Developing an Action Plan

• WHAT IS AN ACTION PLAN?

• WHAT ARE THE CRITERIA FOR A GOOD ACTION PLAN?
• WHY SHOULD YOU DEVELOP AN ACTION PLAN?
• WHEN SHOULD YOU DEVELOP AN ACTION PLAN?
• HOW TO WRITE AN ACTION PLAN
Developing an action plan can help changemakers turn their visions into reality, and increase
efficiency and accountability within an organization. An action plan describes the way your
organization will meet its objectives through detailed action steps that describe how and when
these steps will be taken. This section provides a guide for developing and utilizing your
group's action plan.
WHAT IS AN ACTION PLAN?
In some ways, an action plan is a "heroic" act: it helps us turn our dreams into a reality. An
action plan is a way to make sure your organization's vision is made concrete. It describes the
way your group will use its strategies to meet its objectives. An action plan consists of a
number of action steps or changes to be brought about in your community.
Each action step or change to be sought should include the following information:

• What actions or changes will occur

• Who will carry out these changes
• By when they will take place, and for how long
• What resources (i.e., money, staff) are needed to carry out these changes
• Communication (who should know what?)

WHAT ARE THE CRITERIA FOR A GOOD ACTION PLAN?

The action plan for your initiative should meet several criteria.
Is the action plan:

• Complete? Does it list all the action steps or changes to be sought in all relevant parts
of the community (e.g., schools, business, government, faith community)?
• Clear? Is it apparent who will do what by when?
• Current? Does the action plan reflect the current work? Does it anticipate newly
emerging opportunities and barriers?

WHY SHOULD YOU DEVELOP AN ACTION PLAN?

There is an inspirational adage that says, "People don't plan to fail. Instead they fail to plan."
Because you certainly don't want to fail, it makes sense to take all of the steps necessary to
ensure success, including developing an action plan.
There are lots of good reasons to work out the details of your organization's work in an action
plan, including:

• To lend credibility to your organization. An action plan shows members of the

community (including grantmakers) that your organization is well ordered and
dedicated to getting things done.
• To be sure you don't overlook any of the details
 • To understand what is and isn't possible for your organization to do
• For efficiency: to save time, energy, and resources in the long run
• For accountability: To increase the chances that people will do what needs to be done

WHEN SHOULD YOU CREATE AN ACTION PLAN?

Ideally, an action plan should be developed within the first six months to one year of the start
of an organization. It is developed after you have determined the vision, mission, objectives,
and strategies of your group. If you develop an action plan when you are ready to start getting
things done, it will give you a blueprint for running your organization or initiative.
Remember, though, that an action plan is always a work in progress. It is not something you
can write, lock in your file drawers, and forget about. Keep it visible. Display it prominently.
As your organization changes and grows, you will want to continually (usually monthly)
revise your action plan to fit the changing needs of your group and community.
HOW TO WRITE AN ACTION PLAN
DE T E RMINE W HAT PE OPL E AND SE CT ORS OF T HE COMMUNIT Y SHO UL D BE
CHANGE D AN D INVOL VE D IN FIN DING SOL UT IONS
If you have been using the VMOSA (Vision, Mission, Objectives, Strategies, Action Plans)
model, you might have already done this, when you were deciding upon your group's
objectives. Again, try to be inclusive. Most of the health and development issues that
community partnerships deal with are community-wide, and thus need a community-wide
solution. Possible sectors include the media, the business community, religious organizations,
schools, youth organizations, social service organizations, health organizations, and others.
Some members of the community you might consider asking to join the action planning group
include:

• Influential people from all the parts of the community affected by your initiative (e.g.,
from churches and synagogues, the school system, law enforcement, etc.)
• People who are directly involved in the problem (e.g., local high school students and
their parents might be involved in planning a coalition trying to reduce teen substance
abuse)
• Members of grassroots organizations
• Members of the various ethnic and cultural groups in your community
• People you know who are interested in the problem or issue
• Newcomers or young people in the community who are not yet involved

Let's consider some of the people who were involved with the planning group for the fictional
Reducing the Risks (RTR) Coalition that hopes to reduce the rate of teen pregnancy. Some of
the members of this planning group included teachers at the local high school, local teenagers
and their parents, members of the clergy, counselors and school nurses, staff of the county
health department, and members of youth organizations, service agencies, and other
organizations that focus on youth issues.
Convene a planning group in your community to design your action plan. This might be
the same group of people who worked with you to decide your group's strategies and
objectives. If you are organizing a new group of people, try to make your planning committee
as diverse and inclusive as possible. Your group should look like the people most affected by
the problem or issue.
Once everyone is present, go over your organization's:
 • Vision
• Mission
• Objectives
• Strategies
• Targets and agents of change (e.g., youth, parents and guardians, clergy)
• Proposed changes for each sector of the community (e.g., schools, faith community,
service organizations, health organizations, government)

Develop an action plan composed of action steps that address all proposed changes. The
plan should be complete, clear, and current. Additionally, the action plan should include
information and ideas you have already gathered while brainstorming about your objectives
and your strategies. What are the steps you must take to carry out your objectives while still
fulfilling your vision and mission? Now it's time for all of the VMOSA components to come
together. While the plan might address general goals you want to see accomplished, the action
steps will help you determine the specific actions you will take to help make your vision a
reality. Here are some guidelines to follow to write action steps.
Members of the community initiative will want to determine:

• What action or change will occur

• Who will carry it out
• When it will take place, and for how long
• What resources (i.e., money, staff) are needed to carry out the change
• Communication (who should know what)

Example: RTR Coalition's Action Step (a sample)

One community change sought by this coalition to prevent teen pregnancy was to increase
publicity about contraception and unwanted pregnancy at the local high school.

• What action or change will occur: Hanging posters, displays, and other information
about contraception and the facts about unwanted pregnancy in the hallways of the
local high school. The posters and other information will become a permanent part
of the high school. Posters and information will be regularly changed as new
materials become available.
• Who will carry it out: A sub-committee comprised of parents and guardians,
teachers, students, and coalition members will be responsible for maintaining the
displays. The coalition as a whole will work towards finding funding to purchase
the materials. Maria and Alex of the schools action group will be responsible for
researching and ordering the materials.
• By when will it take place, and for how long: The coalition will try to have posters
hanging and displays visible within six weeks of deciding on the action step
(2/19/2013).
• What resources are needed to carry out the step: The coalition will approach the
school district to request funding for the project. Otherwise, the group will seek
funding from other sources such as foundations and local businesses to finance the
program.
• Communication about the action step. The school principal and leadership of the
Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) should be given information about this planned
change.
Things to note about this portion of the RTR action plan:

• It appears complete. Although this step seems fully developed, we would need to
review the entire action plan to see whether all community and system changes that
should be sought are included.
• It is clear. We know who will do what by when.
• It seems current. We would need to know more about other current work (and new
opportunities and barriers) to judge whether this portion of the action plan is up-to-
date.

Review your completed action plan carefully to check for completeness. Make sure that
each proposed change will help accomplish your group's mission. Also, be sure that the action
plan taken as a whole will help you complete your mission; that is, make sure you aren't
leaving anything out.
Follow through. One hard part (figuring out what to do) is finished. Now take your plan and
run with it! Remember the 80-20 rule: successful efforts are 80% follow through on planned
actions and 20% planning for success.
Keep everyone informed about what's going on. Communicate to everyone involved how
his or her input was incorporated. No one likes to feel like her wit and wisdom has been
ignored.
Keep track of what (and how well) you've done. Always keep track of what the group has
actually done. If the community change (a new program or policy) took significant time or
resources, it's also a good idea to evaluate what you have done, either formally or informally.
Keep several questions in mind for both yourself and others:

• Are we doing what we said we'd do?

• Are we doing it well?
• Is what we are doing advancing the mission?

You can address these questions informally (ask yourself, chat with friends and other people),
as well as formally, through surveys and other evaluation methods.
Celebrate a job well done! Celebrate your accomplishments; you and those you work with
deserve it. Celebration helps keep everyone excited and interested in the work they are doing .
AFT E R YOU'VE W RIT T E N YOUR ACT ION PL AN: GE T T ING ME MBE RS T O DO
W HAT T HE Y SAID T HE Y W OUL D
Every community organization has undoubtedly had this happen: you plan and you assign
tasks to get everything you've planned to do accomplished. Everyone agrees (maybe they
even offer) to do certain tasks, and you all leave with a great feeling of accomplishment. The
problem? At the next meeting, nothing has been done. Besides tearing out your hair, what can
you do?
Fortunately, there are several things you can try. It's particularly tricky in the case of
volunteers, because you don't want to lean too hard on someone who is donating their time
and energy to begin with. Still, you can make it easier for members to get things done (and
harder to avoid work) without acting like the mean neighbor down the street. Some of these
gentle reminders include:
 • Regular phone calls from staff members or dedicated volunteers asking others how
they are doing with their tasks. This should be a supportive call, not a "are you doing
what you're supposed to" call. The person calling can offer emotional support "how
are you doing?" as well as see if the group member needs any other assistance. A
friendly call such as this can be seen as helpful, give the member the sense that he is a
very important part of the group, and serve as a great reminder to do what he said he
would do.
• Distributing the action plan in writing to all members, with names attached to specific
tasks. (Additionally, this can be a great time to ask for feedback before the plan
becomes "official.")
• Making sure timelines (with due dates) are complete, clear and current.
• At regular group meetings, such as committee meetings or board meetings, ask
members to report on accomplishing the tasks they have set out to do. Consider
making this a regular part of the meeting.
• Celebrate the accomplishment of tasks. It's important that getting something done
actually means something, and is recognized by the group as a whole.

Follow up on the action plan regularly. You are asking members to be accountable, and to get
things done on a regular basis. If they have agreed, you should help them fulfill their
commitment as best you can.

