P4R Facilitator Manual

National ROMA Peer-To-Peer Training Program

FY 2004 - FY 2008

PLANNING FOR RESULTS

Facilitator Manual VERSION 1.2

February 2007

Julie Jakopic

Barbara Mooney

Curriculum developed with funding from the US Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Community Services, under the direction of J. Wilson, Executive Director of the Community Action

Association of Pennsylvania.

Trainer Manual Planning for Results © September 2006. Community Action Association of Pennsylvania -- Curriculum developed with funding from the US Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Community Services, under the direction of the Community Action Association of Pennsylvania, for the National ROMA Peer to Peer Training Program.

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1.2 -- Facilitator Manual

Table of Contents Getting Started .................................................................. 2 Module I Developing a Community Vision .................................... 16 Module II Setting Priorities and Identifying Outcome ................... .52 Module III Developing Strategies………………… ......................... …78 Module IV Identifying Resources……………………… ..................... .91


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Getting Started


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GETTING STARTED

Table of Contents Introduction ....................................................................... 4

Objectives for the Planning for Results Series ................ 5

What is Strategic Planning and why do it? ...................... 6

Why this Tool? ................................................................... 7

How does this Process Work? ......................................... 7

Overview of the Four Modules .......................................... 8

Before the Training ............................................................ 9

Starting the Process ........................................................ 11

Your Role as Facilitator ................................................... 13

Poster Information ........................................................... 14


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GETTING STARTED INTRODUCTION The first Results Oriented Management and Accountability (ROMA) training established by the Community Action Association of Pennsylvania, for the National ROMA Peer to Peer Training Network, is known as the ! Virtual Outcomes College " or ! Introduction to ROMA. " It was focused on providing a basic understanding of:

• ! Results " as they apply to the work of Community Action Agencies;

• The ways that participants could use this understanding to improve their agency capacity; and

• Tools that participants could use to meet management and accountability needs and expectations.

! Introduction to ROMA " encouraged the use of results-oriented thinking for the management of agencies and programs. However, the CAAs # abilities to use a focus on results to guide agency planning and management seem to have lagged behind the use of this data for reporting purposes. With this new training series, we move the focus to ! why " we are engaged in the use of results $ and how the principles of Results Oriented Management and Accountability can be used to support the strategic planning activities of local CAAs. This curriculum builds on what we have learned from a decade of implementing results-oriented principles under the term ! ROMA. " It employs currently held beliefs about the way to do strategic planning and combines them with the purpose and function of Community Action Agencies and a focus on using results-oriented thinking in planning. It can be used to help agencies revitalize their role in the community. It should help them to develop and implement strategic plans that are driven and measured by their success in achieving outcomes that are of importance to the community. This training series is designed to be flexible and time efficient. It is ! timed " at a total of 10 hours. The process can be used in a variety of ways, from a series of four short sessions to a 1.5 day retreat -- or modules may be combined into a longer session with a follow up. Agencies may use any delivery format that will accommodate the needs of their organization and their governing board.


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However, we suggest that you use the order of the activities as they are presented. OBJECTIVES FOR THE Planning for Results SERIES At the end of the four modules, participants will:

• Be oriented to the mission and purposes of CAA;

• Understand the purpose of involving the community in identifying needs and goals for the CAA;

• Be able to assess community needs, gaps and challenges; • Be able to identify the results the agency will strive to achieve related to

these.

• Identify strategies they will use to achieve results;

• Be able to identify available and potential resources, and strengths; • Understand the steps for developing a ! community action plan " (as

identified in the CSBG Act); • Understand the importance of establishing a policy of assessing ongoing

implementation of the plan; and • Understand the importance of establishing a procedure for evaluation of

strategies and their results, determining success, and maintaining or correcting for ongoing efforts.


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WHAT IS STRATEGIC PLANNING AND WHY DO IT? Strategic planning provides an agency or community the opportunity to step away from day to day operations and consider a vision for the future.

Where does the agency want to be in 3-5 years? If the agency is successful, what will the community be like? What will change? What will remain the same?

Based on the answers to those questions, the agency can design a plan for achieving that vision. But what makes that plan strategic? Here is a definition of ! strategy: "

A strategic plan identifies the actions to be taken. It does so by carefully and thoughtfully considering a variety of actions and selecting those with the highest priority that are most likely to help the agency achieve the vision. Thoughtful consideration and selection based on established values are the essence of strategy. A strategic plan can be used to:

• Involve the community in, and inform the community about the agency # s efforts;

• Support and maintain community engagement , both for the agency to learn from the community and for the community to remain connected to the agency;

• Remain competitive as the community needs and environment change; and

• Bring the agency and its programs together, working toward a common vision and common goals.

Consider, also, the following excerpt from the Community Service Block Grant (CSBG) Act - Sec.676(b)(11) -- (11) an assurance that the State will secure from each eligible entity in the State, as a condition to receipt of funding by the entity

Strat-e-gy – 1. the art or skill of developing action plans to realize one’s vision. 2. a systematic approach to achieving goals. 3. a roadmap for the system of your business (www.strategycafé.com)


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through a community services block grant made under this subtitle for a program, a community action plan (which shall be submitted to the Secretary, at the request of the Secretary, with the State plan) that includes a community-needs assessment for the community served, which may be coordinated with community-needs assessments conducted for other programs. WHY THIS TOOL? This tool will provide your agency with a broad approach to meeting community needs. It will also help you create a results-oriented 3-5 year strategic plan that you can use to effectively manage your agency. More specifically, this tool emphasizes the role of the Community Action Agency as a community leader by embedding the agency plan in a community vision for the future. This tool:

• Builds on community needs, resources and values;

• Focuses on how to select strategies to meet desired outcomes;

• Encompasses the breadth of community action values and efforts; and

• Respects the time limitations of leaders and planners. HOW DOES THIS PROCESS WORK? In this curriculum, you will find a series of modules that you will use to help an agency develop a strategic plan -- based on a shared community vision. While we call this a ! curriculum, " you will not be in the role of a ! trainer " who is providing information, but rather will facilitate the process with the group. You will use the curriculum as a guide to conduct a series of activities that will help the participants develop a plan. This plan will help the participants identify and measure progress through the agency mission toward the community vision and toward specifically selected outcomes. As indicated, this program is divided into four 2.5-hour modules that can be used in four separate meetings, in two longer meetings, or in a ! retreat " type setting.


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OVERVIEW OF THE FOUR MODULES In each module, you will develop a segment of a strategic plan.

ÿ Module I $ Developing a Community Vision begins with agency board and staff inviting community partners to assist it developing a vision for the community, and then provides a methodology for a quick assessment of the community# s status relative to that vision.

ÿ Module II $ Setting Priorities and Identifying Outcomes looks at

the outcomes sought by the community. It helps the agency set its priorities in terms of its mission, while identifying the challenges and supports that will help it attain the community# s vision.

ÿ Module III $ Developing Strategies re-examines the priorities for

the agency, reviews the agency# s existing strategies, and identifies new strategies for achieving the outcomes.

ÿ Module IV $ Identifying Resources reviews available resources

for implementing these strategies and identifies new or alternative resources that need to be developed.


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BEFORE THE TRAINING Once you have been engaged as a facilitator by an agency or regional/statewide group, you will want to spend some time with the person responsible for hosting this process. Most often this will be with an individual agency and you will probably be meeting with the Executive Director. It may also include a strategic planning coordinator at the agency who will be responsible for the logistics of the meetings and who will assist in the completion of the preparation of materials between meetings. It may also include a committee of board members. Your role is two-fold: to help them decide how they want to implement these modules and help them determine who they want to involve in each step of the process. In order to assist them effectively, you will need to request and review relevant materials from the agency, such as earlier plans, their current mission, their program list, and their most recent community assessment (needs/resources). 1. You may want to ask the following questions in an early preparatory

conference call:

• What is their history with developing plans? How have strategic plans been developed/used in the past?

• What is their motivation to carry out strategic planning at this time?

Their motivation may include wanting to complete the last plan, new leadership on their board or staff, bringing ROMA principles to overall agency management, recent changes in the community environment, (such as a change in demographics, a change in community resources, etc.) or other factors.

• Do they have a mission statement? When was it last reviewed?

• What is their goal for the plan? How do they hope to use the plan? • What is their timeline for the plan?

2. You will also want to describe the process and ask questions that will help

you assess the resources the agency has to commit to the process. For example:

• What meeting format will work best for Board members? Four 2.5-hour

meetings? A planning retreat?


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• What staff is available to assist in the process? These responsibilities include preparing documents for review following each module, researching material between modules, and preparing a written plan based on the charted work that will occur during each module.

3. You might also want to discuss other issues that might impact your facilitation

role. Some examples to consider would include:

• When was the last community assessment of needs and resources

conducted? How was it conducted? What did it show? • What is the relationship between the agency and the community?

• What is the tenure of the Executive Director and of the Board Chair?

Based on these conversations, you will want to develop an agreement with the agency that lays out the process, the agency # s goals, timeline, roles and responsibilities.


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STARTING THE PROCESS Work with the Executive Director to identify and invite participants. At the least, they will want to invite:

• Board Members, whose role is to provide policy governance to the agency, and

• Senior management team, whose responsibility is to provide management

governance to the agency in supporting the policies of the Board. They may also want to consider including others in the meetings or survey additional people in advance of the meetings who can provide input into the process. The goal here is to engage those members of the community who have influence, those with information, and potential partners. Additional examples to consider are:

• Representatives of mid-level and front-line staff, who bring on-the-ground day-today experience;

• Formal and informal community leaders and decision makers, who can support progress to the vision from their respective roles;

• Consumers of agency services, who bring their experience and dreams to inform the process;

• And, for the first module, partner organizations, who will share the vision, and provide different efforts in support of that vision.

It is important to consider which stakeholders to include and in what way, as they are often both partners and competitors. The first module focuses primarily on the community and its vision. While the conversation about the agency role in the community begins in this meeting, decisions about how the agency can best serve the community will be made in later modules. In thinking about who to invite, keep in mind the roles of the players:

• The Board is responsible for the development of the agency mission, tying it to the community vision, and creation of overarching policy.

• The staff is responsible for implementing that mission and the policies.

• The stakeholders# input is crucial for developing a community vision and

advising the agency about community needs and resources.


