represents a "movement of opening" (Bewegung der Öffnung I).

Substep 2—Theory-Guided Case Reflection: What connections can be established between theory and the case? How can situations and behaviours be explained and understood against the background of selected theories or research findings? This represents a second "movement of opening" (Bewegung der Öffnung II).

Substep 3—Explanatory Hypotheses: Which explanations for the case thematic can be articulated from these case reflections? How can these explanations be brought into dialogue with the client and validated? This represents a "movement of closing" (Bewegung der Schliessung I).

Substep 4—Action-Guiding Working Hypothesis: What are the most important explanations, and what is being pursued on the client level? How can these reflections be brought into dialogue with the client and validated? This represents the second "movement of closing" (Bewegung der Schliessung II).

Substep 5—Professional Task Definition: Which tasks emerge for professionals from the most important explanations? This serves as the bridge to goal-setting and intervention planning.

Working Hypotheses as Outcome

The outcome of this diagnosis process is the development of working hypotheses in the form "Wenn…, dann…" (If…, then…). These working hypotheses—developed through expert knowledge application and dialogue with all stakeholders—form the foundation for further work.

Step 4: Goal Setting (Ziele setzen)

Goal setting involves describing and establishing desired future states—a Sollzustand (target state)—based on the insights from analysis and diagnosis.

Cooperative Goal Development

Goals should be developed cooperatively with the client, emerging from the foundation of previous collaborative process design and taking the client's concerns and needs seriously. Cooperative goal development prevents manipulation of clients and emphasises the focus on enabling autonomous living. Professionals explore what is subjectively important to the client (based on previous process steps), employ careful and transparent methodological procedures, engage in joint goal-finding conversations, and involve all participants in the goal-finding process, thus enabling genuine participation. Crucially, professionals are responsible for the co-production process (Fachkräfte sind für den Prozess der Koproduktion verantwortlich).

Goal Types: Educational vs. Support Goals

The document distinguishes two types of goals:

Educational Goals (Bildungsziele): These focus on the subject—the client's learning and development process. They can only be formulated in cooperation with clients and address the question: In which direction can the client move or wish to move to solve the problem?

Support Goals (Unterstützungsziele): These focus on environmental factors and the professional's role in enabling and supporting development and learning processes. They address the question: What will professionals do to support and enable the achievement of the goal?

Goal Hierarchy

Goals are organised in a three-level hierarchy:

1. Fernziel (Distant Goal): Often contained in the mandate, providing the framework for further goal formulations
2. Grobziel (Gross Goal): Based on the distant goal and diagnosis; important, significant, and motivating goals that are valued and accepted by clients as achievable
3. Feinziel (Fine Goal): Created after intervention planning; these concretise the gross goal and are concrete, manageable, relevant, realistic, and verifiable

Goal Formulation Principles and Criteria

Effective goals must:

• Be formulated positively as desired outcomes, not as avoidance of problems
• Include only one criterion for achievement (avoiding polytelia, or confusion from multiple criteria)
• Avoid goal conflicts that might create new problems
• Be cooperatively negotiated and developed
• Concern only what is actually changeable, learnable, and designable
• Be sufficiently justified and make sense
• Provide orientation in change processes
• Be operationalised (verifiable)
• Be formulated in the present tense using the four "K's": kurz (short), konkret (concrete), klar (clear), klientenzentriert (client-centred)

The document presents the SMART framework, adapted for KPG:

• S (Spezifisch—Specific): Formulate the goal as concretely as possible
• M (Messbar—Measurable): Clarify how the work will be reviewed
• A (Ausgehandelt—Negotiated, Attractive, Accepted): Developed with and by direct participants
• R (Realistisch—Realistic): The conditions for solving the tasks are available
• T (Terminiert—Timed): A deadline for review is set

Theoretical Foundations of Goal-Directed Action

The document establishes that (social)pedagogical action is always—consciously or unconsciously—intentional or goal-directed. Human action is fundamentally hierarchically structured and always embedded in a specific context, which substantially influences (promotes or inhibits) the action. Goals have a better chance of being achieved when they provide orientation in the change process and when the path to the goal is divided into meaningful substeps.

The philosophical justification for goal-setting is captured in the Lichtenberg quote: "Whether it becomes better when it becomes different, I don't know. That it must become different if it is to become better is certain." This reflects the principle that goal achievement must remain open-ended while providing necessary direction.