Online Resources
The Ruckus Society offers an Action Planning Manual that discusses strategies for nonviolent direct action.
Preventing Adolescent Substance Abuse: An Action Planning Guide for Community-Based Initiatives
Preventing Youth Violence: An Action Planning Guide for Community-Based Initiatives
Preventing Adolescent Pregnancy: An Action Planning Guide for Community-Based Initiatives
Promoting Child Well-Being: An Action Planning Guide for Community-Based Initiatives
Promoting Urban Neighborhood Development: An Action Planning Guide for Improving Housing, Jobs, Education, Safety and
Health
Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect: An Action Planning Guide for Community-Based Initiatives
Reducing Risk for Chronic Disease: An Action Planning Guide for Community-Based Initiatives
Print Resources
Barry, B. (1984). Strategic planning workbook for nonprofit organizations. St. Paul: MN: Amherst H. Wilder Foundation.
Berkowitz, W. (1982). Community impact: creating grassroots change in hard times. Cambridge, MA: Schenkman Publishing.
Bryson, J. (1988). Strategic planning for public and nonprofit organizations: A guide to strengthening and sustaining organizational
achievement. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Fawcett, S., Paine, A., Francisco, V., Richter, K., Lewis, R., Williams, E., Harris, K., Winter, K., in collaboration with Bradley, B. & Copple,
J. (1992). Preventing adolescent substance abuse: an action planning guide for community-based initiatives. Lawrence, KS: Work Group on
Health Promotion and Community Development, University of Kansas.
Fawcett, S., Claassen, L., Thurman, T., Whitney, H., & Cheng, H. (1996). Preventing child abuse and neglect: an action planning guide for
building a caring community. Lawrence, KS: Work Group on Health Promotion and Community Development, University of Kansas.
Kansas Health Foundation. VMOSA: An approach to strategic planning. Wichita, KS: Kansas Health Foundation.
Lord, R. (1989). The nonprofit problem solver. New York, NY: Praeger.
Olenick, A. & Olenick, P. (1991). A nonprofit organization manual. New York, NY: The Foundation Center.
Unterman, I., & Davis, R. (1984). Strategic management of not-for-profit organizations. New York, NY: CBS Educational and Professional
Publishing.
Wolf, T. (1990). Managing a nonprofit organization. New York, NY: Prentice Hall.
Watson-Thompson, J., Fawcett, S., & Schultz, J. (2008). Differential effects of strategic planning on community change in two urban
neighborhood coalitions. American Journal of Community Psychology, 42, 25-38.
 An Overview of Strategic Planning or "VMOSA"
(Vision, Mission, Objectives, Strategies, and Action
Plans)
• WHAT IS VMOSA?
• WHY SHOULD YOUR ORGANIZATION USE VMOSA?
• WHEN SHOULD YOU USE VMOSA?

VMOSA (Vision, Mission, Objectives, Strategies, and Action Plans) is a practical planning
process used to help community groups define a vision and develop practical ways to enact
change. VMOSA helps your organization set and achieve short term goals while keeping sight
of your long term vision. Implementing this planning process into your group's efforts
supports developing a clear mission, building consensus, and grounding your group's dreams.
This section explores how and when to implement VMOSA into your organization's planning
process.
WHAT IS VMOSA?
One way to make that journey is through strategic planning, the process by which a group
defines its own "VMOSA;" that is, its Vision, Mission, Objectives, Strategies, and Action
Plans. VMOSA is a practical planning process that can be used by any community
organization or initiative. This comprehensive planning tool can help your organization by
providing a blueprint for moving from dreams to actions to positive outcomes for your
community.
In this section, we will give a general overview of the process, and touch briefly on each of
the individual parts. In Examples, we'll show you how an initiative to prevent adolescent
pregnancy used the VMOSA process effectively. Then, in Tools, we offer you a possible
agenda for a planning retreat, should your organization decide to use this process. Finally, the
remaining sections in this chapter will walk you through the steps needed to fully develop
each portion of the process.
WHY SHOULD YOUR ORGANIZATION USE VMOSA?
Why should your organization use this planning process? There are many good reasons,
including all of the following:

• The VMOSA process grounds your dreams. It makes good ideas possible by laying
out what needs to happen in order to achieve your vision.
• By creating this process in a group effort (taking care to involve both people affected
by the problem and those with the abilities to change it), it allows your organization to
build consensus around your focus and the necessary steps your organization should
take.
 • The process gives you an opportunity to develop your vision and mission together
with those in the community who will be affected by what you do. That means that
your work is much more likely to address the community’s real needs and desires,
rather than what you think they might be. It also means community ownership of the
vision and mission, putting everyone on the same page and greatly increasing the
chances that any effort will be successful.
• VMOSA allows your organization to focus on your short-term goals while keeping
sight of your long-term vision and mission.

WHEN SHOULD YOU USE VMOSA?

So, when should you use this strategic planning process? Of course, it always makes sense for
your organization to have the direction and order it gives you, but there are some times it
makes particularly good sense to use this process. These times include:

• When you are starting a new organization.

• When your organization is starting a new initiative or large project, or is going to
begin work in a new direction.
• When your group is moving into a new phase of an ongoing effort.
• When you are trying to invigorate an older initiative that has lost its focus or
momentum.
• When you’re applying for new funding or to a new funder. It’s important under these
circumstances to clarify your vision and mission so that any funding you seek supports
what your organization actually stands for. Otherwise, you can wind up with strings
attached to the money that require you to take a direction not in keeping with your
organization’s real purpose or philosophy.

Let's look briefly at each of the individual ingredients important in this process. Then, in the
next few sections we'll look at each of these in a more in-depth manner, and explain how to
go about developing each step of the planning process.

VISIO N (TH E DREAM )

Your vision communicates what your organization believes are the ideal conditions for your
community – how things would look if the issue important to you were perfectly addressed.
This utopian dream is generally described by one or more phrases or vision statements, which
are brief proclamations that convey the community's dreams for the future. By developing a
vision statement, your organization makes the beliefs and governing principles of your
organization clear to the greater community (as well as to your own staff, participants, and
volunteers).
There are certain characteristics that most vision statements have in common. In general,
vision statements should be:

• Understood and shared by members of the community

• Broad enough to encompass a variety of local perspectives
• Inspiring and uplifting to everyone involved in your effort
• Easy to communicate - for example, they should be short enough to fit on a T-shirt

Here are a few vision statements which meet the above criteria:
 • Healthy children
• Safe streets, safe neighborhoods
• Every house a home
• Education for all
• Peace on earth

M ISSIO N (TH E WH AT AND WH Y)

Developing mission statements are the next step in the action planning process. An
organization's mission statement describes what the group is going to do, and why it's going to
do that. Mission statements are similar to vision statements, but they're more concrete, and
they are definitely more "action-oriented" than vision statements. The mission might refer to a
problem, such as an inadequate housing, or a goal, such as providing access to health care for
everyone. And, while they don't go into a lot of detail, they start to hint - very broadly -
at how your organization might go about fixing the problems it has noted. Some general
guiding principles about mission statements are that they are:

• Concise. Although not as short a phrase as a vision statement, a mission statement

should still get its point across in one sentence.
• Outcome-oriented. Mission statements explain the overarching outcomes your
organization is working to achieve.
• Inclusive. While mission statements do make statements about your group's
overarching goals, it's very important that they do so very broadly. Good mission
statements are not limiting in the strategies or sectors of the community that may
become involved in the project.

The following mission statements are examples that meet the above criteria.

• "To promote child health and development through a comprehensive family and
community initiative."
• "To create a thriving African American community through development of jobs,
education, housing, and cultural pride.
• "To develop a safe and healthy neighborhood through collaborative planning,
community action, and policy advocacy."

While vision and mission statements themselves should be short, it often makes sense for an
organization to include its deeply held beliefs or philosophy, which may in fact define both its
work and the organization itself. One way to do this without sacrificing the directness of the
vision and mission statements is to include guiding principles as an addition to the statements.
These can lay out the beliefs of the organization while keeping its vision and mission
statements short and to the point.
OBJECTIVES (HOW MUCH OF WHAT WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED
BY WHEN)

Once an organization has developed its mission statement, its next step is to develop the
specific objectives that are focused on achieving that mission. Objectives refer to specific
measurable results for the initiative's broad goals. An organization's objectives generally lay
out how much of what will be accomplished by when. For example, one of several objectives
for a community initiative to promote care and caring for older adults might be: "By 2015 (by
when), to increase by 20% (how much) those elders reporting that they are in daily contact
with someone who cares about them (of what)."
There are three basic types of objectives. They are:

• Behavioral objectives. These objectives look at changing the behaviors of people

(what they are doing and saying) and the products (or results) of their behaviors. For
example, a neighborhood improvement group might develop an objective around
having an increased amount of home repair taking place (the behavior) or of improved
housing (the result).
• Community-level outcome objectives. These are related to behavioral outcome
objectives, but are more focused more on a community level instead of an individual
level. For example, the same group might suggest increasing the percentage of decent
affordable housing in the community as a community-level outcome objective.
• Process objectives. These are the objectives that refer to the implementation of
activities necessary to achieve other objectives. For example, the group might adopt a
comprehensive plan for improving neighborhood housing.

It's important to understand that these different types of objectives aren't mutually exclusive.
Most groups will develop objectives in all three categories. Examples of objectives include:

• By December 2010, to increase by 30% parent engagement (i.e., talking, playing,

reading) with children under 2 years of age. (Behavioral objective)
• By 2012, to have made a 40% increase in youth graduating from high school.
(Community -level outcome objective)
• By the year 2006, increase by 30% the percentage of families that own their home.
(Community-level outcome objective)
• By December of this year, implement the volunteer training program for all
volunteers. (Process objective)

STRATEG IES (TH E H O W)

The next step in the process of VMOSA is developing your strategies. Strategies explain how
the initiative will reach its objectives. Generally, organizations will have a wide variety of
strategies that include people from all of the different parts, or sectors, of the community.
These strategies range from the very broad, which encompass people and resources from
many different parts of the community, to the very specific, which aim at carefully defined
areas.
Examples of broad strategies include:

• A child health program might use social marketing to promote adult involvement with
children
• An adolescent pregnancy initiative might decide to increase access to contraceptives in
the community
• An urban revitalization project might enhance the artistic life of the community by
encouraging artists to perform in the area

Five types of specific strategies can help guide most interventions. They are:

• Providing information and enhancing skills (e.g., offer skills training in conflict
management)
• Enhancing services and support (e.g., start a mentoring programs for high-risk youth)
• Modify access, barriers, and opportunities (such as offering scholarships to students
who would be otherwise unable to attend college)
• Change the consequences of efforts (e.g., provide incentives for community members
to volunteer)
• Modify policies (e.g., change business policies to allow parents and guardians and
volunteers to spend more time with young children)

ACTIO N P LAN (WH AT CH ANG E WILL H APP EN; WH O WILL DO WH AT BY

WH EN TO M AK E IT H AP P EN)