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You will develop a participant list and decide how you want to group participants for the exercises in which they will be participating. You may want to use colored dots on the participants# name tags to identify the group in which they will be working. You will also want to work with the agency to gather and make copies of relevant materials. These may include:

• Results from relevant prior visioning or planning efforts,

• Data on the current state of the community, such as demographic data, recent community assessments (needs and resources), and recent research reports,

• The current mission statement, and

• Current service/program list. Once participants are invited, you will finalize the agenda for the first session.


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YOUR ROLE AS FACILITATOR As indicated above, for this process, you are a facilitator, using the curriculum as a guide $ not a rigid script, as you would as a trainer. Rather than providing information, you are facilitating a process, where the participants have the information and you are helping them to organize and prioritize the information. An important goal of this process is to strengthen local capacity. As a result, you will want to tailor the process to meet local agency needs and support the agency leadership. Your role is to help the agency leadership and community members set a collaborative agenda and develop strategies to achieve their goals. Be sure to emphasize that this is a time for the planning team to think in a holistic and interdisciplinary way, to do things differently than they may have been done in the past. This is not a time to push an individual agenda or the agenda of only one program or agency for its own sake. Instead, individual and program agendas need to fit into the community vision and the collaborative plan. Particularly in Module I and Module IV, it is important for agency leadership to advance a message regarding the value of the planning process and their commitment to carry the plan through to implementation. In Module I, you are seeking a multi-disciplinary vision to use as a guide for the work of the planning. In Module IV, you are seeking that same vision as you begin to implement the planning. You will need to have strong leadership support as you seek commitments from participants for the ! next steps " $ so that they do not fall back into thinking about their own programs or services, but rather see the agency wide vision to help individuals and communities achieve results. Therefore, it is critical that you have the opportunity to talk with agency leadership before each session and to engage leaders in taking a proactive role during the four modules. APPENDICES The following documents should be copied and placed in all of the training notebooks:

Appendix Module Name of Document 1 1 Six National Goals -- MATF strategic plan -1994 2 1 Information Memorandum 49 $ 2001 3 2 Office of Economic Opportunity Directive $ 1970 4 2 Brief Listing of National Performance Indicators


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POSTERS You are strongly encouraged to print several of the forms found in the Participant Manual in ! large " size (either 2 # x 3 # or 3 # x 5 # are the standard sizes that are printed by most ! copy " services). This provides you with visual aides for the sessions. In each Module, there are suggestions regarding what forms should be prepared in poster size.


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Module One: DEVELOPING A COMMUNITY VISION


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MODULE I -- DEVELOPING A COMMUNITY VISION

Table of Contents

Timing of Session ................................ ................................ ............ 17

Module I – Developing a Community Vision................................ . 18 Prior to Module I: ................................ ................................ ........ 18 Objectives for Module I ................................ .............................. 20 Who Should Participate ................................ ............................. 20 Overview of Module I ................................ ................................ .. 21

Facilitating Module I ................................ ................................ ........ 22 I Welcome ................................ ................................ .................. 22 II Introduction of Participants ................................ .................. 22 III Introduction to the Strategic Planning Process ................. 23 IV Introduction to Module I ................................ ........................ 27 V Visioning – Exercise 1 ................................ ........................... 28 VI Guided Visualization Exercise for the Group...................... 32

Visualization Option 1 – A Single Mother with Two Children .......... 33

Visualization Option 2 – An Older Adult Who is Frail and Live Alone34

VII Envisioning Your Ideal Community: Exercise 2 ................. 36 VIII Defining Outcomes in the Ideal Community: Exercise 3 ... 38 IX Reality Check ................................ ................................ .......... 40 X Wrap Up: Six National Goals and Memorandum 49 .......... 44 XI Closing Statements ................................ ................................ 46 Addendum 1: Template for Number Cards for Exercise 4 ......... 47


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MODULE I -- DEVELOPING A COMMUNITY VISION Timing of Session

I. Welcome: 15 minutes II. Introduction of Participants: 10 minutes III. Introduction to the Strategic Planning Process: 10 minutes IV. Introduction to Module I 5 minutes V. Visioning $ Exercise 1: 10 minutes VI. Guided Visualization Exercise for the Group 10 minutes VII. Envisioning Your Ideal Community - Exercise 2: 25 minutes

Break 10 minutes

VIII. Defining Outcomes in the Ideal Community $ Exercise 3 25 minutes IX. Reality Check and Prioritizing $ Exercise 4: 15 minutes X. Wrap Up and Closing Statements 15 minutes TOTAL 2 hours and 30 minutes


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MODULE I -- DEVELOPING A COMMUNITY VISION Prior to Module I 1. Review the key documents that form the foundation for Community Action

agencies. They are:

Appendix Module Name of Document 1 1 Six National Goals -- MATF strategic plan -1994

2 1 Excerpt: Information Memorandum 49 $ 2001

3 2 Office of Economic Opportunity Directive $ 1970

4 2 Listing of National Performance Indicators 2. Be sure to review the Getting Started segment of Planning for Results. It

will help you define this training and help you prepare for delivery of the Module.

At the beginning of Module I, you will give a brief overview of the strategic

planning process and objectives to be covered in the four modules in Planning for Results.

3. Outcomes:

At the beginning of Module 1, conduct a check with participants to see how many have participated in any trainings on ! outcomes " or on Results Oriented Management and Accountability (ROMA). This is important because Module 1 is written based on the understanding that those in attendance are familiar with the different kinds of outcomes addressed in Community Action Agencies.

Therefore, when you present Module 1, you will be speaking about ! outcomes " as if your participants are already familiar with the term.

If some of your participants are not familiar with outcomes, you will need to explain the difference to them between services and outcomes. Throughout the series of modules, please continually reinforce the concept of “outcomes” or “results” as what happens to individuals, families and communities when they participate in activities and services provided by your agency. Outcomes represent the changes that occur.


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You may wish to refer back to some key points from the Introduction to ROMA curriculum to refresh your basic understanding of outcomes. These include:

Outcomes or results are benefits to individuals, families, organizations, and communities derived from participation in a program or service. Outcomes are always measurable. CAAs produce family, agency, and community outcomes. Their definitions are noted below:

• Family outcomes describe the transition toward and achievement of self-

sufficiency, and the supports necessary to ensure well-being.

• Agency outcomes describe the capacity of the CAA to use sound management practices in the delivery of programs and services.

• Community outcomes describe the ability of the CAA to mobilize public and private resources that support low-income persons in their transition to self-sufficiency, the use of these resources to improve community infrastructure, and the involvement of low-income persons in community organizations and activities.

Virtual Outcomes College, National ROMA Peer-To-Peer-Training Program, Participant Manual for Community Action Agencies and CSBG Subcontractors, Version 3.3, Day One, © FY 2001-2005, March 2005, F. Richmond, The Center For Applied Management Practices, www.appliedmgt.com, all rights reserved. 4. The chart below, called ! Module I, Exercise 3 $ Ideal Community $

Defined Outcomes " is found on page 8 in the Participant Manual.

You need to have this chart made in a large size for Module I.

Participant Manual- Page 8

Module I – Exercise 3– Ideal Community – Defined Outcomes

Domain Outcome to be achieved Housing All people live in safe affordable housing

5. At the end of Module 1, you will be collecting the information generated by

your participants. The 8x11 handout of the Final Worksheet is included at


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the end of Module I. You will also enter information into a poster-sized version of the Final Worksheet which you will have printed.

6. Module I takes approximately 2.5 hours to complete depending on the size

of your group and the level of participation in the activities. Objectives for Module I At the end of this module, participants will have:

• Developed a shared vision for their community, • Identified gaps between that vision and the current state of the community,

and • Prioritized the changes needed to achieve the community vision.

Who Should Participate? You will work with the Executive Director or designated staff and/or board members to identify and invite participants for the strategic planning process. At the least, the following groups should be invited:

• Board Members, whose role is to provide policy governance to the agency,

• Senior management team, whose responsibility is to provide management governance to the agency in supporting the policies of the Board

The Executive Director may also want to consider including others either in the Module 1 session, or to be surveyed in advance to provide input into the process. The goal here is to engage those members of the community who have influence, those with information, and potential partners. The Executive Director may want to consider the following participants:

• Representatives of mid-level and front-line staff, who bring on the ground day to day experience;

• Formal and informal community leaders and decision makers, who can support progress to the vision from their respective roles;

• Consumers of agency services, who bring their experience and dreams to inform the process;

• Partner organizations, which will share the vision, and provide different efforts in support of it.

In selecting participants to invite, it is important to consider the ways in which stakeholders are often both partners and competitors.


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Module 1 focuses primarily on community and its vision. While the conversation about the agency role in the community begins in this first meeting, the decisions about how the agency serves the community will take place in later modules. In thinking about stakeholders to invite, keep in mind the roles of the players:

• The Board is responsible for the development of the agency mission, tying it to the community vision, and for the creation of overarching policy.

• The staff are responsible for implementing that mission and the policies.

• The stakeholders input is crucial for developing a community vision and

advising the agency about community needs. Overview of Module I The purpose of this series of modules is to assist participants in their strategic planning for the Community Action Agency with which they are involved. A strategic plan is a working guide to keep the agency focused on its mission and on the guiding principles of the Community Service Block Grant (CSBG) and the Six National Goals. In the course of Module 1:

A. Participants will develop a vision of an ideal community.

B. Together, they will identify:

• Domains, or aspects of domains, that will shape that ideal community;

• Broad outcomes within those domains; • How much change is needed to achieve those outcomes; and • How important the change in those outcomes is to the

community. You will be conducting several exercises to help participants think about their community and about the changes they hope to see in the near future.


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FACILITATING MODULE I I. Welcome (15 minutes) This is the host agency # s role and usually the Executive Director and/or Board chair will want to open the meeting and welcome the participants. Then they will introduce you, the Facilitator. II. Introduction of Participants (10 minutes) The Facilitator should receive a participant list prior to the meeting to see who will be in attendance. It is always a good idea to conduct an ! ice-breaker " or opening activity to help participants focus on the content of the training. The goals of these ! opening activities " are to:

• Introduce participants to one another, and • Ensure that participants have a sense of the context of their work.

