5. Developing Strategic and Action Plans | Community Tool Box

5. Developing Strategic and Action Plans
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This toolkit supports developing a vision, mission, objectives, strategies, and action plan for the effort.

  1. Convene a planning group of people affected by the problem or issue and those who are in a position to address it. 
     
    Related resources:
    Involving Key Influentials in the Initiative
    Engaging People Most Affected by the Problem
    Defining and Analyzing the Problem
     
  2. Describe the vision for the community or initiative (dreams for how things should be).
    1. In a workshop, retreat, or dialogue about the group's vision, capture:
      1. Dreams for the community or initiative (e.g., safe neighborhoods)
      2. What success would look like (e.g., healthy youth)
      3. How things ought to be (e.g., caring communities)
      4. What people and conditions would look like if things were consistent with that picture (e.g., health for all)
    2. List and review proposed vision statements.
       
    3. Choose one or several vision statements with particular power to communicate, and consider whether they are: 1) concise, 2) positive, 3) acceptable, and 4) a clear expression of why the group has come together.
      1. Choose visions that are embraced by the group
      2. (As appropriate) Select/edit the several that are particularly effective
      3. Check to see that everyone's voice is heard in the final selections
         
    4. Select one statement that concisely expresses why the group has come to together and is acceptable to all group members.
       
      What is your group's vision?
       
      Related resources:
      An Overview of Strategic Planning or "VMOSA" (Vision, Mission, Objectives, Strategies, Action Plan)
      Proclaiming Your Dream: Developing Vision and Mission Statements
      Leading a Community Dialogue on Building a Healthy Community
      Conducting a Workshop
      Organizing a Retreat
       
  3. State the mission (the what and why).
    1. Develop (or refine) a mission statement that includes what is to be done and why (e.g., "Creating caring communities through education and opportunities to serve."). To do so:
      1. Describe the essential "what" of the organization or initiative by reviewing its core functions and current programs and activities (e.g., training, advocacy, support, partnerships)
      2. Explain the essential "why" of the organization or initiative by reviewing the vision statements (e.g., safe neighborhoods, healthy children)
      3. Frame the mission statement as a single sentence that captures the common purpose (essential what and why) (e.g., "Promoting healthy families [the why] through parent training and community support [the what]")
         
        What is your drafted mission statement?
         
    2. Review the mission statement, making sure it is:
      1. Clear
      2. Concise (one sentence)
      3. Outcome-oriented
      4. Robust, leaving open a variety of possible means
      5. Inclusive, reflecting the voices of all who are involved
         
        What is your final mission statement?
         
        Related resources:
        Proclaiming Your Dream: Developing Vision and Mission Statements
         
  4. State the objectives (how much of what the group hopes to accomplish by when).
    1. To develop (or refine) objectives, clearly describe:
      1. Benchmarks that would help assess where we are now (baseline or pre-intervention) and where we would be if the initiative were successful (objectives).
         
        What baseline markers could we access and how would we hope they would change if success were attained?
         
      2. Behavioral objectives: the changes in behaviors we would see if the group's efforts were successful (What would people be saying and doing differently?) (e.g., for preventing adolescent pregnancy - "By 2030, to increase by 10% the reported level of sexual abstinence among 12-15 year olds.")
      3. Population-level objectives: the changes in community-level indicators we would see if the group's objectives were met (How would changes in behaviors add up to outcomes for all those in the community?) (e.g., for adolescent pregnancy - "By 2032, the estimated pregnancy rate among 12-15 year olds will be reduced by 10%")
    2. Review the objectives to determine if they are: (SMART+C)
      1. Specific
      2. Measurable (at least potentially)
      3. Achievable
      4. Relevant (to the mission)
      5. Timed (date for attainment)
      6. Challenging (requiring extraordinary effort)
    3. Be flexible with deadlines in creating objectives. Defining objectives is time consuming and may require second and third considerations for completeness.
       
      Related resources:
      An Overview of Strategic Planning or "VMOSA" (Vision, Mission, Objectives, Strategies, Action Plan)
      Creating Objectives
       
  5. Identify the strategies (how things will be accomplished).
    1. Clearly describe strategies to bring about the mission and objectives. Consider what levels will be targeted (i.e., individual, relationship, community, societal).
       
      What different levels of your problem or goal will you target?
       
      1. For each strategy, consider if it will be universal (i.e., includes all of those who may experience increased risk or may benefit; e.g., all children and youth) or targeted (i.e., those who may experience greater risk for the problem such as youth with a history of violence)
      2. Consider the personal and environmental factors to be addressed by the initiative.
        • Personal factors may include: knowledge, beliefs, skills, education and training, experience, cultural norms and practices, socioeconomic status, cognitive or physical abilities, gender, age, genetic predisposition
        • Environmental factors may include: social support, available resources and services, barriers (including financial, physical, language), social approval, policies, environmental hazards, living conditions, poverty, and disparity in status
           
          What personal factors related to your vision and mission are common among those affected by the problem and those maintaining it?
           