Finally, an organization's action plan describes in great detail exactly how strategies will be
implemented to accomplish the objectives developed earlier in this process. The plan refers
to: a) specific (community and systems) changes to be sought, and b) the specific action steps
necessary to bring about changes in all of the relevant sectors, or parts, of the community.
The key aspects of the intervention or (community and systems) changes to be sought are
outlined in the action plan. For example, in a program whose mission is to increase youth
interest in politics, one of the strategies might be to teach students about the electoral system.
Some of the action steps, then, might be to develop age-appropriate materials for students, to
hold mock elections for candidates in local schools, and to include some teaching time in the
curriculum.
Action steps are developed for each component of the intervention or (community and
systems) changes to be sought. These include:

• Action step(s): What will happen

• Person(s) responsible: Who will do what
• Date to be completed: Timing of each action step
• Resources required: Resources and support (both what is needed and what's available )
• Barriers or resistance, and a plan to overcome them!
• Collaborators: Who else should know about this action

Here are two examples of action steps, graphed out so you can easily follow the flow:
 Person(s) Potential
AaAAction Date to be Resources
Responsibl Barriers or Collaborators
Step Completed Required
c ;ldxle Resistance

*Draft a social Terry McNeil April 2006 $15,000 None Members of the

marketing (frommarketing (remaining anticipated business action

plan firm) donated) group

Maria Suarez September 5 hours; 2 hour Corporation: Members of the

*Ask local
(from business 2008 proposal prep; 3 may see this as business action
corporations
action group) hours for expensive; group and the
to introduce
meeting and must convince school action
flex-time for
transportation them of benefit group
parents and
of the plan for
mentors
the corporation

Of course, once you have finished designing the strategic plan or "VMOSA" for your
organization, you are just beginning in this work. Your action plan will need to be tried and
tested and revised, then tried and tested and revised again. You'll need to obtain feedback
from community members, and add and subtract elements of your plan based on that
feedback.
IN SUMMARY
Everyone has a dream. But the most successful individuals - and community organizations -
take that dream and find a way to make it happen. VMOSA helps groups do just that. This
strategic planning process helps community groups define their dream, set their goals, define
ways to meet those goals, and finally, develop practical ways bring about needed changes.
In this section, you've gained a general understanding of the strategic planning process. If you
believe your organization might benefit from using this process, we invite you to move on to
the next sections of this chapter, which explain in some depth how to design and develop your
own strategic plan.
Contributor

Jenette Nagy

Stephen B. Fawcett

Online Resources
Concerns Report Handbook: Planning for Community Health
The Free Management Library presents a thorough guide to strategic and action planning, plus links to online discussion groups.
Imagining Our Dream Community provides guidance for visualizing your organization's ideal community.
Preventing Adolescent Pregnancy: An Action Planning Guide for Community-Based Initiatives
Preventing Adolescent Substance Abuse: An Action Planning Guide for Community-Based Initiatives
Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect: An Action Planning Guide for Community-Based Initiatives
Preventing Youth Violence: An Action Planning Guide for Community-Based Initiatives
Promoting Child Well-Being: An Action Planning Guide for Community-Based Initiatives
Promoting Health for All: Improving Access and Eliminating Disparities in Community Health
Promoting Healthy Living and Preventing Chronic Disease: An Action Planning Guide for Communities
Promoting Urban Neighborhood Development: An Action Planning Guide for Improving Housing, Jobs, Education, Safety and
Health
Reducing Risk for Chronic Disease: An Action Planning Guide for Community-Based Initiatives
The Ruckus Society offers an Action Planning Manual that discusses strategies for nonviolent direct action.
Work Group Evaluation Handbook
Youth Development: An Action Planning Guide for Community-Based Initiatives
Print Resources
Barry, B. (1982). Strategic planning workbook for non-profit organizations. St. Paul, MN: Amherst H. Wilder Foundation.
Bryson, J. (1988). Strategic planning for public and nonprofit organizations: A guide to strengthening and sustaining organizational
achievement. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Coover, V., et al. (1985). Resource manual for a living revolution: a handbook of skills & tools for social change activists. Philadelphia:
New Society Publisher.
Fawcett, S., Paine, A., Francisco, V., Richter, K.., Lewis, R., Williams, E., Harris, K., Winter-Green, K., in collaboration with Bradley, B.
& Copple, J. (1992). Preventing adolescent substance abuse: an action planning guide for community -based initiatives. Lawrence, KS:
Work Group on Health Promotion and Community Development, University of Kansas.
Fawcett, S., Schultz, J., Francisco, V., Cyprus, J., Collie, V., Carson, V., & Bremby, R. (2001). Promoting urban neighborhood
development: An action planning guide for improving housing, jobs, education, safety and health, and human development. Lawrence, KS:
Work Group on Health Promotion and Community Development.
Halfon, N., Inkelas, M., Rice, T., Sutherland, C., Tullis, E., & Uyeda, K. (2004). Building State Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems.
Volume 6: A Strategic Planning Guide for State-Level Early Childhood Systems-Building Initiatives: From Resources to Results for Young
Children and Their Families. Los Angeles: UCLA Center for Healthier Children, Families, and Communities.
Kansas Health Foundation. VMOSA: An approach to strategic planning. Wichita, KS: Kansas Health Foundation.
Lord, R. (1989). The non-profit problem solver: a management guide. New York, NY: Praeger Publishers.
Murray, E., & Richardson, P. (2002). Fast Forward: Organizational Changes in 100 Days. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Olenick, J., & Olenick, R. (1991). A non-profit organization operating manual: planning for survival and growth. New York, NY:
Foundation Center.
Stonich, P. J. (1982). Implementing strategy: making strategy happen. Cambridge: Ballinger Publishing Company.
Unterman, I., & Davis, R. (1984). Strategic management of not-for-profit organizations. New York, NY: CBS Educational and Professional
Publishing.
Watson-Thompson, J., Fawcett, S.B., & Schultz, J. (2008). Differential effects of strategic planning on community change in two urban
neighborhood coalitions. American Journal of Community Psychology, 42, 25-38.
Wolff, T. (1990). Managing a non-profit organization. New York, NY: Prentice Hall Press.
Wolff, T. (2010). The Power of Collaborative Solutions: Six Principles and Effective Tools for Building Healthy Communities. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
 Proclaiming Your Dream: Developing Vision and
Mission Statements

• WHAT IS A VISION STATEMENT?

• WHAT IS A MISSION STATEMENT?
• WHY SHOULD YOU CREATE VISION AND MISSION
STATEMENTS?
• HOW DO YOU CREATE VISION AND MISSION STATEMENTS?

Creating your organization's vision and mission statements are the first two steps in the
VMOSA action planning process. Developing a vision and mission statement is crucial to the
success of community initiatives. These statements explain your group's aspirations in a
concise manner, help your organization focus on what is really important, and provide a basis
for developing other aspects of your strategic plan. This section provides a guide for
developing and implementing your organization's vision and mission statements.
WHAT IS A VISION STATEMENT?
Your vision is your dream. It's what your organization believes are the ideal conditions for
your community; that is, how things would look if the issue important to you were
completely, perfectly addressed. It might be a world without war, or a community in which all
people are treated as equals, regardless of gender or racial background.
Whatever your organization's dream is, it may be well articulated by one or more vision
statements. Vision statements are short phrases or sentences that convey your community's
hopes for the future. By developing a vision statement or statements, your organization
clarifies the beliefs and governing principles of your organization, first for yourselves, and
then for the greater community.
There are certain characteristics that most vision statements have in common. In general,
vision statements should be:

• Understood and shared by members of the community

• Broad enough to include a diverse variety of local perspectives
• Inspiring and uplifting to everyone involved in your effort
• Easy to communicate - for example, they are generally short enough to fit on a T-shirt
Here are some examples of vision statements that meet the above criteria:

• Caring communities
• Healthy children
• Safe streets, safe neighborhoods
• Every house a home
• Education for all
• Peace on earth

WHAT IS A MISSION STATEMENT?

The next piece of the puzzle is to ground your vision in practical terms. This is where
developing a mission statement, the next step in the action planning process comes in. An
organization's mission statement describes what the group is going to do and why it's going to
do that. For example, "Promoting care and caring at the end of life through coalitions and
advocacy."
Mission statements are similar to vision statements, in that they, too, look at the big picture.
However, they're more concrete, and they are definitely more "action-oriented" than vision
statements. Your vision statement should inspire people to dream; your mission statement
should inspire them to action.
The mission statement might refer to a problem, such as an inadequate housing, or a goal,
such as providing access to health care for everyone. And, while they don 't go into a lot of
detail, they start to hint - very broadly - at how your organization might fix these problems or
reach these goals. Some general guiding principles about mission statements are that they are:

• Concise. While not as short as vision statements, mission statements generally still get
their point across in one sentence.
• Outcome-oriented. Mission statements explain the fundamental outcomes your
organization is working to achieve.
• Inclusive. While mission statements do make statements about your group's key goals,
it's very important that they do so very broadly. Good mission statements are not
limiting in the strategies or sectors of the community that may become involved in the
project.

The following examples should help you understand what we mean by effective mission
statements.

• "Promoting child health and development through a comprehensive family and

community initiative."
• "To create a thriving African American community through development of jobs,
education, housing, and cultural pride."
• "To develop a safe and healthy neighborhood through collaborative planning,
community action, and policy advocacy."
• "Promoting community health and development by connecting people, ideas and
resources." (This is the mission of the Community Tool Box)

WHY SHOULD YOU CREATE VISION AND MISSION STATEMENTS?

Why is it important that your organization develops vision and mission statements like those
above? First of all, because these statements can help your organization focus on what is
really important. Although your organization knows what you are trying to do to improve
your community, it's easy to lose sight of this when dealing with the day-to-day hassles that
plague all organizations. Your vision and mission statements help members remember what is
important as you go about doing your daily work.
Second, your vision and mission statements let other individuals and organizations have a
snapshot view of whom your group is and what it wants to do. When your vision and mission
statements are easily visible (for example, if they are on the letterhead of your stationary),
people can learn about your organization without having to work hard for the information.
Then, those with common interests can take the time necessary to learn more. Clearly, this
can be very helpful when you are recruiting other people and organizations to join in your
effort.
Finally, vision and mission statements are also very helpful in having members who are
focused and bound together in common purpose. Not only do the statements themselves serve
as a constant reminder of what is important to your organization, the process of developing
them allows people to see the organization as "theirs." It's common sense: people will believe
in something more completely if they had a hand in developing it.
There are many other reasons to develop vision and mission statements as well. For example,
having clear and compelling vision statements can:

• Draw people to common work

• Give hope for a better future
• Inspire community members to realize their dreams through positive, effective action
• Provide a basis for developing the other aspects of your action planning process: your
mission, objectives, strategies, and action plans

Having a clear mission statement can:

• Convert the broad dreams of your vision into more specific, action-oriented terms
• Explain your goals to interested parties in a clear and concise manner
• Enhance your organization's image as being competent and professional, thus
reassuring funding sources that their investment was (or would be!) a smart choice

HOW DO YOU CREATE VISION AND MISSION STATEMENTS?