It is also an opportunity to build or strengthen linkages between participants. The directions below offer some choices based on 1) how familiar participants already are with one another, and 2) the size of the group. If there are 20 or fewer participants: If participants are already familiar with one another, ask them to each introduce themselves by name, affiliation, title or role by going around the room. If they are not familiar with one another you might want to have them add a question such as ! Ask me about ____? " where they fill in the blank with an interesting fact about themselves that is separate from this work. The idea of this is to have some fun, so when you give an example it could include something like:

• Ask me about singing in a country western band; • Ask me about gardening; • Ask me about raising triplets; • Ask me about % (some other fun fact)


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If there are more than 20 people: If there are more than 20 people, it will be hard to have everyone introduce themselves to the whole group, but it is still important to build some connections. Instead of using the instruction above with the entire group, ask the participants to turn to a few of their neighbors. (You may ask them to turn to neighbors at their tables or select another way where you can assure there are about 6 to 10 participants grouped together.) Once they are in the small groups, ask participants to introduce themselves to their group using the ! Ask me about ____? " scenario identified above. Tell each group to select one of their members to introduce someone else from their small group to the large group of participants. The ! spokesperson " will introduce someone and tell the larger audience why they selected that person. III. Introduction to the Strategic Planning Process: (10 minutes) A. Either you as the Facilitator, or the Executive Director, will present some

background information regarding the meaning of ! strategic planning, " the purpose of planning activities, and the frequency in which these kinds of activities will be done going forward.

You will stress that this is the agency # s process, not the ! facilitator # s, " and that they as participants will be shaping the process by their input.

The purpose of this information to set the stage for the hard work that lies ahead for participants. If the Executive Director would like to present this information, the Facilitator should share the ! script" provided below:

Say: Simply put, strategic planning is the development of a plan of action that

uses well thought out strategies to address identified needs in the community.

These ! strategies " include the actions, programs, partnerships and other

relationships in which your agency is engaged. These strategies should be purposeful and related to the six National

Goals for Community Service Block Grant funded entities. The strategies are not selected just because funding is available or

because there is no one else in the community who will implement them.


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B. Explain to participants that this strategic planning process is composed of

four modules that will help them develop an action plan for their agency based on a shared vision of their community.

The plan they develop will help the agency identify and measure progress

through its agency mission toward a vision of an ideal community. This program is divided into 4 two hour modules that can be used in 4 separate meetings or in two longer meetings.

C. You may choose to post the following list of objectives for the series, which are taken from Getting Started. Or you may want to read them so participants hear the ! big picture " objectives for the process.

Read the following: (these are the overall objectives, and you may want to write them out on a flip chart page and post.)

At the end of the four modules, CAAs will: & Be oriented to the mission and purposes of CAA & Understand the purpose of involving the community in identifying needs and goals for the CAA & Be able to assess community needs, gaps and barriers, & Be able to identify available and potential resources, & Understand the steps for developing a "plan of community action", & Understand the importance of establishing a policy of assessing ongoing implementation of the plan, & Understand the importance of establishing a procedure for evaluation of strategies and their results, determining success and maintaining or correcting for ongoing efforts, and & Develop a results driven strategic plan. D. Next, instruct participants to turn to Appendix 1 $ The Six National Goals.

Next, either you as the Facilitator, the Executive Director, or chair of the Board of the agency will share the principles that serve as the foundation for the strategic planning process. A possible script for that presentation is noted in the shaded area below:

Say: This agency was founded as a Community Action Agency in _______.

Originally, Community Action Agencies were created by the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964. A primary operating principle was ! maximum feasible participation of the community. "


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Therefore, it is important to us to hear from you, the community, about your vision, expectations and needs, and to use your input as a basis of our planning.

That is what we will begin to do today in this first module.

Over the last several years we, and CAAs across the country, have

worked to be more accountable to you and to our funders. The federal Office of Community Services (OCS) administers the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), an important source of funds for our agency.

OCS has worked with us and agencies around the nation to implement the Results-Oriented Management and Accountability (ROMA) initiative. ROMA is based on the six National Goals that are the basis of our work. These are found in the Appendix to your manual.

The six National Goals relate to Families, Communities and Agencies.

We will go over the goals that are listed in the Participant Manual:

Goal 1. Low-income people become more self-sufficient. (Family)

Goal 2. The conditions in which low-income people live are improved. (Community)

Goal 3. Low-income people own a stake in their community.

(Community)

Goal 4. Partnerships among supporters and providers of services to low- income people are achieved. (Agency)

Goal 5. Agencies increase their capacity to achieve results. (Agency)

Goal 6. Low-income people, especially vulnerable populations, achieve their potential by strengthening family and other supportive systems. (Family)

In addition to these goals, OCS has provided guidance as to how we might work with you to ensure that we are making progress toward these goals and implementing ROMA. This guidance is presented in an Information Memorandum (IM#49) and is presented in Appendix 2.


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Some of the ! core activities " identified for agencies and their Boards will be included in our work. These activities are a part of how we are continuing our commitment to ROMA.

Briefly, the OCS guidance reminds us of the need to complete regular

assessments of the entity's overall mission, desired impact(s) and program structure, taking into account: 1. The needs of the community and its residents; 2. The relationship, or context, of the activities supported by the entity to other anti-poverty, community development services in the community; and 3. The extent to which the entity's activities contribute to the accomplishment of one or more of the six ROMA National Goals.

Once we have done the periodic assessments described above, our CAA agency and our Board must identify yearly (or multi-annually) specific improvements or outcomes that we plan to help achieve in the lives of individuals, families, and/or the community as a whole. As we identify strategies, we will be examining how our agency organizes and operates all its programs, services, and activities toward accomplishing these improvements, or outcomes. We achieve some of these outcomes on our own.

Some outcomes are achieved by linking with other agencies in the

community, when the services required are beyond our scope. It is important that all CAA staff understand the direct or indirect relationship of their efforts to achieving specific client or community outcomes. Finally, our agency must provide reports to the State that describe our client and community outcomes and that capture the contribution of all programs, services, and activities to the achievement of those outcomes.


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IV. Introduction to Module I (5 minutes) The goal of Module I is to develop an ideal community vision that will guide the agency in its strategic planning. Begin by asking participants:

! If I use the phrase ' community vision, # what does it mean to you? "

Call on a few participants. Then ask participants to open their Participant Manual to page 3. Say:

! Let # s review the objectives. " (You may read them aloud, or may choose to invite a volunteer to read them out loud.) Ask: ! Do you have any questions? " Then read the definition of ! vision " that was taken from the Oxford Pocket Dictionary.

Participant Module – Page 3

Welcome to “Planning for Results,” a four-session strategic planning process developed by the National ROMA Peer to Peer Training Project. In the first module, you will be working on developing a vision and deciding what is most important to your community. MODULE I – DEVELOPING A COMMUNITY VISION Objectives: At the end of this module, participants will have:

• Developed a shared vision for their community, • Identified gaps between that vision and the current state of the community, • Prioritized the changes needed to achieve the community vision.

( What is a vision? Vision: 1. act or faculty of seeing; 2. thing or person seen in a dream or trance; 3. perspective, perception, dream, plan, notion; 4. imaginative insight; 5. statesmanlike foresight, sagacity in planning; 6. person or thing of unusual beauty (Oxford Pocket Dictionary, American Edition).


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V. Visioning – Exercise 1 (10 minutes) Exercise 1: (Part I – 5 min) Ask participants to turn to page 4 in their manuals. Ask participants to please write their responses to the question,

! How do you define a community vision? " Remind them to apply what we have been discussing when they write their concept of ! a community vision. " When most people have completed this step, ask participants to further define the concept under Activity B. Then ask them to write down a few ! domains " or ! areas of consideration " under Activity C.


Module I – Exercise 1 -- Visioning Activity A -- How do you define a community vision? Activity B -- What do you think of when you consider a shared vision for your community? Activity C -- When you think about life for low-income members of your community, who do you think of? What do you consider?


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Watch participants to see that they are writing. You may need to walk around and provide some encouragement, as some will not know how to begin to think about this concept. (Don # t exceed the five minutes you gave for this exercise. The act of writing is designed to stimulate another part of the brain, so that the discussion that follows will be richer.) Next, you will lead a discussion about why the planning process begins with a look at the vision all the participants have for the future. (Part II $ 5 minutes) Instruct participants to turn to page 5 in their Participant Manuals. Ask for a volunteer to read the answer to the question, ! Why are we starting with the vision? " Then invite another volunteer to read the response to the second question, ! What do we mean by a shared vision of community? "

Participant Manual – Page 5

( Why are we starting with the vision? Traditionally, much organizational planning is dedicated to program specific planning, which then feeds into an organizational plan. Each program or programs funded by a particular funding stream develop plans for those funds. In the process in which we are engaging, by considering the community as a whole, you have the opportunity to think more broadly and develop a plan that considers community needs, resources and challenges as a whole. This leads to a plan that will be flexible and adaptive to community conditions, rather than being driven by funding sources and their requirements. Once the vision is clearly identified, the agency can examine their mission and prospective partnerships to bringing the vision to reality. ( What do we mean by a shared vision of the community? A shared community vision is a multi-dimensional picture of the result if the agency and its collaborators and supports were completely successful in ending poverty in the community. What would life be like for individuals, families and children? Would it be simply no more low-income families or would it be something else? What domains might you consider?


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Your task is to help the group understand the importance of a ! shared vision. " Encourage them to think of the ! shared " nature of the community in which they live. Ask them to explore all the elements that might be included in their community vision. Ask: ! Would a shared vision include diversity of race, age, wealth and or religion? "

! Where would people live, work and play? " ! What services would they need and have access to? " (E.g. transportation, education, health care)

Take responses from the group after each of these questions. Say: ! It may happen that poverty is ended in a community by making it so costly to live in the community that no low-income families can live there. Would that mean success? "

! How does your community value diversity? " ! Is the community committed to build more affordable housing, providing

better transportation and more support for child care to maintain diversity? " Take responses from the group after each of these questions. Say: ! Please write a few of your ideas in the space at the bottom of page 5. " Then ask for a few responses from the group.

Write the group’s responses on the flip chart.