Step 5: Intervention Planning (Interventionsplanung)

Intervention planning involves a movement of opening (exploring which directions of thinking might solve the problem, with resource orientation) followed by a movement of closing (clarifying who does what, how, and where).

Step 6: Intervention Implementation (Interventionsdurchführung)

During implementation, the professional acts as a networker and coordinator. Key principles include openness, flexibility for rolling/ongoing planning, transparency, continuous review, and regular documentation.

Implementation Tasks

Implementation involves networking persons, tasks, procedures, organisations, and activities based on transparent decision structures, ensuring appropriate information flow. Interventions must be systematically and continuously documented. Through Controlling (review of resource use and adaptation as needed), the goal is effective support of client systems in achieving agreed goals using optimal deployment of available resources.

Monitoring and Controlling

The document distinguishes between:

• Monitoring: Observation and systematic capture, measurement, and observation of a process using predetermined instruments
• Controlling: Review of intervention effectiveness and efficiency with identification of optimisation possibilities

Step 7: Evaluation (Evaluation)

Evaluation means systematically investigating a subject and drawing conclusions from it. Evaluations are data-based and methodologically sound descriptions and assessments of programmes, projects, and measures that can be reviewed against quality criteria.

Evaluation Components

Evaluation involves three distinct steps: Innehalten, Auswerten (pause and analyse), Beurteilen, Bilanz ziehen (judge and take stock), and Daraus lernen (learn from it).

Self-Evaluation in KPG Context

Within KPG, self-evaluation refers to the description and assessment of aspects of one's own daily professional action and its effects according to specific criteria. In the KPG context, this is case-focused evaluation (fallbezogene Evaluation).

Functions of Evaluation

Evaluation serves multiple functions:

• Opportunity to learn (from errors and from successful processes)
• Appreciation and recognition of accomplished work
• Contribution to professional wellbeing (Psychohygiene)
• Appreciative distance from one's own action
• Reference to all preceding steps with a fluid transition back to step 1 (situational assessment), reflecting the cyclical nature of the process

Müller's Working Rules for Self-Evaluation

The document presents six working rules for self-evaluation by Müller:

1. Evaluation means precise and honest disclosure of sensitive points
2. Self-evaluation requires prerequisites: participants must be able to afford it in a climate without fear or mutual threat; it must be voluntary and cannot be forced; it must be protected from misuse; it requires some civil courage
3. Self-evaluation means establishing framework conditions that enable openness and unguarded critical discussion
4. Evaluation becomes easier when using available and easy-to-manage documentation and practice research instruments
5. Socialpedagogical evaluation requires criteria for effectiveness, ethical standards for dealing with clients, and standards for reality-testing of goals—criteria that must not be played against each other
6. As part of casework, evaluation is primarily self-evaluation, but must acknowledge its limitations and the need for corrective perspectives from "above" (external review), "below" (client perspective), and "outside" (independent evaluation)

Evaluation Timing, Participants, and Tools

Evaluation can occur as a concluding retrospective or as a continuous task throughout a support process. Participants include clients, the client system, and professionals. Tools may include checklists, scaling questions, open questions, and specific evaluation instruments.

Related Concepts and Models

The document situates KPG within a broader landscape of structured planning and assessment models used in social work, including:

• Erziehungsplanung (Educational planning)
• Förderplanung (Support planning)
• Standortbestimmung (Position determination/assessment)
• Hilfeplanung (Help/support planning)
• Entwicklungsförderung (Development promotion)
• Beratungsprozesse (Counselling processes)
• Interventionsplanung (Intervention planning)
• Assessment

Key Takeaways

The "Übersicht Prozessschritte KPG" document emphasises that KPG is a flexible orientation framework rather than a rigid prescription. It balances the need for structured, theory-guided practice with the responsiveness and flexibility required in real-world social work. The seven-step process integrates assessment, analysis, understanding, goal-setting, planning, implementation, and evaluation into a cyclical process that emphasises:

• Cooperation with clients at every stage
• Resource orientation and holistic perspective
• Theory-guided but method-integrative practice
• Transparent decision-making and participation
• Continuous learning through reflection and evaluation
• Context-sensitive and situation-responsive design

The document serves as a comprehensive reference guide for professionals implementing KPG in their practice.