Armed with a better understanding of vision and mission statements, it's time for your
organization to develop them for itself. If your group has already developed vision and
mission statements, you might wish to look at them in light of the criteria we discussed above.
If members of your organization feel your current statements could be improved upon, this
process can be used to modify them. Ready? Let's go!
LEARN WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO PEOPLE IN YOUR COMMUNITY
As developing your vision and mission statements is the first step in developing the action
plan that will guide your effort, it is especially important that these first steps are well
grounded in community beliefs and values. Knowing the important issues in your community
is vital for the development of a strong, effective, and enduring action group.
Therefore, one of the first steps you should take when developing the vision and mission of
your organization will be is to define the issue(s) that matter most to people in your
community. How do you go about doing so?
There are many different ways you can gather this information, including:
Conduct "public forums" or "listening sessions" with members of the community to
gather ideas, thoughts, and opinions about how they would like to see the community
transformed.
In public forums or listening sessions, people come together from throughout the community
to talk about what is important to them. These meetings are usually led by facilitators, who
guide a discussion of what people perceive to be the community 's strengths and problems,
and what people wish the community was like. Someone usually records these meetings, and
a transcript of what is said provides a basis for subsequent planning.
Hold focus groups with the people interested in addressing the issue(s), including
community leaders, people most affected by the issues, businesses, church leaders,
teachers, etc.
Focus groups are similar to public forums and listening sessions, but they are smaller and
more intimate. Generally speaking, they are comprised of small groups of people with similar
backgrounds, so they will feel comfortable talking openly about what concerns them. For
example, the members of a group are generally about the same age, are of the same ethnic
group, or have another common experience. They are used in much the same way as public
forums, and also use facilitators and recorders to focus and take notes on the work done.
Your organization may choose to hold focus groups with several different groups of people, to
get the most holistic view of the issue at hand. For example, if your organization is involved
in child health, you might have one focus group with health care providers, another with
parents or children, and still another with teachers. Once you have a rough mission statement,
you might again use a focus group to test it out.
Obtain interviews with people in leadership and service positions, including such
individuals as local politicians, school administrators, hospital and social service agency
staff, about what problems or needs they believe exist in your community.
Often, these individuals will have both facts and experiences to back up their views. If so, you
can also use these data later if and when you apply for funding, or when you request
community support to address the issues. More information on this topic can be found in
Chapter 3, Section 12: Conducting Interviews.
Of course, these different ways to gather information from you community aren't mutually
exclusive. In fact, if you have the resources, it makes sense to do all of the above: to have
some time for the community at large to respond, then spend more time in focus groups with
the people you believe might contribute greatly to (or be most affected by) some of the issues
brought up in your community listening session. And finally, some one on one time with
community leaders can only serve to strengthen your knowledge and purpose; remember,
there are undoubtedly many people in your community who have been wrestling with the
same issues you are now looking at for a long time. Take advantage of that experience; you
don't want to reinvent the wheel!
DECIDE WHAT TO ASK
No matter if you are talking to one person or 300, your purpose is the same: to learn what
matters in your community. Here's a list of questions you might use to focus your discussions
with community members. These questions may be used for individual interviews, focus
groups, public forums, or in any other way you choose to gather information.
 • What is your dream for our community?
• What would you like to see change?
• What kind of community (or program, policy, school, neighborhood, etc.) do we want
to create?
• What do you see as the community's (or school's, neighborhood's, etc.) major issues or
problems?
• What do you see as the community's major strengths and assets?
• What do you think should be the purpose of this organization (or effort)?
• Why should these issues be addressed?
• What would success look like?

When your organization is questioning people, the facilitator should encourage everyone to
allow their most idealistic, hopeful, and positive ideas to shine through. Don't worry right now
about what's practical and what's not - this can be narrowed down later. Encourage everyone
to be bold and participate, and to remember that you are trying to articulate a vision of a better
community, and a better world.
DECIDE ON THE GENERAL FOCUS OF YOUR ORGANIZATION
Once members of your organization have heard what the community has to say, it 's time to
decide the general focus of your organization or initiative. First of all, what topic is most
important to your organization and your community? For example, will you tackle urban
development or public health issues? Racism or economic opportunity?
A second question you will need to answer is at what level will your organization work. Will
your organization begin only in one school, or in one neighborhood, or in your city? Or will
your initiative's focus be broader, working on a state, national, or even international level.
These are questions for which there are no easy answers. Your organization will need to
consider what it has learned from the community, and decide through thoughtful discussion
the best direction for your organization. We suggest you open this discussion up to everyone
in your organization to obtain the best results.
Of course, if your organization is receiving grant money or major funding from a particular
agency, the grant maker may specify what the general goal of your group should be. For
example, if your group accepts a grant to reduce child hunger, at least part of its mission will
be devoted to this purpose. Even in these circumstances, however, the community should
determine the ultimate vision and mission that will best advance what matters to local people.
DEVELOP YOUR VISION AND MISSION STATEMENTS
Now that your organization has a clearer understanding of what the organization will do and
why, you are in a prime position to develop the statements that will capture your ideas.
As you are looking at potential statements, remember to keep them broad and enduring.
Vision and mission statements that are wide in scope allow for a sense of continuity with a
community's history, traditions, and broad purposes. And vision and mission statements that
are built to last will guide efforts both today and tomorrow.
Vision Statements
First of all, remind members of your organization that it often takes several vision statements
to fully capture the dreams of those involved in a community improvement effort. You don't
need - or even want - to have just one "perfect" phrase. Encourage people to suggest all of
their ideas, and write them down - possibly on poster paper at the front of the room, so people
can be further inspired by the ideas of others. As you do this, help everyone keep in mind:

• What you have learned from your discussions with community members
• What your organization has decided will be your focus
• What you learned about vision statements at the beginning of this section

If you have a hard time getting started, you might wish to check out some of the vision
statements in this section's Examples. You might ask yourself how well they meet the above
suggestions.
After you have brainstormed a lot of ideas, your group can discuss critically the different
ideas. Oftentimes, several of the vision statements will just jump out at you - someone will
suggest it, and people will just instantly think, "That's it!"
You can also ask yourselves the following questions about vision statements:

• Will it draw people to common work?

• Does it give hope for a better future?
• Will it inspire community members to realize their dreams through positive, effective
action?
• Does it provide a basis for developing the other aspects of your action planning
process?

A final caution: try not to get caught up in having a certain number of vision statements for
your organization. Whether you ultimately end up with two vision statements or ten, what is
most important is that the statements together give a holistic view of the vision of your
organization.
Mission Statements
The process of writing your mission statement is much like that for developing your vision
statements. The same brainstorming process can help you develop possibilities for your
mission statement. Remember, though, that unlike with vision statements, you will want to
develop a single mission statement for your work. After having brainstormed for possible
statements, you will want to ask of each one:

• Does it describe what your organization will do and why it will do it?
• Is it concise (one sentence)?
• Is it outcome oriented?
• Is it inclusive of the goals and people who may become involved in the organization?

Together, your organization can decide on a statement that best meets these criteria.
OBTAIN CONSENSUS ON YOUR VISION AND MISSION
STATEMENTS
Once members of your organization have developed your vision and mission statements, your
next step might be to learn what other members of your community think of them before you
start to use them regularly.
To do this, you could talk to the same community leaders or focus group members you spoke
to originally. First of all, this can help you ensure that they don't find the statements offensive
in any way. For example, an initiative that wants to include young men more fully in its teen
pregnancy prevention project might have "Young men in Asheville are the best informed" as
one of their vision statements. But taken out of context, some people community members
might believe this statement means young men are given better information or education than
young women, thus offending another group of people.
Second, you will want to ensure that community members agree that the statements together
capture the spirit of what they believe and desire. Your organization might find it has omitted
something very important by mistake.
DECIDE HOW YOU WILL USE YOUR VISION AND MISSION
STATEMENTS
Finally, it's important to remember that while developing the statements is a huge step for
your organization (and one you should celebrate!), there is more work to be done. Next, you
have to decide how to use these statements. Otherwise, all of your hard work will have
happening for nothing. The point is to get the message across.
There are many, many ways in which your organization may choose to spread its vision and
mission statements. To name just a few examples, you might:

• Add them to your letterhead or stationary

• Use them on your website
• Give away T-shirts, or bookmarks, or other small gifts with them
• Add them to your press kit
• Use them when you give interviews
• Display them on the cover of your annual report

...and so on. Again, this is a step that will use all of your creativity.
IN SUMMARY
Developing effective vision and mission statements are two of the most important tasks your
organization will ever do, because almost everything else you do will be affected by these
statements. We hope that this section has allowed you to feel more confident now in your
group's ability to create successful and inspiring vision and mission statements. Remember,
think broadly and boldly! Good luck!
Contributor