Say: ! Please turn to page 6 and look at the list provided there. How does the list on page 6 compare to our list on the flip chart? " (This list includes the domains identified in the IS report, and a few others

that have been identified as important.)

! What elements are alike? " ! Are there elements that we didn# t identify? " ! Are there elements missing from both lists? "


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If there are any domains on the list below that are not on the group # s list, ask participants to consider them and decide if any of them are important to the group. If so, add those elements to your flip chart list.

Participant Manual – Page6 LISTING OF DOMAINS And some things to consider about each of the domains: 1. Housing $ Is there diversity? Mixed development? Affordable? Safe, accessible?

Proper utilities? 2. Transportation $ How do people get around? If by car, is there adequate access?

Public transportation? Pedestrian friendly? Bike paths? 3. Employment $ Are there adequate job opportunities? Do jobs provide adequate

wages? Benefits? Are there career ladders? Do workers have skills to secure jobs?

4. Health Care $ Is there affordable Health Care? Is there affordable Substance Abuse treatment? Are there adequate numbers of providers? Are they accessible?

5. Nutrition $ food availability, access to fresh produce, fast food, affordable restaurants?

6. Education $ how are the schools? Is there affordable, safe, accessible child care and/or pre-school opportunities? Are there adequate opportunities for youth to grow and develop?

7. Income Management $ Are financial services widely available? Trusted? Are there opportunities for asset accumulation for all?

8. Community Engagement $ Are community residents, particularly low-income residents part of the decision making process in the community? Is community involvement $ voting, volunteering etc. -- valued and expected by the community? Are the public sector, the private sector, other non-profits and the faith community regularly part of the decision making process as well as the service provision and the advocacy processes?

9. Environment $ Are clean air and water and efficient energy a priority and available? Are communities safe?

10. Recreation and Culture $ Are there affordable, accessible venues? Do community members have opportunities for informal socialization and organized events?


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VI. Guided Visualization Exercise for the Group (10 minutes) “A Day in the Life” – A Guided Visualization Exercise Next, you will lead participants through an exercise that will help them think about the challenges in the daily lives of low-income people. The goal of this exercise is to help participants get a sense of the needs of their community by putting themselves in the position of a low-income community member. It will also invite them to go ! deeper " into each of the areas they just identified. You will take them through each step of a day in the life of a low-income person through a guided meditation. There are two scenarios provided for this visualization activity. One involves a single mother and the other a senior citizen. Select the scenario you think is most appropriate for the group with whom you are working. If you feel that neither of these scenarios is representative of their community, use the questions provided to develop a scenario that is more appropriate for your group. Say:

! We are going to do a few minutes to visualize the life of a person living on a low income in this community.

Please consider the questions I will raise based on what you know of life in this community.

If you feel comfortable closing your eyes, please do so. Otherwise, you may want to turn your chair so you can look at the wall."

As participants are getting situated say ! I am going to read a series of questions to guide you through the major events of the day. There are no right answers; rather the questions are designed to prompt you to consider the options and challenges that face low-income members of the community. " When everyone is comfortable, read the visualization out loud. Please read it slowly, with ample pauses between the questions.


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Visualization Option 1 - - A Single Mother with Two Children

Please take a deep breath and let it out. Take 2-3 more long, slow deep breaths. (Pause) Imagine that you are a single mother, raising an infant and a six-year old child. You have a part time job in a fast food restaurant. It is early morning. When you wake up, are you in a home or apartment of your own? A shelter? Somewhere else? Are you warm or cold? Was it quiet and safe last night? What will you do first when you get out of bed? Get ready for work? Wake the children? Is there enough food for breakfast? Appropriate clothing for the day? Do you need to get your children to childcare? To school? Do you have safe, affordable childcare? Or are your children safe at school? How will you get the children to school? How will you get yourself to work? What do you do at your job in the fast food restaurant? How are you treated at work? Do you have benefits such as paid leave or health insurance? What happens if you are sick or your child needs you? How do you get home from work? Who takes care of your children when school is over? How do your children get home from school or day care? Is there enough healthy food for dinner? What happens after dinner? Do you have the time or energy to help the kids with their homework? To do the household tasks? Is there anyone you can count on for help? When you need assistance, do you know where to go for help? Who to call? Do you engage in any leisure time activities? Attend community or school events? Volunteer? When you go to sleep do you get a full 8 hours a night? How does your next day begin?


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Visualization Option 2 -- An Older Adult Who Is Frail and Lives Alone

Please take a deep breath and let it out. Take 2-3 more long, slow deep breaths. (Pause) Imagine that you are 80 years old. Your health isn # t good and you find you are having more trouble getting around. Your daughter lives several states away and your spouse and the rest of your family has passed on. It is early morning. When you wake up, are you in a home or apartment of your own? Are you warm or cold? Was it quiet and safe last night? What do you do first when you get out of bed? If you do need help, is someone available to help? Are you able to dress yourself or do you need assistance? Is there enough food for breakfast? Can you cook for yourself? Do you get Meals on Wheels? Go to the senior center for lunch? Can you shop for yourself? Do the housework? If you need help, is there someone you trust to help you? Where do you need to go this morning? To the doctor? To the senior center? How will you get there? On your own? With a ride? If you stay at home today, will you see anyone? How do you take care of your health? Do you have insurance? A regular physician? How do you pay for medication? If you don # t have enough money, do you go without? What do you do to keep yourself active? Do you volunteer? Visit with friends? Is there anyone you can count on for help? When you need assistance, do you know where to go for help? Who to call?


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Debriefing: Ask the participants to open their eyes, or turn their chairs, and come back to the group. Give everyone a few moments to return to their ! present reality. " Ask the group some of the following questions: ! What did you experience in your visualization? " ! What did you think about that you had not previously thought about? "

! Did you get a feel for the challenges experienced in daily life by this person? "

! How did you experience living in poverty in this community? " Other tips for debriefing: • This exercise is usually very powerful and for the most part, reactions have

been positive. You may hear comments like ! I hadn # t thought about how hard it can be to face all of those barriers, " or ! I remember that happening to my mother, " or ! This really made me think about the life our clients face. "

• For some participants, this exercise may bring up difficult emotions. You will

want to provide an opportunity for someone who is having this kind of reaction to take a break and to approach you or an appropriate colleague later.

• Occasionally, you may also find questions about the validity of the scenario.

A reaction might be: ! this isn # t a valid picture of the way life is. " To this you can point out that you were merely providing questions to get them to consider the various aspects of daily living, and that they might not be satisfied with the answers THEY provided to the questions.

You may get comments about the portrayal of the many challenges presented by our prompts. One reaction may be: ! It's not our job to fix all of these things. " You might use this as an opportunity to point out that the point of the exercise is to consider the many things that low-income community members face as a starting point, while the planning process is designed to help determine what is the job or role of the agency.

! The purpose of the exercise is to consider what it might be like for low-income community, not necessarily to fix all of these areas. " Another reaction might be: ! I couldn # t think about so many things and so I got lost." In these


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cases, you want to point out that you are not suggesting that they fix or even consider all of the items, but that the point of the exercise is to sensitize the group to the decisions and demands that face individuals every day $ to think how they would make their daily decisions if they were on a limited budget. You might respond to a question like this with "It can be overwhelming to just do the exercise, no less have to handle these issues every day.

• Remember the purpose of the visualization is to get a handle on how life is for

low-income people in the community $ not to defend these situations or any individual decisions someone needing assistance may have made.

• As always, if you feel there is a need for additional discussion, you may ask

the group to respond to the issues raised. VII. Envisioning Your Ideal Community: Exercise 2 (5 minutes to set up the exercise and break into groups) (20 minutes for the group activity) Now that participants have had a chance to ! see " through the eyes of an individual in poverty, you will lead them in an exercise designed to get them to think of what the community would be like without poverty. Dividing Participants into Small Groups: For this exercise you will need to divide participants into groups (see chart below). Be careful to have representatives of each stakeholder group in each group. You might do this by assigning participants to groups prior to the meeting and using symbols on their name tag -- such as colored dots to identify the group that they represent on the Community Action Board, (e.g. public, private, low income). Be sure to include staff and other collaborators in each of the groups in a balanced way (e.g., don # t let all the staff work together). Be sure to include staff and other collaborators in each of the groups in a balanced way (e.g., don # t let all the staff work together). Talk with the Executive Director or Board Chair to ensure that the membership of each group includes people with a broad range of roles in the organization and participatory styles -- so that each group is able to successfully execute the small group tasks. Possible Groupings:

• Less than 14 participants $ divide into 3 groups • 15-24 participants $ divide into 4 groups • More than 25 participants $ divide into 5 groups • More than 45 participants $ divide so there are not more than 9

participants each.


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Working in Small Groups: (Allow 20 minutes for this work.) Ask participants to move into their small groups. Once they are in their small groups, tell them to pick a spokesperson who will share the products of this effort with the larger group when it reconvenes. Let the groups know they must select only 2 aspects to report back to the rest of the participants. Instruct each group to also pick a recorder and a timekeeper. Tell the timekeepers that the groups will meet for 20 minutes and then will reconvene to share their visions. Ask participants to turn to page7 in their Participant Manuals. Say to the participants: ! Please take a few minutes and think about your ! ideal community, "

where there is no poverty and everyone lives a successful and satisfying life. The definition of the word ! ideal " is completely up to your group. " ! Then together, brainstorm what your ! ideal community " would look like. " ! The recorder in your group will write your ideas in the chart on page 7.

Remind participants to think about the ends they are trying to achieve, not the means. (There will be times in later modules to identify how to achieve them.) Say: ! This is about the general picture of success. Try to stay focused

on the bigger picture or concepts. Don # t get caught up in language and semantics. You will be sharing ideas with other participants and stakeholders after the group session and can work on language then. "

While the groups are working, walk around the room to provide guidance and support.


Module I – Exercise 2 – Ideal Community Worksheet If you lived in an ideal community, how would you describe it? Think about different aspects of your community as you are considering your ideal community. Write some of your ideas in the box below.


