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Section 13. MAPP: Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships

What is MAPP?

___MAPP (Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Participation) is a joint project of NACCHO (the National Association of County and City Health Officials) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.  It is a model for improving community health systems whose mission statement is “Communities achieving improved health and quality of life by mobilizing partnerships and taking strategic action.”

___MAPP’s guiding principles are:

  • Systems thinking
  • Dialogue
  • Shared vision
  • Data
  • Partnership
  • Strategic thinking
  • Celebration of successes

___MAPP’s six phases are:

  • Organize for Success
  • Visioning
  • The Assessments: Community Themes and Strengths Assessment, Local Public Health System Assessment, Community Health Status Assessment, Forces of Change Assessment.
  • Strategic Issues
  • Goals/ Strategies
  • Action Cycle

Why use MAPP?

___MAPP uses a participatory process.

___The MAPP model is based on partnership and collaboration among local public health system partners and the broader community.

___The MAPP process has been developed using information gleaned from previous planning efforts.

___MAPP brings to bear four different assessments to get the clearest picture possible of community health issues and systems.

___The MAPP model includes strategic planning.

___MAPP helps the community to anticipate and manage change.

___MAPP focuses on strengthening the local public health system.

___MAPP increases the visibility of public health in the community.

___The MAPP process builds public health leadership.

___MAPP takes a community perspective, with the overall goal of creating a healthy community.

Who should take part in and use the MAPP process?

___Local and state public health officials and agencies.

___Health practitioners, administrators, and others who are part of the local public health system.

___First responders.

___Local and state elected and appointed officials.

___Human service organizations.

___Other community organizations.

___Public schools, local colleges and universities, and other educational institutions.

___Faith communities.

___Businesses.

___Community members representing the diversity of ages, incomes, and the racial/ethnic mix in the community.

Whenmight you employ a MAPP process?

___When a current or potential health issue surfaces, either in the media or among health practitioners.

___When there’s been an issue or crisis that everyone agrees wasn’t handled well.

___When there’s money available for health systems.

___When there’s no money available for health systems.

___When the community is about to build a new health facility.

___When there’s a government push to reexamine public health or the local health system.

How do you conduct a MAPP process?

___Understand and use the guiding principles.

Phase 1: Organize for success:

___Determine the necessity of undertaking the MAPP process.

___Identify and organize participants.

___Design the planning process.

___Design and begin the evaluation process.

___Determine the resources you’ll need for the planning process.

___Make sure the community is ready to conduct a successful planning process.

___Develop a management structure for the process.

Phase 2: Visioning:

___Identify other visioning efforts and make connections as needed.

___Design the visioning process and decide how it will be managed.

___Conduct the visioning process.

___Formulate vision and values statements.

___Keep the vision and values alive throughout the MAPP process.

Phase 3: The assessments:

___The Community Themes and Strengths Assessment

___The Local Public Health System Assessment – completed using the National Public Health Performance Standards Program (NPHPS) Local Instrument

___The Community Health Status Assessment

___The Forces of Change Assessment

Phase 4: Strategic Issues:  

___Brainstorm potential strategic issues.

___Develop an understanding of why an issue is strategic.

___Determine the consequences of not addressing the issue.

___Consolidate overlapping or related issues.

___Arrange issues into an ordered list.

Phase 5: Goals/Strategies:

___Develop goals related to the vision and strategic issues.

___Generate strategy alternatives.

___Consider barriers to implementation.

___Consider implementation details.

___Select and adopt strategies.

___Draft the planning report.

Phase 6: Action cycle:

___Organize for action.

___Develop objectives and establish accountability.

___Develop action plans.

___Review action plans for opportunities for coordination.

___Implement and monitor action plans.

___Prepare for evaluation.

___Focus the evaluation design.

___Gather credible evidence and justify conclusions.

___Share lessons learned and celebrate successes.

___Keep at it indefinitely.