Jenette Nagy

Stephen B. Fawcett

Print Resources
Barry, B. (1982). Strategic planning workbook for non-profit organizations. St. Paul, MN:
Amherst H. Wilder Foundation.
Bryson, J. (1988). Strategic planning for public and nonprofit organizations: A guide to
strengthening and sustaining organizational achievement. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass
Publishers.
Coover, V., et al. (1985). Resource manual for a living revolution: a handbook of skills &
tools for social change activists. Philadelphia: New Society Publisher.
Fawcett, S., Paine, A., Francisco, V., Richter, K. P., Lewis, R., Williams, E., Harris, K.,
Winter, K., in collaboration with Bradley, B. & Copple, J. (1992). Preventing adolescent
substance abuse: an action planning guide for community -based initiatives. Lawrence, KS:
Work Group on Health Promotion and Community Development, University of Kansas.
Fawcett, S., Paine, A., Francisco, V., Richter, K., Lewis, R., Harris, K., Williams, E.,
& Fischer, J., in collaboration with Vincent, M., & Johnson, C. (1992). Preventing adolescent
pregnancy: an action planning guide for community-based initiatives. Lawrence, KS: Work
Group on Health Promotion and Community Development, University of Kansas.
Kansas Health Foundation. VMOSA: An approach to strategic planning. Wichita, KS: Kansas
Health Foundation.
Lord, R. (1989). The non-profit problem solver: A management guide. New York, NY:
Praeger Publishers.
Olenick, J., & Olenick, R. (1991). A non-profit organization operating manual: planning for
survival and growth. New York, NY: Foundation Center.
Stonich, P. (1982). Implementing strategy: making strategy happen. Cambridge: Ballinger
Publishing Company.
Unterman, I., & Davis, R. (1984). Strategic management of not-for-profit organizations. New
York, NY: CBS Educational and Professional Publishing.
Wolff, T. (1990). Managing a non-profit organization. New York, NY: Prentice Hall Press.
Organizations
American Planning Association
1776 Massachusetts Ave., N.W.
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 872-0611
FAX: (202) 872-0643
 Creating Objectives
• W H A T A R E O B J E C T I VE S ?
• W H Y S H O U L D YO U C R E A T E O B J E C TI V E S ?
• W H E N S H O U LD Y O U C R E A T E O B J E C T I V E S ?
• H O W D O Y O U C R E A T E O B JE C T I V E S?
To obtain long-term results, we need to have mid-term goals that will lead to the outcomes we
desire. If a child wants to finish high school (his long-term goal), in the meantime, he will
need to successfully complete the second, third, fourth (and so on) grades.
Learning to develop these statements of goals is what this section is all about. In the last
section of this chapter, you learned how to develop your organization's vision (for example,
"A world without AIDS"), as well as its mission (for example, "To ensure the highest quality
care of people in our community with HIV/AIDS and halt the further spread of the disease
through a comprehensive community initiative."). Now we'll look at developing the specific
objectives that will help to make your vision and mission a reality.

WHAT ARE OBJECTIVES?

Once an organization has developed its mission statement, its next step is to develop the
specific objectives that are focused on achieving that mission. Objectives are the specific
measurable results of the initiative. An organization's objectives offer specifics of how
much of what will be accomplished by when. For example, one of several objectives for a
community initiative to promote care and caring for older adults might be: "By 2020 (by
when), to increase by 20% (how much) those elders reporting that they are in daily contact
with someone who cares about them (of what)."
There are three basic types of objectives. They are:

• Behavioral objectives. These objectives look at changing the behaviors of people (what they
are doing and saying) and the products (or results) of their behaviors. For example, a
neighborhood improvement group might develop an objective for having an increased amount
of home repair taking place (the behavior) and of improved housing (the result).
• Community-level outcome objectives. These are often the product or result of behavior change
in many people. They are more focused on a community level instead of an individual level.
For example, the same neighborhood group might have an objective of increasing the
percentage of people living in the community with adequate housing as a community-level
outcome objective. (Notice this result would be a community-level outcome of behavior
change in lots of people.)
• Process objectives. These are the objectives that provide the groundwork or implementation
necessary to achieve your other objectives. For example, the group might adopt a
comprehensive plan for improving neighborhood housing. In this case, adoption of the plan
itself is the objective.

It's important to understand that these different types of objectives aren't mutually exclusive.
Most groups will develop objectives in all three categories. And all of the different types of
objectives should be used as intermediate markers of the organization's progress.
The best objectives have several characteristics in common. They are all S.M.A.R.T. +C.:
 • They are specific. That is, they tell how much (e.g., 40%) of what is to be achieved (e.g., what
behavior of whom or what outcome) by when (e.g., by 2020)?
• They are measurable. Information concerning the objective can be collected, detected, or
obtained from records (at least potentially).
• They are achievable. Not only are the objectives themselves possible, it is likely that your
organization will be able to pull them off.
• They are relevant to the mission. Your organization has a clear understanding of how these
objectives fit in with the overall vision and mission of the group.
• They are timed. Your organization has developed a timeline (a portion of which is made clear
in the objectives) by which they will be achieved.
• They are challenging. They stretch the group to set its aims on significant improvements that
are important to members of the community.

WHY SHOULD YOU CREATE OBJECTIVES?

There are many good reasons to develop specific objectives for your organization. They
include:

• Developing objectives helps your organization create specific and feasible ways in which to
carry out your mission.
• Completed objectives can serve as a marker to show members of your organization, funders,
and the greater community what your initiative has accomplished.
• Creating objectives helps your organization set priorities for its goals.
• It helps individuals and work groups set guidelines and develop the task list of things that need
to be done.
• It reemphasizes your mission throughout the process of change, which helps keep members of
the organization working toward the same long-term goals.
• Developing the list of objectives can serve as a completeness check, to make sure your
organization is attacking the issue on all appropriate fronts.

WHEN SHOULD YOU CREATE OBJECTIVES?

Your community organization should create objectives when:

• Your organization has developed (or revamped) its vision and mission statements, and is ready
to take the next step in the planning process.
• Your organization's focus has changed or expanded. For example, perhaps your organization's
mission relates to care and caring at the end of life. You have recently been made aware of
new resources, however, to positively affect the lives of those deeply affected by the death of
a loved one. If your organization were to apply for this new grant, it would clearly expand
upon your current work, and would require objectives as you developed your action plan.
• The organization wants to address a community issue or problem, create a service, or make a
community change that requires:
o Several years to complete. For example, your child health organization might hope to
increase the percentage of students who finish high school - a task that may take
several years to complete.
o A change in behavior of large numbers of people. For example, your organization may
be trying to reduce risks for cardiovascular diseases, and one of your objectives may
be to increase the number of adults who engage in physical activity in your
community.
o A multi-faceted approach. For example, with a problem as complex as substance
abuse, your organization may have to worry about tackling related issues, such as
access to drugs, available drug rehabilitation services, legal consequences for drug
use, etc., as well as reducing the prevalence (how often or how much) of drug use.
HOW DO YOU CREATE OBJECTIVES?
So once your organization has decided that it does wish to develop objectives, how do you go
about doing so? Let's look at the process that will help you to define and refine objectives for
your organization.
DEFINE OR REAFFIRM YOUR VISION AND MISSION
STATEMENTS
The first thing you will need to do is review the vision and mission statements your
organization has developed. Before you determine your objectives, you should have a "big
picture" that they fit into.
DETERMINE THE CHANGES TO BE MADE
The crux of writing realistic objectives is learning what changes need to happen in order to
fulfill your mission.
There are many ways to do this, including:

• Research what experts in your field believe to be the best ways to solve the problem. For many
community issues, researchers have developed useful ideas of what needs to occur to see real
progress. This information may be available through local libraries, the Internet, state and
national agencies, national nonprofit groups, and university research groups.
• Discuss with local experts what needs to occur. Some of the people with whom you may wish
to talk include:
o Other members of your organization
o Local experts, such as members of other, similar organizations who have a great deal
of experience with the issue you are trying to change
o Your agents of change, or the people in a position to contribute to the solution. Agents
of change might include teachers, business leaders, church leaders, local politicians,
community members, and members of the media.
o Your targets of change, the people who experience the problem or issue on a day-to-
day basis and those people whose actions contribute to the problem. Changing their
behavior will become the heart of your objectives.
• Discuss the logistical requirements of your own organization to successfully address
community needs. At the same time your organization is looking at what needs to happen in
the community to solve the issue important to you, you should also consider what your
organization requires to get that done. Do you need an action plan? Additional funding? More
staff, or more training for additional staff? This information is necessary to develop the
process objectives we talked about earlier in this section.

At this point in the planning process, you don't need hard and fast answers to the above
questions. What you should develop as part of this step is a general list of what needs to occur
to make the changes you want to see.
For example, perhaps your group has decided upon the following mission: "To reduce
risk for cardiovascular diseases through a community-wide initiative." At this point in
your research (without getting into specifics), your organization might have decided that your
objectives will be based on the following general goals:

• Begin smoking cessation programs

• Begin smoking prevention programs
• Bring about an increase in aerobic exercise
• Decrease the amount of obesity
 • Encourage healthier diets
• Increase preventative medicine (for example, more checkups for earlier detection of disease;
better understanding of warning signs and symptoms)
• Increase the scientific understanding of your own organization regarding the causes and
pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease
• Strengthen your organization's ties with national organizations committed to the same goals as
your organization

C O L L EC T B A S E L I N E D A T A O N T H E I S S U E S T O B E
ADDRESSED
As soon as your organization has a general idea of what it wants to accomplish, the next step
is to developbaseline data on the issue to be addressed. Baseline data are the facts and figures
that tell you how big the problem is; it gives specific figures about the extent to which it exists
in your community.
Baseline data can indicate the incidence (new cases) of a problem in the community. For
example, "Malott County has an adolescent pregnancy rate of 12.3 pregnancies for every
thousand teenage girls." Such data can also reveal the prevalence (existing cases) of the
problem. For example, "In Jefferson County, 35% of teens reported that they did not use
contraceptives during the last time they had sex."
Baseline data may also measure community attitudes towards a problem. For example, "65%
of the residents of Malott County do not consider teen pregnancy to be an important problem
for the community."
Why collect baseline data?
This information is important because baseline data provides your organization with the
numbers; the starting points against which you can measure how much progress you have
made. Not only is this information helpful when originally asking for financial (or other)
assistance, it can help you show what your organization has done later in its lifetime.
So, early in your organization's life, you can prove to funders that there really is a very
significant problem in your community that needs to be addressed ("Malott County's
adolescent pregnancy rate is the highest in the state of Georgia.") Then, when asked later in
the life of your community initiative, "What have you done?" you will be able to answer,
"Since our coalition was formed, Malott County has seen pregnancy among teens drop by
35%." If you don't collect (or obtain) the baseline information, you can't prove how much you
have done.
How do you collect this information?
There are two basic ways to collect baseline data:

• You can collect your own baseline data for the information related to your specific issues.
Ways to gather this information include the use of surveys, questionnaires, and personal
interviews.
• You can use information that has already been collected. Public libraries, city government,
social service agencies, local schools, or city health departments may already have the
statistics that you want, especially if another organization has already done work on a similar
issue in your community.
D E C I D E WH A T I S R E A L I S T I C FO R Y O U R O R G A N I Z A T I O N T O
ACCOMPLISH
Once you know what you want to do, as well as exactly how big the problem is, it's time to
figure out how much you believe your organization can accomplish. Do you have the
resources to affect all of the goals you looked at in Step Two? And to what extent will you be
able to achieve them?
These questions are difficult ones to answer. It's hard for a new organization to know what it
can reasonably expect to get done. For example, if you are trying to increase rates of
childhood immunization, will your organization be able to increase it by 5% in three years, or
by 20% in one year? How do you make these decisions?
Unfortunately, there are no easy answers. Your organization will need to take a good look at
its resources, as well as talk to experts who have a sense of what is not only possible, but
likely. For example, you might ask members of organizations who have done similar things,
or researchers in your topic area what they believe makes sense.
Remember, you are attempting to set objectives that are both achievable and challenging. It's
hard to hit just the right note of balance between these two qualities, and you may not always
get it just right. Research and experience, however, should help you come closer and closer to
this goal.
S E T T H E O B J E C T I V E S FO R Y O U R O R G A N I Z A T I O N O R
INITIATIVE
With all of this information in mind, your organization is ready to set some short-term goals
or objectives that are feasible but demanding. Remember, objectives refer to specific
measurable results. These changes in behavior, outcome, and process must be able to be
tracked and measured in such a way to show that a change has occurred.
A caution: Oftentimes, the objectives of a community initiative or organization are set or
influenced by the primary funding agency. Regardless of outside influences, each community
initiative must decide what problems it is going to take on and what objectives would define
success for their organization.
Your organization's list of objectives should do all of the following:

• Include all three types of objectives: objectives that measure behavior change, community
outcomes, and those that measure important parts of the planning process.
• Include specific objectives that tell how much of what will occur by when. For example, "By
2020, rates of teen pregnancy among 12-17 year old girls will decrease by 30%."
• They should include all of the "SMART +C criteria." As we discussed earlier in this section,
this means that they should be, Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant , Time d,
and Challenging.

Let's look at one more example of some objectives; these goals come from an organization
focusing on preventing adolescent substance abuse.
Objectives developed by an adolescent substance abuse prevention initiative
By the year 2012, the use of tobacco among 12-17 year olds will be reduced by 40%.
By the year 2012, the use of alcohol among 12-17 year olds will be reduced by 50%.
By the year 2012, the use of marijuana among 12-17 year olds will be reduced by 70%.
By the year 2012, the use of cocaine among 12-17 year olds will be reduced by 80%.
REVIEW THE OBJECTIVES YOUR ORGANIZATION HAS
CREATED
Before you finalize your objectives, it makes sense for members of your organization to
review them one more time, and possibly, ask people outside of your organization to review
them as well. You might ask members of your organization who were not involved in the
development process to review your work. You may also wish to get the thoughts of local
experts, targets and agents of change, and/or of people doing similar work in other
communities to review what you have developed. You can ask reviewers to comment on:

• Do your objectives each meet the criteria of "SMART+C"?

• Is your list of objectives complete? That is, are there important objectives that are missing?
• Are your objectives appropriate? Are any of your objectives controversial? If so, your
organization needs to decide if it is ready to handle the storm that may arise. For example, a
program that is trying to reduce the spread of AIDS in its community may decide clean
needles for drug addicts is an objective they wish to strive for; but it may very well cause
difficulties for that organization. That's not to say the organization shouldn't make that an
objective, but they should do so with a clear understanding of the consequences.

USE YOUR OBJECTIVES TO DEFINE YOUR ORGANIZATION'S

S T R A TE G I E S
Finally, once you have your general objectives, you are ready for the next step: developing the
strategies that will make them possible. Once your objectives are finished, and satisfactory to
members of the organization and important people outside of your group, you are ready to
move on to developing successful strategies.

IN SUMMARY
Developing objectives is a critical step in your planning process. It can also be very exciting
piece, because this is the time when your organization really start to say what, exactly, you are
going to get done in order to realize your dream. In the next section on strategies, we get even
more detail oriented, as we discuss the broad ways to achieve (or even, to exceed) the
objectives you have set.
Developing Successful Strategies: Planning to Win
• WHAT IS A STRATEGY?
• W H A T A R E TH E C R I T E R I A F O R D E V E L O P I N G A G O O D
STRATEGY?
• W H Y D E V E LO P S T R A T E G I E S ?
• W H E N S H O U LD Y O U D E V E L O P ST R A T E G I E S F O R Y O U R
INITIATIVE?
• H O W D O Y O U D E V E L O P S TR A T E G I E S ?

WHAT IS A STRATEGY?
A strategy is a way of describing how you are going to get things done. It is less specific than
an action plan (which tells the who-what-when); instead, it tries to broadly answer the
question, "How do we get there from here?" (Do we want to take the train? Fly? Walk?)
A good strategy will take into account existing barriers and resources (people, money, power,
materials, etc.). It will also stay with the overall vision, mission, and objectives of the
initiative. Often, an initiative will use many different strategies--providing information,
enhancing support, removing barriers, providing resources, etc.--to achieve its goals.
Objectives outline the aims of an initiative--what success would look like in achieving the
vision and mission. By contrast, strategies suggest paths to take (and how to move along) on
the road to success. That is, strategies help you determine how you will realize your vision
and objectives through the nitty-gritty world of action.

WHAT ARE THE CRITERIA FOR DEVELOPING A

GOOD STRATEGY?
Strategies for your community initiative should meet several criteria.
Does the strategy:

• Give overall direction? A strategy, such as enhancing experience and skill or increasing
resources and opportunities, should point out the overall path without dictating a particular
narrow approach (e.g., using a specific skills training program).
• Fit resources and opportunities? A good strategy takes advantage of current resources and
assets, such as people's willingness to act or a tradition of self-help and community pride. It
also embraces new opportunities such as an emerging public concern for neighborhood safety
or parallel economic development efforts in the business community.
• Minimize resistance and barriers? When initiatives set out to accomplish important things,
resistance (even opposition) is inevitable. However, strategies need not provide a reason for
opponents to attack the initiative. Good strategies attract allies and deter opponents.
• Reach those affected? To address the issue or problem, strategies must connect the
intervention with those who it should benefit. For example, if the mission of the initiative is to
get people into decent jobs, do the strategies (providing education and skills training, creating
job opportunities, etc.) reach those currently unemployed?
• Advance the mission? Taken together, are strategies likely to make a difference on the mission
and objectives? If the aim is to reduce a problem such as unemployment, are the strategies
enough to make a difference on rates of employment? If the aim is to prevent a problem, such
as substance abuse, have factors contributing to risk (and protection) been changed sufficiently
to reduce use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs?

WHY DEVELOP STRATEGIES?

Developing strategies is really a way to focus your efforts and figure out how you're going to
get things done. By doing so, you can achieve the following advantages:

• Taking advantage of resources and emerging opportunities

• Responding effectively to resistance and barriers
• A more efficient use of time, energy, and resources

WHEN SHOULD YOU DEVELOP STRATEGIES FOR

YOUR INITIAT IVE ?
Developing strategies is the fourth step in the VMOSA (Vision, Mission, Objectives,
Strategies, and Action Plans) process outlined at the beginning of this chapter. Developing
strategies is the essential step between figuring out your objectives and making the changes to
reach them. Strategies should always be formed in advance of taking action, not deciding how
to do something after you have done it. Without a clear idea of the how, your group's actions
may waste time and effort and fail to take advantage of emerging opportunities. Strategies
should also be updated periodically to meet the needs of a changing environment, including
new opportunities and emerging opposition to the group's efforts.

HOW DO YOU DEVELOP STRATEGIES?

Once again, let's refer back to our friends at the fictional Reducing the Risk (RTR) Coalition
that hopes to reduce the risk of teenage pregnancy in its community. We'll walk through the
process of developing strategies with this group so as to better explain the who, what, and
why of strategies.
As with the process you went through to write your vision and mission statements and to set
your objectives, developing strategies involves brainstorming and talking to community
members.
ORGANIZE A BRAINSTORMING MEETING WITH MEMBERS OF
YOUR ORGANIZATION AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY
Remember, people will work best in a relaxed and welcoming environment. You can help
achieve this by:

• Making meetings a place where all members feel that their ideas are listened to and valued,
and where constructive criticism may be openly voiced. To help meet these goals, you might
post some "ground rules" so people feel free to express themselves. Ground rules might
include:
o One person speaks at a time
o No interrupting each other
o Everyone's ideas are respected
• Bringing fans or heaters (if needed) so people will be comfortable.
• Asking members to escort each other home or to their cars, the subway, or the bus stop if the
meeting runs late.
• Providing refreshments. Never underestimate the power of homemade food, drinks, and other
treats.

The RTR Coalition held brainstorming sessions among organization members. They invited
local teens, parents, teachers, counselors, church members, and other community leaders to
participate in listening sessions. These were used to help develop strategies to reduce the risk
of teen pregnancy. Homemade cookies, fruit, and coffee helped make participants feel
welcome.
REVIEW (IDENTIFY) THE TARGETS AND AGENTS OF CHANGE
FOR YOUR INITIATIVE

• Your targets of change include all of the people who experience (or are at risk for) this issue
or problem addressed by your initiative. Remember to be inclusive; that is, include everyone
who is affected by the problem or issue or whose action or inaction contributes to it. For
example, a coalition such the RTR Coalition would want to include all teenagers as potential
targets of change, not just adolescents who seem particularly at risk, and parents, peers, and
teachers whose actions or inactions might make a difference.
• Your agents of change include everyone who is in a position to help contribute to the solution.
With the RTR Coalition, examples of agents of change might include teens, teachers, guidance
counselors, parents of teens, lawmakers, and others.
REVIEW YOUR VISION, MISSION, AND OBJECTIVES TO KEEP
YOU ON THE RIGHT TRACK
It is helpful to review your mission, vision, and objectives to ensure that your strategies are all
aligned with the goals expressed in your previous work.
W O R K T O G E T H E R T O B R A IN S T O R M T H E B E ST S T R A T E G I E S
FOR YOUR INITIATIVE
The following list of questions can be a guide for deciding on the most beneficial strategies
for your group:

• What resources and assets exist that can be used to help achieve the vision and mission? How
can they be used best?
• What obstacles or resistance exist that could make it difficult to achieve your vision and
mission? How can you minimize or get around them?
• What are potential agents of change willing to do to serve the mission?
• Do you want to reduce the existing problem, or does it make more sense to try to prevent (or
reduce risk for) problems before they start? For example, if you are trying to reduce teen
sexual activity, you might consider gearing some of your strategies to younger children, for
whom sex is not yet a personal issue; or, to promote academic success, to work with younger
children who still have full potential for learning and school success.
• How will your potential strategies decrease the risk for experiencing the problem (e.g., young
girls getting pressure for sex from older men)? How will the strategies increase protective
factors (e.g., support from peers; access to contraceptives)?
• What potential strategies will affect the whole population and problem? For example,
connecting youth with caring adults might be good for virtually all youth, regardless of
income or past experience with the problem. Also, just one strategy, affecting just one part of
the community such as schools or youth organizations, often isn't enough to improve the
situation. Make sure that your strategies affect the problem or issue as a whole.
• What potential strategies reach those at particular risk for the problem? For example, early
screenings might help focus on those at higher risk for heart disease or cancer; past academic
failure or history of drug use, for identifying with whom support and other intervention efforts
might be focused.