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VIII. Defining Outcomes in the Ideal Community: Exercise 3 (25 minutes) Reporting Out: Bring the groups back together so they can share their work. (Maximum of 5 groups 25 & over = 25 minutes) Say: “The spokesperson from each group will report 2 aspects of

of the ideal community defined by their group.” ! Each group has only 5 minutes to present. Please keep to this time limit. You may ask a participant in your group to

signal you when 4 minutes are up, so you know when you have 1 minute left. "

Be prepared to help participants with this by identifying trends or similar elements, or by identifying areas that the groups may not have addressed. Your goal here is to assure that all of the aspects valued by the groups are included. You may refer to the list on page 6 of the Participant Manual. Here is an example of how you can translate the discussion to the chart:

A group describes one aspect of the ! ideal community " as ! all people in our community live in safe affordable housing. "

Then ask each group to report out. As they do, you will record the information presented by the spokespeople on a sheet of newsprint. After all the small groups have reported out, ask the large audience: ! Are there any aspects missing? Is there something we would

like to add to our vision of an ideal community? " Next, in discussion with the group, begin transferring the information from the sheet of newsprint to the poster-sized copy of the chart found in Exercise 3 on page 8 in the Participant Manual. [*Leave room on the right side of the chart for two columns you will add in the next exercise] Using the example above, you will identify the domain as ! housing " and the outcome as ! all people live in safe affordable housing. "


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Please be sure to use ! outcome” language as you write on your chart. (If you are not clear about the elements of outcome language, refer back to the Introduction to ROMA curriculum.)

Participant Manual - Page 8

Module I – Exercise 3 – Ideal Community – Defined Outcomes

Domain Outcome to be achieved Housing All people live in safe affordable housing

After all the groups have reported, say to participants: ! Please turn back to page 6 in the Participant Manual and look

at the list provided, to see if we have missed any important domains or aspects of a domain. "

Then record any responses offered by participants in the large group.


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IX. Reality Check (15 minutes) Before Starting This Exercise:

Prepare a set of colored 3 x 5 cards for each participant in the large group. You must have five different colors of cards, and each color will be designated as a number from 1 to 5.

(Please see Addendum 1 for the template for these cards. You may have them printed on card stock or on colored paper or can use colored 3x5 cards.)

Distribute a set of the cards to each participant. Conducting the Activity: Say to participants:

! Please look at your vision of your ' ideal community # . Take a few minutes and think about the current status of each of the elements you identified. What are the changes you would like to see? "

Tell participants to turn to page 9 in the Participant Manual. Read the first paragraph out loud. (This paragraph is above the graphic). Explain that this paragraph contains the directions for the first part of the exercise. Say:

! You are going to be asked to rate each element in your vision in terms of how much change is needed in the community to achieve that vision. "


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Module I – Exercise 4 – Reality Check Please consider how much change will need to occur for the community to reach the vision you have identified. You will be ! scoring" the amount of change you think is needed. If little change is necessary, the score would be 1, if a lot, the score would be 5.

Next consider not how much change is necessary but how important that change is to the community. In this case 1 is the least important, and 5 is the most important.

Say: ! The goal in this activity is for us to determine how close the current state of our community is to the ideal vision we have projected."

! Each participant will have a set of color-coded cards, numbered from 1-5. For each element on your chart, you need to select a card that represents the answer to the question: ! How much change will need to occur for the community to reach this vision? " ! If little change is needed, you would select the card with a 1 on it. If a lot of change is needed, you will select a card with a 5 on it." ! We will begin with the first domain on our list."

As the Facilitator, your goal in this activity is to get the group to come to a vote on how they view each domain. Read the first domain out loud to the group. Say:

! Take a moment to identify how much change is necessary to achieve your ideal vision of this domain. Then select a colored card to represent your score. "


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When participants are ready, ask them to raise the card they selected to represent their score. Scan the room to develop a general sense of the group. If you need to, do a count of the cards for each level, so you can come up with a rating for that domain. Encourage the group to work together to finalize a number they can agree on. Then on the large chart you just created, write the number that represents the group # s rating (the column ! H M" for how much). (You might record a range ! from 2 to 4 " or ! from 1 to 3 " $ but don # t let it be more than two points difference). Part II on Page 9: Read the second paragraph on page 9 out loud. (It is located below the graphic). Explain that in the second part of this activity, participants will identify the level of the importance of the change. Say:

! In this second activity, you will identify the importance of this change to the community. " ! For example, it might be very important that the public bus line does not run transportation beyond five pm so many workers cannot use it. If this is a very important matter, it might be a small change to have the bus line add a trip one hour later in the day. "

Ask participants if they understand the difference between this score and the score in the first activity. Then, just as you did before, present each domain on the list and give the participants a chance to select their score. Go over the domains one at a time. Ask the group to raise a card to answer the question:

! How important is the change to the community?” Explain that for this question, a score of 1 represents the least important change and a score of 5 is the most important change. (1 = least and 5 = most).


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Complete the exercise using the cards as you did for the first part of the exercise. Encourage the group to work together to finalize a number they can agree on. Write the number for the group # s rating on the second column you added to your chart. Head this column (HI for ! how important " ). Debrief: Ask participants to consider the relationship between these two prioritizations. Participants will record the scores on the chart in Exercise 4 on page 10 of the Participant Manual. They may record both their own score and the group score for each column. You will need the results of these exercises for use in the next module.

Participant Manual – Page 10 Module I $ Exercise 4 -- Worksheet

Domain Area How much change is needed? (1= little, 5 = a lot) My score Group score

How important is the change to the community? (1= least , 5=most) My score Group score


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X. Wrap Up: Six National Goals and Memorandum 49 (15 minutes) To ! wrap up" the work that has been done, you will refer back to the concept of the ! Six National Goals" . Using the poster size chart of Exercise 3, quickly go through the list of outcomes that participants have selected. Ask participants to identify which of the six National Goals relates to each of the outcomes. Write the number of the National Goal on the chart beside each outcome.

Participant Manual – Appendix 1 BACKGROUND INFORMATION: SIX NATIONAL GOALS Activities and strategies engaged in by Community Action Agencies (CAA) are suggested by the legislation that provides Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) funds. Additionally, the 1998 Reauthorization specifically directs local community action agencies to implement and maintain Results Oriented Management and Accountability (ROMA) or another management system. ROMA is a management system which includes planning for results, implementing programs focused on improving opportunities and results for low-income people and the communities in which they live, and for reporting the results of programs and partnerships. Also, guidance is provided by several other documents that help define the anti-poverty role of CAAs and some goals and core activities that should be a part of the strategic planning efforts of each local CAA. One of these documents is ! The Six National Goals." In 1994, the CSBG Monitoring and Assessment Task Force, supported by the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Services (OCS), and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services produced a National Strategic Plan that identified six national goals for community action. These are: Goal 1. Low-income people become more self-sufficient. (Family) Goal 2. The conditions in which low-income people live are improved. (Community) Goal 3. Low-income people own a stake in their community. (Community) Goal 4. Partnerships among supporters and providers of services to low-income people are achieved. (Agency) Goal 5. Agencies increase their capacity to achieve results. (Agency) Goal 6. Low-income people, especially vulnerable populations, achieve their potential by strengthening family and other supportive systems. (Family) As you think about your ! ideal " community, keep in mind the Six National Goals for Community Action Agencies, and think about how your work can be aligned to this national framework.


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Participant Manual – Appendix 2

INFORMATION MEMORANDUM # 49 The second important document, Information Memorandum 49, issued by the Office of Community Services in 2001, also helped to provide guidance by identifying the following ! core activities" for eligible entities: Here is an excerpt from that document:

1. The entity and its board complete regular assessments of the entity's overall mission, desired impact(s) and program structure, taking into account:

1) the needs of the community and its residents; 2) the relationship, or context, of the activities supported by the entity to other anti-poverty, community development services in the community; and 3) the extent to which the entity's activities contribute to the accomplishment of one or more of the six ROMA national goals;

2. Based upon the periodic assessments described above, the entity and its board has identified yearly (or multi-annually) specific improvements, or results, it plans to help achieve in the lives of individuals, families, and/or the community as a whole; 3. The entity organizes and operates all its programs, services, and activities toward accomplishing these improvements, or outcomes, including linking with other agencies in the community when services beyond the scope of the entity are required. All staff are helped by the entity to understand the direct or indirect relationship of their efforts to achieving specific client or community outcomes; and 4. The entity provides reports to the State that describe client and community outcomes and that capture the contribution of all entity programs, services, and activities to the achievement of those outcomes.

Through the process of developing a strategic plan, you will be learning more about Results Oriented Management and Accountability and how you can address the guidance from the Six National Goals and IM 49.


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XI. Closing Statements Before leaving, briefly summarize the work that has been done. Give a brief preview of the work that will be done in Module II. The Executive Director, Board Chair, or other ! host " will add her/his thoughts and thank the participants before they leave. After The Session: Be sure to save the charts that were created throughout this module. They will be needed in the next session. Addendum 1: Template for Number Cards for Exercise 4 Directions: On the following pages are templates for the number cards for Exercise 4, Module 1. Each page is to be printed on a different color of a heavy paper or card stock and then cut into four sections. Alternately, you may use colored 3x5 or 5x8 cards, and write the numbers on them $ assuring that you have five different colors, each color being used for one number.