          What environmental factors related to your vision and mission are common within your priority community?
           
      3. Identify those who can most benefit and contribute and how they can be reached or involved in the effort.
        • Targets of change: those who may experience increased risk for the issue or whose actions are critical for success. Who would this include?
        • Agents of change: those who may be in a position to contribute to the initiative, including targets of change. Who would this include?
        • Community sectors: through which targets and agents of change can be reached or involved. Which sectors might be prioritized?
      4. Behavioral strategies to be utilized. Approaches may include:
        • Providing information and enhancing skills (e.g., conducting a social marketing campaign to educate people about the problem or goal and how to address it)
        • Modifying barriers, access, exposures, and opportunities (e.g., increase availability of affordable childcare and transportation for those entering work force)
        • Changing the consequences (e.g., financial incentives to encourage housing developers to create green spaces and mixed income development)
        • Enhancing services and supports (e.g., increase the number of health clinics that provide dental care)
        • Modifying policies and broader systems (e.g., change business policies so that employees can get time off to care for their sick children)
      5. Review the strategies for appropriateness to the situation and sufficiency in addressing the mission and objectives. Review the strategies for:
  6. Develop (or refine) the action plan by stating the specific community/system changes to be sought.
    1. For each strategy, identify specific community and system changes (i.e., new or modified programs, policies, and practices) to be sought.
    2. After compiling a list of potential changes, review each candidate community or system change and rate it on two dimensions:
      1. Importance to the mission (1=not at all, 5=very); and
      2. Feasibility (1=not at all, 5=very)
    3. Secure a formal decision from the group on which community or system changes (intervention components and elements) will be sought (or implemented), with priority given to those changes with high importance and high feasibility.
       
      Related resources:
      Our Model of Practice: Building Capacity for Community and System Change
      Obtaining Feedback from Constituents: What Changes are Important and Feasible
      Providing Information and Enhancing Skills
      Overview of Tactics for Modifying Access, Barriers, and Opportunities
       
  7. Identify action steps for key community/system changes in the action plan (who is going to do what by when). Describe:
    1. What action(s) are needed?
    2. Who will carry it out?
    3. By when?
    4. Resources (money and staff) needed/available?
    5. Communication - who should know about this?
       
      Related resources:
      Developing an Action Plan
      Identifying Action Steps in Bringing About Community and System Change
      Designing Community Interventions
       
  8. Evaluate the appropriateness of the action plan (i.e., the activities or community/system changes to be implemented). Use the criteria that follow:
    1. Completeness. Are all the intended activities or community/system changes included in your plan? Are a wide variety of strategies and sectors utilized?
    2. Clarity. Is it apparent who will do what by when?
    3. Sufficiency. If all that is proposed were accomplished, would it meet the group's mission and objectives? If not, what additional changes need to be planned and implemented?
    4. Resources. Are resources (money/staff) that are needed accounted for?
    5. Currency. Does the action plan reflect the current context?
    6. Flexibility. Is the plan flexible enough to respond to new opportunities, barriers, and changes in the community? Can it be modified as objectives are accomplished or goals adjusted?
        
      Modify your proposed community and system changes and action plans based on your answers (if necessary).
       
      Related resources:
      Developing an Action Plan
       
  9. Indicate how you will use the strategic and action plans. Consider the following potential uses:
    1. To communicate the initiative's purpose to others.
      1. Who should know about the group's vision, mission, objectives, strategic and action plans?
    2. To check the organization's core functions.
      1. Who should know about the group's vision, mission, objectives, and the core functions of the organization represented (e.g., advocacy, training)?
    3. To find common ground and anticipate potential conflict.
      1. How might you use this new framing of the problem or goal to build consensus?
    4. To plan how to detect or discern an opportunity.
      1. What criteria will be used to judge an opportunity? For example: consistency with the vision, mission, and action plan.
         
        What steps will you take to detect or discern new or emerging opportunities for your initiative?
         
    5. Identify potential partners.
      1. Who can help achieve the vision and mission? Which organizations share this common work?
         
        Related resources:
        Developing an Action Plan
        Communicating Information About Community Health and Development Issues
        Developing a Plan for Communication
        Discovering and Creating Possibilities
        Coalition Building I: Starting a Coalition
         
  10. Begin implementing action planning steps. Choose the order by considering:
    1. Which changes need to be completed first? Some changes may require other changes and relationships to be established.
    2. Which changes are easier or quicker to bring about? Could completing them give the organization's membership a sense of success and provide much-needed media exposure?
    3. Which changes are most important or key to the initiative's objectives?
    4. Which changes would inspire and encourage participants and build credibility within the community?
       
  11. Review the action plan at regular intervals as your coalition grows and objectives are accomplished or conditions change.
     
    Related resources:
    Developing an Action Plan
     
https://ctb.ku.edu/en/developing-strategic-and-action-plans
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