Let's look at the strategies proposed by the members of the RTR Coalition to prevent teen
pregnancy.
Example: The strategies of the RTR Coalition
We will pursue the following strategies to reach each of our objectives:

• Assist local churches in implementing parent-child awareness sessions (for example, a series
of talks might be given discussing how to talk to your preteen about sex);
• Include comprehensive sex education in the curriculum of students from kindergarten through
grade twelve, including information on abstinence, sexual decision-making skills, and family
planning / contraception at age-appropriate times;
• Incorporate options for teacher-led and peer support programs in the schools;
• Survey and report on student knowledge, attitudes, and behavior related to sexual issues;
• Increase access to contraception;
• Organize a school/community action group to create supervised after-school activities, mentor
programs, etc.

Things to note about the RTR strategies:

 • They give overall direction (without dictating specifics, such as the particular sexuality
education curricula to be used).
• They fit local resources, including a variety of the available agents of change (in this case,
peers, parents and guardians, clergy, and teachers).
• Some of the strategies try to change existing situations (such as increased access to
contraception); others are geared to stop the problem of teen pregnancy before it starts (for
example, assisting local churches to improve early parent-child communication).
• The strategies involve many different parts of the community, including churches and other
groups from whom opposition to some strategies (such as access to contraceptives) might be
expected.
• The strategies try to decrease some of the probable risk factors for teen pregnancy (lack of
information, lack of access to contraceptives, peer pressure), and at the same time, they try to
increase some of the possible protective factors (increased parent-child communication,
church involvement, education, opportunities for a better future).

C H E C K Y O U R P R O PO S E D S T R A T E G I E S F O R C O M P L E T E N E S S ,
A C C U R A C Y , A N D WH E T H E R T H E Y C O N T R I B U T E T O T H E
VISION, MISSION, AND OBJECTIVES
 Obtaining Feedback from Constituents: What
Changes are Important and Feasible?

• WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO OBTAIN FEEDBACK FROM YOUR

CONSTITUENTS?
• W H Y S H O U L D YO U O B T A I N F E E D B A C K F R O M
CONSTITUENTS?
• W H E N S H O U LD Y O U O B TA I N F E E D B A C K F R O M
CONSTITUENTS?
• H O W T O A SK Y O U R S E L F T H E R IG H T Q U E S T I O N S
• OBTAINING FORMAL FEEDBACK: CONDUCTING A SURVEY
Obtaining feedback from your community is vital to understand what the community truly
needs and how it perceives your organization. This section explores how to obtain formal and
informal feedback from members within your community so that your group may improve its
program.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO OBTAIN FEEDBACK

FROM CONSTITUENTS?
By obtaining feedback, we simply mean asking questions to determine something you want to
know. Most often, feedback is sought to determine how well people feel your organization is
doing, and also how important they believe the goals of your agency are. Feedback may be
obtained in a number of ways, some as simple as having a casual conversation or reading
articles and editorials in the paper. Formal feedback--data that you can measure--is usually
obtained through one of the following methods:

• Personal interviews
• Phone surveys
• Written surveys or questionnaires

The term constituents, as we use it here, may refer to a variety of people, including those who
are affected (directly or indirectly) by your agency's work, elected officials, members of your
coalition, journalists, community leaders, and others.

WHY SHOULD YOU OBTAIN FEEDBACK FROM

CONSTITUENTS?
• To understand how your organization is perceived
• To get a better understanding of what the community really needs
• To help prioritize tasks
 • To generate renewed excitement and interest in your program
• To have the information ready for future use (such as grant proposals and questions from the
press)
• To increase community awareness of who you are and what you do
• And overall, to improve your program

WHEN SHOULD YOU OBTAIN FEEDBACK FROM

CONSTITUENTS?
You should try to obtain informal feedback as an ongoing, continuous process. Formal
feedback may be done at differing times, including:

• As part of the planning process when you start your initiative

• Any time you start (or are considering starting) a new program
• At the end of a certain program sponsored by your group, such as a two-day workshop
discussing the risk factors for alcoholism, or a summer bicycle helmet for youths program
• Periodically throughout the life of your initiative (perhaps once a year or every two years)

However, you should always be sure you know how you will actually use the information you
obtain. Nothing is more frustrating to your participants than to give feedback that is not used.

HOW TO OBTAIN FEEDBACK FROM

CONSTITUENTS
ASK YOURSELF THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
What do you want to know?
Some information that you could gather just won't be used, and so it's simply not worth the
staff time to gather it. For example, perhaps you have received a grant to reduce teen
pregnancy in your community. Whether or not the community perceives teen pregnancy as a
problem may be less important to you than other issues, because the program is going to be
implemented either way. In such a case, it might make sense for your group to use your
resources in a different way, such as to determine what specific needs regarding teen
pregnancy need to be addressed.
Who has already done this?
Check to see if someone, such as researchers or another agency, has already done a survey in
your community asking the same questions that you would like answered. Your coalition is
undoubtedly busy enough; don't try to reinvent the wheel.
Who do you want to ask?
Decide whom you would like to survey. There are a variety of people you might decide to
question, depending on what you would like to find out.
Possible respondents might include:

• The targets of change, or those whose actions you would like to change
• The people most affected by the problem you are addressing
• Professionals in your area
• Local administrators (directors, coordinators, principals, etc.)
• Possible or current funders for your program
 • Elected officials
• Journalists
• Researchers and field experts
• Members of your coalition

Further, decide if you want to obtain your information in a closed manner (surveying a select
group of people) or in an open manner (anyone who is willing to pick up a pencil or open
their mouths for a few minutes). Be careful not to ask administrators to tell you the needs of
those most affected; rather, ask those who are most affected themselves.
How many people would you like to ask?
If you are only surveying the active members of a small coalition (say, less than 50 members),
you might try to survey everyone. If you would like to learn about the feelings of the
teenagers in your coalition with regards to drug abuse, however, you might find it unfeasible
to survey every teen, and instead randomly choose a smaller, more workable group to
question.
How do you want to ask people?
This may be done in a variety of ways, including:

• Listen to the opinions of people you know, researchers at planning agencies, people who work
in the same or a similar field, and anyone else you can think of
• Suggestion boxes
• Noting chance meetings or comments in a log
• Feedback forms on publications such as brochures or on an agency newsletter
• Comment logs by the phone
• Designated "critique times at meetings"
• A formal survey: either by personal interviews, a phone survey, or a written survey

GOOD TIPS:

• Keep it secret. Always try to provide instructions that minimize any possibility of bias. For
example, don't discuss what you hope to learn, what you believe to be true, or what earlier
surveys have told you when you are writing the instructions. When possible, allow surveys to
be anonymous.
• Keep your eyes and ears open. Be responsive to all possible means of obtaining data, such as
learning what has been said at public protests, what complaints have been lodged or actions
taken, etc.
• Make the best of it. If the response you get from constituents isn't what you hoped for--for
example, if they respond that what your coalition is doing isn't really important--reassess what
you are doing, and brainstorm ideas of what else you might do to sway public opinion.

OBTAININ G FORMAL FEEDBACK: CONDUCTING A

SURVEY
You've decided to take the plunge and go all out with a formal survey. But where do you
start? How do you format your work and frame your questions? There are volumes upon
volumes of information suggesting how you might do this, but please consider the following
information as a starting point when putting together your survey.
DECIDE HOW YOU WOULD LIKE TO CONDUCT YOUR SURVEY
First, should it be written or oral?
There are several advantages and disadvantages of each that you should take into account:

• An oral survey (in person, on the phone) is often less formal, and may be easier to initiate and
conduct. However, the body language or tone of the interviewer may affect the respondent's
answers, and of course, anonymity is not an option for spoken interviews. Further, responses
from an oral interview are more likely to be vague and rambling, taking up valuable time as
well as being difficult to chart.
• A written survey may be formal and exact, and thus in the long run more efficient. However, it
may be more difficult to convince people to respond to a mailed written survey than to
respond orally, despite the real amount of time involved. Just think: if someone called and
asked you to answer a few questions, you'd probably say yes, unless you were really pressed
for time. However, if you got the same list of questions in the mail, you might think about
answering them, and then forget, or misplace the letter, or just throw it away.) To get around
this barrier, consider giving a survey to a "captive audience," such as a group at a meeting or
in a class.

DECIDE HOW TO FORMAT YOUR QUESTIONS

They may be written using open or closed questions:

• Closed questions allow the respondent to answer from a menu of different choices. This menu
might be as simple as responding to a yes/no question. It also might take the form of several
words (for example, "Which of the following seems to be the biggest health concern in our
community?"), or a rating scale ("On a scale of one to five, with five being most important,
how would you rate the importance of stopping merchants from selling alcohol to minors?").
A rating scale is often a simple yet very effective way to learn the feelings of the people taking
the survey. Five point scales (between one and five) and seven point scales are often the norm
when doing a survey in this manner.
• Open questions allow the respondent to answer questions in their own words, without prompts
from the survey. An example of an open question would be, "What do you think is the most
important health concern facing our community, and why do you think so?" The advantage of
using open questions is that you are able to get deeper, more thoughtful answers than from
closed questions. However, open questions may also lead to vague answers that are hard to
interpret and use.
• To get the best of both worlds, you might consider using a survey with closed questions that
leaves room for additional comments.