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1

1

1

1


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2

2

2

2


51

3

3

3

3


52

4

4

4

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5

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Module Two:

SETTING PRIORITIES AND DETERMINING OUTCOMES


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MODULE II $ SETTING PRIORITIES AND DETERMINING OUTCOMES

Table of Contents


Module II – Setting Priorities and Determining Outcomes ......... 55 Prior to Module II: ................................ ................................ ....... 60 Community Matrix ................................ .......................... 58 Objectives for Module II ................................ ............................. 60 Who Should Participate ................................ ............................. 60 Overview of Module II ................................ ................................ . 60

Facilitating Module II ................................ ................................ ....... 61 III Review Efforts from Module 1 ................................ .............. 61 IV Discussion of Agency Mission ................................ ............. 63 III Looking at Your Agency’s Mission: Exercise 1 .................. 65 IV Setting Priorities Based on Your Agency’s Mission:

Exercise 2 ................................ ................................ ................ 67 V Developing Outcomes and Indicators: Exercise 3 ............. 69 VI Relating the Outcomes and Indicators Prioritized by the

Agency to the National Goals for Community Action: Exercise 4 ................................ ................................ ................ 72

VII Examining Assets, Supports, Challenges and Conditions: Exercise 5 ................................ ................................ ................ 73

Final Module II Worksheet ................................ ..................... 75 VIII Wrap Up ................................ ................................ ................... 77


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MODULE II $ SETTING PRIORITIES AND DETERMINING OUTCOMES

Timing of Session

I. Review Efforts from Module 1 15 minutes II. Discussion of Agency Mission 10 minutes III. Looking at Your Agency # s Mission $ Ex. 1 20 minutes IV. Setting Priorities Based on Your Agency # s Mission $ Ex. 2 15 minutes Break 15 minutes V. Developing Outcomes and Indicators for Domains Prioritized 30 minutes

by Your Agency - Exercise 3 VI. Relating the Outcomes and Indicators Prioritized by the 5 minutes

Agency to the National Goals for Community Action $ Ex. 4 VII. Examining Assets, Supports, Challenges, Conditions $ Ex. 5 30 minutes VIII. Wrap Up 10 minutes TOTAL 2 hours and 30 minutes


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MODULE II -- SETTING PRIORITIES AND DETERMINING OUTCOMES

Prior to Module II 1. Review the agency # s mission statement and identify how it is used by the agency. (Write it out on a piece of newsprint so you can use it during the session.) 2. Review the key documents that form the foundation for Community Action

agencies. They are: Appendix Module Name of Document

1 1 Six National Goals -- MATF strategic plan -1994 2 1 Excerpt: Information Memorandum 49 $ 2001 3 2 Office of Economic Opportunity Directive $ 1970 4 2 Listing of National Performance Indicators

3. As noted in Getting Started, gather existing community assessments

(needs and resources), information on existing programs, any recent program evaluations, and current logic models and/or outcome measures used by the agency or its programs. These materials will help you understand the current work of the agency and will offer you both context and details that will support the strategic planning process.

4. A. Compile the results from the worksheet with the information you have

included for Exercise 3 of Module I. You will record them in the 8 x 11 chart called the Module II Worksheet, which is located at the end of Module II of the Participant Manual.

The rest of the Module II Worksheet will be completed during this module. Make enough 8 x 11 copies of the Module II Worksheet for every participant who will attend Module II.

B. Then transfer the information onto a poster-size version of the Module II Worksheet.

C. Re-hang the newsprint chart that lists the domains participants prioritized for the community in Exercise 3 in Module I. (You may also want to make 8 x 11 copies for participants.)

5. Review the material on the Logic Model contained in the Introduction to

ROMA course.


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In Module II, the group will be creating a ! logic model, " similar to the one introduced in the Introduction to ROMA course. While, this logic model will focus on the planning and strategy elements rather than on accountability elements, the group always needs to consider how they will document the results.

As the facilitator, you will orient the group to this term and tell them that they will be building a logic model over the course of the remaining modules. Simply put, a logic model lays out the logic behind agency efforts. It includes:

• The problem, need or issue to be addressed; • The outcome to be achieved; • How that outcome will be achieved, (what activities/services or

strategies will be used); and • How the outcome will be measured (identification of ! indicators" ).

This logic model allows the agency to track, measure and evaluate their progress. When you show the group the first logic model, tell them that some of the columns will disappear as we work through the process, but that these are necessary during the planning phase to help the group determine agency priorities and strategies.

6. Scales and Matrices:

You will also be reinforcing the use of a scale or matrix, drawn from the Introduction to ROMA curriculum.

Review the material on scales and scale-matrices so you are comfortable with the use of these tools. A. The Community Matrix which follows shows the CAA domain areas and the priority rankings developed by a community. The Community Matrix demonstrates the participants# response to two

questions:

! What level of change is needed to achieve the change desired in this domain to create the community vision? " and

! How important is this change to the community? "


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In the example provided, the five-point scale on the left represents the level of change that is needed to create the change in the community. The importance of the change is found inside the matrix (labeled “priority”) Participants in this example group felt that for Housing, change was needed at level 5, (a lot of change needed). That score of 5 translates to ! In-Crisis " on the matrix.

(NOTE: This may seem counterintuitive, since the score of 5 = In-Crisis and a score of 1 = Thriving. But remember we are talking about the level of change needed so the most change is needed at the ! in-crisis " level.)

Participants in this example group stated that the importance of this change to the community was a 3. That "3" is noted in the matrix with the words "Priority 3" under the Housing column. So, within the Housing column, (or Housing scale), you can immediately see both the level of the change that is needed and the importance of that change to the community.

This example is presented to demonstrate how the Community Matrirx will be completed. You will be using the information from your group’s work in Module One.

B. Prepare a Community Matrix of the domain areas identified by your agency. That will show the relationship between what participants identified as ! how much change is needed" and the concept of the scale (from In-Crisis to Thriving).

A blank copy of the Community Matrix is included for you to have made into a poster sized version.

NOTE: While this Community Matrix capture all of the work done by the groups in the earlier exercise, their work needs to be verified by using the community assessment data and other forms of research, before launching a strategic plan. The group may have come to agreement that something is very important, but when you reviewed the assessment data, you did not find statistical documentation of this need. In this case, it would be your responsibility to discuss this with your host (the ED or Board contact) to understand why there is a difference between the perception of the group and the statistical data. You must also bring this understanding to the group at the beginning of Module Two, so decisions can be made about level of the priority. For example, if one of the areas the group identified as an important need was nutritional and recreational needs for older adults (senior citizens), but your review of the data shows a very small population over the age of 60 in the target community, it may be that your participants only have a vague understanding of the population and need to consider this further.


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COMMUNITY MATRIX -- SAMPLE of work done by one planning group Elements

Benchmarks

Housing Nutrition HealthCare Employment Income

Management

Education

Early childhood k-12

post secondary continuing ed.

Transportation Child Care Recreation and cultural Opportunitie

s

Community

Engagement

Environment

THRIVING (a little change needed=1) Access meets the needs of all members of the community. Quality is excellent.

SAFE (CHANGE=2) Access meets the needs of a majority of community members. Quality is good.

Importance 4

Importance 5

STABLE (CHANGE=3) Access meets the needs of many community members, including low income members. Quality is fair.

Importance

4

Importance 4

Importance 3

Importance

3

Importance

5

VULNERABLE (CHANGE=4) Access is limited, particularly for low income community members. Where services exist, quality is poor.

Importance

2

Importance

1

Importance

2

IN- CRISIS (a lot of change needed=5) Access is absent for a majority of community members ! particularly for low income members. Quality is sub-standard

Importance

3

Note: This matrix was adapted from the work of the MATF, 1994


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COMMUNITY MATRIX Elements

Benchmarks

Housing Nutrition HealthCare Employment Income

Management

Education

Early childhood k-12

post secondary continuing ed.

Transportation Child Care Recreation and cultural Opportunitie

s

Community

Engagement

Environment

THRIVING (a little change needed=1) Access meets the needs of all members of the community. Quality is excellent.

SAFE (CHANGE=2) Access meets the needs of a majority of community members. Quality is good.

STABLE (CHANGE=3) Access meets the needs of many community members, including low income members. Quality is fair.

VULNERABLE (CHANGE=4) Access is limited, particularly for low income community members. Where services exist, quality is poor.

IN- CRISIS (a lot of change needed=5) Access is absent for a majority of community members ! particularly for low income members. Quality is sub-standard

Note: This matrix was adapted from the work of the MATF, 1994


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Objectives for Module II By the end of this module:

• The Board will set priority areas for strategic planning. These will be drawn from the community vision, the agency # s mission, and the priorities of the community.

• Participants will develop outcomes for the priority areas. • Participants will examine challenges and supports to achieving the outcomes.

Who Should Participate? While the broad vision was a community effort, determination of the role of the agency and setting expectations for the agency is a Board responsibility, and implementing this role and meeting these expectations is the responsibility of the staff. In this module, the primary participants must include the Board members and probably will include at least Senior Staff. If there are participants in this module that did not participate in Module I, you will want to build in time for the Executive Director or Board Chair to introduce you to the group and for the group to introduce themselves to one another.

Overview of Module II The purpose of this series of modules is to assist participants in their strategic planning for the Community Action Agency with which they are involved. A strategic plan is a working guide to keep the agency focused on its mission and on the guiding principles of the Community Service Block Grant (CSBG) and the Six National Goals. In the course of Module II:

A. Participants will use the vision of an ideal community that they identified to prioritize the things they feel the agency should work towards.


• Outcomes (family, agency, community) that are the results they want to accomplish

• Indicators that will let them measure their progress toward the identified outcomes

• What help they can count on from the community, and what challenges they must face to meet their identified outcomes.


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You will be conducting several exercises to help participants think about their agency and the role it plays in the community to meet the outcomes they hope to see in the near future. FACILITATING MODULE II I. Review Efforts from Module 1 (15 Minutes) Say: ! In Module I, we completed the following activities:

- Created a community vision of our ideal community; - Identified domains in that ideal community; and - Rated those domains in regard to how much change was needed to achieve

them and how important the change was to the community;

! Now, I would like to take a few minutes to review a summary of our work. " Distribute copies of the Module II Worksheet to all participants. Ask participants to take a few minutes to read them it. Explain that later in Module II, we will return to this worksheet and complete it. Next, distribute copies of the Community Matrix to all participants. To introduce the matrix, you may want to introduce the concept of a scale. A scale provides a visual representation of the current state of a particular element, in incremental steps, ranging from In-crisis to Thriving. Explain that a matrix is a set of scales, laid side by side. In the Community Matrix, participants will see the domains they wrote about in Module I. The Community Matrix demonstrates the participants# response to two questions: ! What level of change is needed to achieve the change desired in this domain to create the community vision? " and ! How important is this change to the community? " In the example provided, the five-point scale on the left represents the level of change that is needed to create the change in the community.


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That score of 5 translates to “In-Crisis” on the matrix. (This may seem counterintuitive, since the score of 5 = In-Crisis and a score of 1 equals Thriving.)

Explain the position of each item on the matrix representing their work. Point out that the Community Matrix is capturing all of the work done by the groups in the earlier exercise. However, their work will need to be verified by using the community assessment data and other forms of research, before launching a strategic plan. Now, show the Community Matrix you prepared of the domain areas identified by this agency. Explain that it also captures the questions to these two questions, (e.g. what level of change is needed, and how important the change is to the community.) Go over the agency # s Community Matrix carefully, pointing out the way the participants# answers to the questions are captured in the matrix. Ask the participants to turn to page 12 in Module II in their Participant Manuals. Read the objectives for Module II out loud. Read or paraphrase the paragraph that describes the use of the logic model in this strategic planning process.


MODULE II $ SETTING PRIORITIES AND DETERMINING OUTCOMES Objectives of Module II • Participants will identify priority areas for strategic planning. These will be drawn from the

community vision, the agency # s mission, and the priorities of the community. • Participants will develop outcomes for the priority areas. • Participants will examine challenges and supports to achieving the outcomes. The group will be creating a ! logic model " focused on strategic planning to achieve outcomes. Some of the columns will disappear as we work through the process, but these are necessary during the planning phase to help the group determine agency priorities and strategies.


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II. Discussion of Agency Mission (10 Minutes) Ask: ! What is the difference between a community vision and the mission of an agency? " Take several responses from the group. Ask participants to turn to page 13 in the Participant Manual and to read page 13 silently. Then explain the mission of Community Action as described in the foundation documents, quoted on page 13. Be sure to point out this distinction on the bottom of page 2: While the community vision describes the ideal future of the community, the agency mission describes the role of the agency in working towards that vision.


Discussion of Agency Mission and the Mission of Community Action

Title I I of the Economic Opportunity Act 1964 provided for the establishment and funding of community action agencies and programs. The Mission of Community Action, as stated in Section 201(a) of the Act, is

"to stimulate a better focusing of all available local, State, private, and Federal resources upon the goal of enabling low-income families, and low-income individuals of all ages, in rural and urban areas, to attain the skills, knowledge, and motivations and secure the opportunities needed for them to become self-sufficient."

The Mission is reinforced in the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Reauthorization Act of 1998, which continues the designation of CSBG funded agencies as the anti-poverty agency in each community. It also restates the requirement that local Community Action Agencies address the needs of communities as the low income population moves out of poverty. In SEC. 672, the purposes of this funding are stated: ! To provide assistance to States and local communities, working through a network

of community action agencies and other neighborhood-based organizations, for the reduction of poverty, the revitalization of low-income communities, and the empowerment of low-income families and individuals in rural and urban areas to become fully self-sufficient"

Information Memorandum 49, issued by the Office of Community Services in 2001, provided some guidance to local Community Action Agencies as they develop new and improved anti-poverty strategies in their local communities:

! The most successful State and local agencies among us have come to understand that community action not only survives, but thrives, when it engages in continuous self-examination. Our "star players" ask and answer, again and again: "Why are we here, who are we helping, what are we helping them to become, and how will we know and describe success, both theirs and ours?"

While the community vision describes the ideal future of the community, the agency mission describes the role of the agency in working towards that vision.


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You will also direct participants to turn to Appendix 3. This is a copy of the Office of Economic Opportunity directive that was written in 1970. This is one of the founding documents of the Community Action network.

Participant Manual – Appendix 3

Office of Economic Opportunity Directive – 1970

OFF ICE OF EC ONOM IC

OPPORT UNIT Y

E xecu t i ve O f f ice of t h e Pr es i d en t

W ashin gt on , DC 2 0 50 6

T yp e of Is s u anc e N u mb er

OEO I NST RUC ION 6 3 10 -1

Su bj ec t :

T HE MIS SION O F T HE

COMMU NIT Y ACT ION

AGE NC Y

D at e:

N ovemb er 1 6, 1 9 7 0

O f f ice o f P r i mar y R esp on s i b i l i t y

O /CA /P

Su p ers ed es

OEO I ns t ruc t i on 11 0 5- 1

D is t r i bu t i on

DR, 5- 2, 10 -1 5, 3 5- 4 , 45 -1 S

1. Basic Purpose

Title I I of the Economic Opportunity Act provides for the establishment and funding of community action agencies and programs. The basic purpose of Title II, as stated in Section 201(a) of the Act, is "to stimulate a better focusing of all available local, State, private, and Federal resources upon the goal of enabling low-income families, and low-income individuals of all ages, in rural and urban areas, to attain the skills, knowledge, and motivations and secure the opportunities needed for them to become self-sufficient." The key phrase in this statement is "to stimulate a better focusing of all available ... resources." The Act thus gives the CAA a primarily catalytic mission: to make the entire community more responsive to the needs and interests of the poor by mobilizing resources and bringing about greater institutional sensitivity. A CAA's effectiveness, therefore, is measured not only by the services which it directly provides but, more importantly, by the improvements and changes it achieves in the community's attitudes and practices toward the poor and in the allocation and focusing of public and private resources for antipoverty purposes. 2. The Resources To carry out this mission effectively the CAA must work with three significant groups in the community: the poor, the public sector, and the private sector.

a. The Poor

The Act provides that all CAA plans and programs must be-. developed and implemented "with the maximum feasible participation of the residents of the areas and members of the groups.


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III. Looking at Your Agency’s Mission – Exercise 1 (20 minutes) This exercise is designed to re-familiarize participants with the agency mission, NOT re-develop it. If you discover through the activities in ! Getting Started " or during this exercise, that there is a need to re-develop the agency mission, create an opportunity for that discussion. Redeveloping a mission statement is an effort best led by the board with input from staff. It should be recognized that this work will add time to the planning process. In creating the opportunity for this discussion, be intentional about both task and, in turn, time, so that this task does not take over the planning process. You may find that there are just a few words that need adjusting in the existing mission statement or that the context and environment have changed so substantially, it needs to be rewritten altogether. In helping an agency define mission, some tips include: Here are some suggestions about mission statements from Introduction to ROMA.

Hint: Does your mission statement contain references to the population being served, the services they receive, the relationship to the community and the expected outcomes for the client?

Can it fit on a T-shirt or on the back of a business card?

Hint: Key Words • Population $ Low-income, poverty, special needs. • Services $ Social, human, educational, health, or community services. • Relationship $ Partnership, collaboration, referral, agreement, contract. • Outcomes $ Self-sufficiency, independent, well-being, ready-to-learn.

Virtual Outcomes College, National ROMA Peer-To-Peer-Training Program, Participant Manual for Community Action Agencies and CSBG Subcontractors, Version 3.3, Day One, © FY 2001-2005, March 2005, F. Richmond, The Center For Applied Management Practices, www.appliedmgt.com, all rights reserved. Some additional thoughts:

• Mission statements are broad statements about why the agency exists and what the agency values.

• Mission statements are narrow enough to express the uniqueness of the agency. • Mission statements set the outer boundaries of the agency # s work.

Ask participants if they know their agency # s mission statement. Ask them to turn to Exercise 1 on page 14 in the Participant Manual and write their mission statement. If some people know it and others do not, ask a volunteer to read the mission statement out loud.


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(Make sure you have it available if no one knows it. If so, post the copy you made on newsprint and ask people to copy it.)

After participants have entered their agency mission statement, say:

! Please pair up with someone sitting close to you and discuss the questions in part B. "

Allow five minutes for this discussion.

Participant Manual – Page14

Module II – Exercise 1 – Looking at Your Agency’s Mission

A. What is your agency # s Mission Statement? Does it answer the questions from IM 49? B. What are the key messages the Mission statement conveys about your agency? What does it really say about who we are and what we do? How does it relate to the mission of Community Action?

After 5 minutes, ask:

! What did you learn about the agency # s mission statement? " Take a few responses from the group. Tell participants that the agency mission should be used as a framework for the next exercises. Point out the anti-poverty focus of the agency # s mission. Ask: ! Does the agency # s mission statement show that the agency understands the

purpose of the CSBG legislation and the role that this demands of the agency in the community? "

Take a few responses from the group. Ask: ! How does the agency # s mission fit within the community vision we developed in

Module I?"

! Does the mission define the agency # s responsibilities in regard to that vision? " Take a few responses from the group. Point out that the mission statement drives the actions of the agency. It identifies what the agency is going to do -- how it is going to address the community needs.


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IV. Setting Priorities Based on Your Agency’s Mission – Exercise 2 (15 minutes) (Before you begin this exercise, be sure to hang the newsprint chart that lists the domains prioritized by participants for the community in Exercise 3 in Module I. You may also want to make 8 x 11 copies for participants.) Ask participants to take out the Community Matrix that you distributed earlier in the session. Using the newsprint chart you created, quickly review the list of domains that participants identified as important for the community in Module I. Explain to participants that the next step in our planning process is to examine the domains they identified in Module I, to see if the changes they named for their community vision are appropriate for agency to pursue, given their agency # s mission. For example, they may have selected education as one of the domain areas where changes are needed to achieve their community vision. Is it appropriate for their CAA to conduct work in this area? Instruct participants to turn to Exercise 2 on page 15 in Module II. Direct them to complete this exercise individually. Say: ! Using the chart with our identified domains as a guide, please ask yourself: • Does this domain fit in the agency mission? • Is the agency currently addressing this domain? • Is this domain addressed by others in the community? • Is it a domain the agency believes should be added to its scope?

! Then, prioritize the domains based on where you think the agency should place its efforts given the agency mission. " ! Remember that a 1 means a low priority and a 5 means a high priority. "

After everyone has had an opportunity to prioritize the domains individually, you will then prioritize the domains as a group. On a sheet of newsprint, you will write all of the domains that are listed.


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Ask participants to use the cards as they did in Module 1 to vote for priority. Write down the number of people who listed the first domain as a 5 next to it on the chart. Proceed down the list of domains in this way until you have scored all of the domains by their status. If you are tight on time, you may want to only record scores of 4 and 5. Hang the newsprint chart that lists the domains participants prioritized for the community in Exercise 3 in Module I next to this list. Ask: ! Is there coherence in what we originally listed as our priorities and what we are listing now that we have taken some time to re-visit our mission? " Take several responses from the participants. We recommend that you work with the group so that no more than five domains are selected as priorities. Alternatively, if the agency prefers to cover more domains, note that you will need to add more time to the following activities. (If there are more than 5 domains that received top ranking, conduct a second round of voting,)


Module II -- Exercise 2 – Setting Priorities Based on Your Agency’s

Mission

You will be asked to review the scoring you did in Exercise 4 in Module I.