T O T H E E X T E N T T H A T I T I S P O S S IB L E , R E MO V E A L L
POSSIBILITY OF BIAS FROM YOUR SURVEY
This includes:

• When possible, don't require (or even ask for) the names of the respondents
• Avoid discussing any expectations you might have for this survey
• Don't discuss previous survey results

D O N ' T FO R G E T Y O U R M A N N E R S
If your mother was going to respond to this survey, what would she want to see? Be sure to
thank respondents ahead of time, let them know how you will use any information that you
gather, and thank them again afterwards.
MAKE IT EASY
The less respondents are directly involved in your project, the less likely they are to be willing
to take a lot of time filling out a survey or discussing an issue. Keep your survey as short as
possible while still getting the information that you want to know. A good rule of thumb is
simply, don't ask questions you're not going to use.
MAKE IT EASIER
If you are mailing your survey, make it easy to return. Always include a self-addressed
stamped envelope.
KEEP YOUR COOL
Don't be frustrated if only a small number of mailed surveys are returned to you; in fact, you
should probably expect this. A "normal" return rate might only be about half of the surveys
that you send out are actually completed.
 Identifying Action Steps in Bringing About
Community and System Change
• WHAT IS AN ACTION STEP?
• W H Y S H O U L D YO U I D E N T I F Y A C T IO N S T E P S ?
• W H E N S H O U LD Y O U D E TE R M I N E A C T I O N S T E P S ?
• H O W D O Y O U ID E N T I F Y A C T I O N S TE P S ?
Identifying action steps from your action plan is essential for acheiving your organization's
goals. Determining action steps helps your group members find practical ways to reach your
group's objectives and focus on the details necessary to succeed. This section provides a guide
for developing action steps in order to increase the efficiency of your organization.

WHAT IS AN ACTION STEP?

An action step refers to the specific efforts that are made to reach the goals your agency has
set. Action steps are the exact details of your action plan. They should be concrete and
comprehensive, and each action step should explain:

• What will occur

• How much, or to what extent, these actions will occur
• Who will carry out these actions
• When these actions will take place, and for how long
• What resources (such as money and staff) are needed to carry out the proposed actions

Taken together, your defined action steps comprise your group's action plan.

WHY SHOULD YOU IDENTIFY ACTION STEPS?

Anticipating the future makes us feel in control, right? That's the major reason why
identifying action steps is important. You can get prepared for what your next step should be.
Other reasons are:

• To concentrate on the details that must occur to succeed in your mission

• To decide on workable ways to reach your goals
• To allow a large number of people to think in a structured way about the future of your
coalition
• To save time, energy, and resources in the long run: a well structured, thought -out action plan
will make things much easier for you

WHEN SHOULD YOU DETERMINE ACTION STEPS?

You should determine your action steps after you have decided what changes you want to
occur. You probably do this anyway, at least on a casual level; you decide what changes you
want to see occur, and then you decide how to go about making them. These "hows" are your
action steps.
Ideally, they will be thoughtfully, officially decided upon early in the life of your
organization, and then updated every year or two as your group grows and changes. Even if
your organization has been around for a while, though, and doesn't have defined action steps
yet, it's never too late to decide on them, since we hope you're going to be around for a long
time!

HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY ACTION STEPS?

Determine what your group, as a whole and individually, is really good at. Are you great
at fund raising? Do you have a member who happens to write for the local paper? Brainstorm
all the possible strengths of your group, no matter how off the wall they might seem. (You
never know when an award-winning tuba player will be just what you need!)
Brainstorm different, specific ways that these strengths can be used to carry out the
changes that you have decided upon.
For example, if your organization is trying to bring about increased access to contraceptives
for area youth, you might send your best politician to area drug stores to ask to pharmacists to
provide contraception in a confidential way. Then, ask the graphic artist in your group to
design a card with the names of the pharmacies that will do so.
Consider the possible barriers to implementing your proposed changes, and possible
ways to remove these barriers. Some questions you might ask yourselves include:

• Do we have enough money to carry out your proposed action steps? (Are there any grants we
can apply for?)
• Do we have enough manpower? (Can we recruit more volunteers?)
• Do we have enough time to carry out these changes?
• Are these action steps things people can get excited about?
• What kind of opposition can we expect if we put our plan into effect? Are there ways to get
around it?

For instance, in the example given above dealing with contraceptives, pharmacists might be
worried that their name next to the slogan, "Get your condoms here!" might hurt their
business. A card that just had the names and phone numbers of your agency and of their
establishments, however, might calm these fears and give the pharmacies some free, welcome
publicity.
Brainstorm different ways (your action steps) to go about implementing the proposed
changes in each sector that you have chosen. Be sure to have someone take good notes!
Again, make sure each action step includes:

• What will occur

• How much, or to what extent, these actions will occur
• Who will carry out these changes
• When these changes will take place, and for how long
• What resources (such as money and staff) are needed to carry out these changes

Example: The RTR Coalition

One action step might include increasing publicity about contraception and unwanted
pregnancy at the local high school.

• What action or change will occur: Hanging posters, displays, and other information about
contraception and the facts about unwanted pregnancy in the hallways of the local high school.
 • How much, or to what extent, this action will occur: The posters and other information will
become a permanent part of the high school. Posters and information will be regularly
changed as new materials become available.
• Who will carry it out: A sub-committee comprised of parents, teachers, students, and coalition
members will be responsible for maintaining the displays. The coalition as a whole will work
towards finding funding to purchase the materials. Several coalition members will be
responsible for researching and ordering the materials.
• When will it take place, and for how long: The coalition will try to have posters hanging and
displays visible within six months of implementing the action step.
• What resources are needed to carry out the step: The coalition will try to approach the school
district to request funding for the project. Otherwise, the coalition will seek funding from
other sources such as foundations to finance the program. To make the process as clear as
possible, members of the coalition should account for each point of each action step. Then,
with written goals in hand, you will have the concrete steps you need to take in order to
implement your plan.

Determine a final list of action steps for each community sector from the ideas that came
from your brainstorming. Try to determine lists that are feasible, effective, and
comprehensive.
Example:
Some strategies for preventing child abuse and neglect (from the Work Group for Community
Health and Development's Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect: An Action Planning Guide
for Building a Caring Community), listed by community sector:
Changes in the schools:

• Provide training on anger management and stress reduction techniques for parents.
• Require classes in prevention of child abuse and neglect for renewal of teacher certification
and for school nurses.
• Provide space and supervision on school facilities for weekend, after-school, and vacation
activities for children.

Changes in health organizations:

• Provide health care credits for parents who participate in child abuse and neglect workshops.
• Provide training for health professionals on screening for abuse and neglect.
• Develop specific and comprehensive policies regarding mandatory reporting.

Changes in businesses and work sites:

• Offer workshops on stress relief and anger management to employees.

• Offer training on parenting skills, including prenatal and infant care.
• Provide flexible work schedule to accommodate parents' schedules.

Changes in government and social services:

• Provide tax incentives to parents who participate in child abuse prevention activities, such as
classes on parenting skills
• Develop comprehensive laws regarding perpetrators of child abuse and neglect
• Increase protection for all victims of domestic violence through specific policies and access to
shelters.
Changes in community organizations:

• Provide a community board that lists job openings, daycare, and important community dates
and events.
• Provide help in obtaining public or legal assistance for families in need.
• Increase the number of agencies and organizations that conduct parenting classes.

Changes in religious organizations:

• Create a network among ministers to discuss strategies for preventing abuse and neglect.
• Provide counseling and follow-up with people who feel at risk for abusing a loved one.
• Distribute inserts for church bulletins on the prevention of child abuse and neglect.

Pat yourself on the back for getting all your planning done, take a deep breath, and go
do what you've said you are going to!
Online Resources
Concerns Report Handbook: Planning for Community Health
Preventing Adolescent Pregnancy: An Action Planning Guide for Community-Based
Initiatives
Preventing Adolescent Substance Abuse: An Action Planning Guide for Community-
Based Initiatives
Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect: An Action Planning Guide for Community-Based
Initiatives
Preventing Youth Violence: An Action Planning Guide for Community-Based Initiatives
Promoting Child Well-Being: An Action Planning Guide for Community-Based
Initiatives
Promoting Health for All: Improving Access and Eliminating Disparities in Community
Health
Promoting Healthy Living and Preventing Chronic Disease: An Action Planning Guide
for Communities
Promoting Urban Neighborhood Development: An Action Planning Guide for
Improving Housing, Jobs, Education, Safety and Health
Reducing Risk for Chronic Disease: An Action Planning Guide for Community-Based
Initiatives
Work Group Evaluation Handbook
Youth Development: An Action Planning Guide for Community-Based Initiatives
Organizations:
Kansas Association of Nonprofit Organizations
P.O. Box 780227
400 North Woodlawn, Suite 212
Wichita, KS 67278-0227
(316) 685-3790
Fax (316) 686-1133
Center for Creative Leadership
P.O. Box 26300
Greensboro, N.C. 27438-6300
(919) 288-3999
Generation Gap

The gap between the old people and the young is called the generation gap. It is the
difference in the attitude, priorities, and views among generations.
As to the different attitude of life, the people belonging to the old generation
always wonder what has gone wrong with the new generation. They feel that during
their time, young boys and girls were better behaved, more obedient and had greater
respect for elders. Young people, on the other hand, feel that they are capable
enough to learn on their own rather than lean heavily on the older generation for any
guidance. Young people do not like to be spoon-fed by their elders.

The differences also appear in some other ways. For example, the way of
entertainment.

Life styles, rapid changes in Science and Technology has transformed our outlook
towards life, increasing the divide, much more than it has ever happened in the past.
The divide has always been there but never before has it been so wide.

Life style changes with the passage of time and with a changing life style, attitudes
and values also undergo a transformation. No two generations have shared the same
views and options. However, there has never been a greater divide between two
generations than in modern times.

With rapid changes in science and technology, the exposure, which today’s teenager
is getting, is enormous. Value systems have gradually degenerated and the youth is
assimilating a new culture. The result is confused parents who are unable to
reconcile with the views of their children.

There is a great divide between the perception of both, the young people and the
adults. One finds that both are unable to communicate with each other, quite often.
One of the reasons could be that neither knows what the other is interested in though
they may be living under the same roof.

This gap results in direct confrontation between the young and the old. This is a
universal truth which is applicable to all times be it the past or future. Shakespeare