Please rate the domain areas where the agency should place its efforts given the agency

mission, with 1 being a low priority and 5 being a high priority.

Domain Priority Based on Agency

Mission

(1= lowest to 5 = highest)


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Break: Give participants a 15-minute break. V. Developing Outcomes and Indicators - Exercise 3 (30 minutes: 15 minutes for group work, 15 minutes for report out) Breaking Participants into Groups: Before starting Exercise 3, you will need to decide how you want to break participants into small groups. There are two possible scenarios: 1. Groups will select different domains OR 2. All the groups will select the same domains. The way you chose to proceed will depend on: a) The number of domains that received a rating of 4 or 5 in the last activity (Exercise 2), b) Your number of participants, and c) How much break out space you have. For example, if four domains received a rating of 4 or 5 in Exercise 2, you may want to break participants into small groups, with each group working with one of those domains. If only two domains received a rating of 4 or 5, you may want to have all participants work in their small groups on the same domain at the same time, doing first one domain and then the other. You want to be sure that all of the domains that received a high rating are included in this exercise. Once you have determined the method you want to use, break participants into small groups of 4-6 people. Conducting the Activity: You will need to make enough copies of Page 16 of the Participant Manual so that each group can have at least two pages to work on. They are to use one sheet for each domain they are addressing. Give participants a few minutes to select one or two domains in which they believe the agency should focus its work during the planning cycle.


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Point out that the groups may want to consider which of the National Indicators of Community Action Performance are represented by the outcomes they are selecting. Refer them to the brief list of the National Indicators, which are included in Appendix 4. The National Performance Indicators (NPI) were developed from the Six National Goals by the Office of Community Services. More than 1,000 local community action agencies across the country are required to use these indicators to capture and report the identified activities and results of all their programs and partnerships that support the Six National Goals. It is very important that you stress that agencies are not required to address all of the indicators provided, only those that match the outcomes they have selected to meet their community needs. Then ask each small group to report the two domains it selected. Say: ! Please turn to page 5 in Module II. Using the chart in Exercise 3 on page 16,

work together as a group to write one or two outcomes for each domain the agency wants to work to achieve during the planning cycle." ! Also identify at least one measurable indicator of success for each outcome

that will demonstrate achievement. " ! Finally, indicate how long it will take to achieve the outcome."

Remind the groups to select a reporter, recorder and timekeeper. Give the small groups 15 minutes for the discussions. While the groups are working, walk around and check on their progress. It is common that participants will want to consider outcomes and indicators the agency is already measuring. It will be your role to circulate and suggest that they not limit themselves to outcomes that are currently in place. It is also common for agencies to focus on family level outcomes. So, it is also your role to suggest they consider community level outcomes (such as increase tax revenue, creation of jobs, increased access to health care in the community, changes in public transportation routes).


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You may also help them identify agency level outcomes, as appropriate such as developing partnerships with other agencies or strengthening agency systems.


Module II -- Exercise 3 -- Developing Outcomes and Indicators For

Domains Prioritized By Your Agency

Select one or two domains from the previous exercise that you believe your agency should address. (Remember these should be based on the agency # s mission). For each of the domains you have selected, identify 2 outcomes that you feel the agency should work to achieve in the community during this planning cycle. These changes will be put on the worksheet as ! outcomes." Then identify at least one measurable indicator of success for each outcome. Finally, identify if the outcome can be fully achieved during the time period of this planning cycle. Domain: _________________________________________________

Outcome

Indicator of Success How long? (Time period)

Reporting Out: At the end of 15 minutes, ask each small group to report out. Give each group 5 minutes. As the groups report out, write their responses on a flipchart. (Or you may choose to reproduce the chart in Exercise 3 on the newsprint and fill it in.)


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VI. Relating the Outcomes and Indicators Prioritized By the Agency to the National Goals for Community Action – Exercise 4 (5 minutes) You will briefly identify the six National Goals and provide a brief history. Stress that all of the work of Community Action Agencies are expected to address one or more of these goals. Ask participants to turn to Exercise 4 on page 17 in the Participant Manual. Ask them to look at the information you have recorded from each of their groups on the flip chart. Go over each outcome one by one. Ask: ! How does this outcome relate to the six National Goals? " Ask participants to call out which goal they think is associated with each outcome on the flip chart. Write the National Goal number beside each outcome that was identified.

Participant Manual – Page 17 Module II -- Exercise 4 – Relating the Outcomes and Indicators Prioritized By the Agency

To The National Goals For Community Action How do the outcomes you just identified relate to the Six National Goals? Look back at the outcomes and see if they address one or more of these:

Goal 1: Low-income people become more self-sufficient. Goal 2: The conditions in which low-income people live are improved. Goal 3: Low-income people own a stake in their community. Goal 4: Partnerships among supporters and providers of service to low-income

people are achieved. Goal 5: Agencies increase their capacity to achieve results. Goal 6: Low-income people, especially vulnerable populations, achieve their

potential by strengthening family and other supportive systems. These are the 6 National Goals established by the Monitoring and Assessment Task Force (MATF) in 1994. All of the work of Community Action Agencies is expected to address one or more of these goals.


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VII. Examining Assets, Supports, Challenges and Conditions – Exercise 5 (30 minutes: 15 minutes for small group work, 15 minutes for reporting out) Working in Small Groups: Tell participants that they will do this next exercise in the same small groups. Ask groups to select a reporter, recorder and timekeeper. Give participants 15 minutes to work on this activity. Say:

! In your small groups, please discuss the current state of your community. ! Then choose one of the outcomes you selected earlier. " ! Also identify the community assets and supports that will help your agency achieve this outcome. " ! Identify the challenges and conditions facing your community in working to Achieve this outcome "

(Note: If the small groups all worked on the same domains in an earlier activity, you will need to assign only one domain to each group in this activity.) Say: ! In defining these challenges and assets, keep in mind the mission of your agency. " ! But also rely on your own knowledge of the community. You may also

draw upon relevant information from sources such as recent needs assessments, demographic data, and economic forecasting data. "

Allow 15 minutes for the small groups to work on this activity. Reporting Out: Then direct participants to Exercise 5, which is on page 18 of Module II in the Participant Manual. Instruct them to use this page to take notes as the groups report out. Give each group a few minutes to report on their discussions.


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(Note: You have 15 minutes for reporting, so you must calculate how many minutes each group has based on how many groups you have.) As the small groups report out, record their feedback in the remaining columns on the poster-sized version of the Module II Worksheet.


Module II -- Exercise 5 – Examining Causes, Conditions, Supports,

and Assets

Now select one of the outcomes you identified as a group. Consider how the current state of the community can help or challenge your agency in successfully achieving this outcome. Identify community assets and supports, as well as challenges and conditions.

Outcome Assets and Supports Challenges and

Conditions


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Completing the Module II Final Worksheet At the end of this session, the following information should be captured on the poster-sized version of the Module II Final Worksheet: • A list of domains prioritized by the agency,

• Outcomes to be achieved for the community,

• The level of change that is needed in each domain

• The importance of that change to the community,

• The level of priority of the outcome

• A statement of the outcomes the agency will work toward

• Indicators of success for those outcomes,

• The time period it will take to achieve them.

• A description of the assets and supports that will help the agency achieve the

outcomes

• A description of the challenges and conditions that may impede the agency in

achieving the outcomes

(See worksheet on next page.)


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Module II – Final Worksheet

Domain

Outcomes

A statement describing the change that

needs to take place in the community

How much change is needed?

How important is the change to the community?

Priority number

(from Ex 2)

Outcomes Agency is working

toward

Measurable Indicators

Time Period (How long

will it take?)

Assets and Supports

Challenges and Conditions


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VIII. Wrap Up (10 minutes) Before leaving, briefly summarize the work that has been done. Give a brief preview of the work that will be done in Module III. Refer back to the IM 49 document in Appendix 2. Remind participants that this document is an outline of the activities that all Community Action agencies must engage in. Point out that in this first session, we have begun to address the “core activities” identified. Remind them when the next session will be, and other ! housekeeping" tasks. The Executive Director, Board Chair, or other ! host " will add her/his thoughts. Both you and agency leadership will thank the participants before they leave. After The Session: Be sure to save of the charts that were created throughout this module and the others. They will be needed in the next session.


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Module Three:

DEVELOPING STRATEGIES


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MODULE III – DEVELOPING STRATEGIES

Table of Contents


Module III – Developing Strategies ................................ ................. 81 Prior to Module III: ................................ ................................ ....... 81 Objectives for Module III ................................ ............................. 82 Who Should Participate ................................ .............................. 82 Overview of Module III ................................ ................................ . 82

Facilitating Module III ................................ ................................ ....... 83 I. Introduction to the Module ................................ ............. 83 II. Review Efforts from Module II ................................ ........ 84 III Developing Strategies to Achieve Outcomes: Ex 1 ..... 85 IV Who is Responsible? By When?: Exercise 2 .............. 89

V Wrap Up ................................ ................................ ............ 90


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MODULE III – DEVELOPING STRATEGIES Timing of the Session

I. Introduction to the Module 5 minutes II. Review Efforts from Module II 10 minutes III. Developing Strategies to Achieve Outcomes $ Exercise 1 105 minutes

Group Activity 25 minutes Report out 25 minutes Break 10 minutes In small groups, finalize strategies 15 minutes In large group, final discussion of strategies 30 minutes

IV. Who Is Responsible? By When? $ Exercise 2 15 minutes V. Wrap Up 10 minutes TOTAL: 2 hours, 30 minutes


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MODULE III -- DEVELOPING STRATEGIES

Prior to Module III 1. Compile the results of the participants# work from Module II, if that wasn # t

done at the end of Module II. (The results should be recorded on the poster-sized version of the Module II Worksheet.)

2. Take 8 blank sheets of newsprint. Label the top of each chart with the name of

one of the columns in the chart below. (This is the chart from Exercise 1 on page 22 in Module III.)

Copy the material from the Module II Worksheet onto these charts.

Later, when you are working with participants, you will hang the charts side-by-side on the wall so that it looks like a big version of Exercise 1.

3. Also enter the same material into an 8x11 version of Exercise 1 in Module III, so

that you can distribute it to participants. Make enough copies of this handout for all the participants in Module III.

Domain Priority Number

Outcomes the

Agency will work towards


Time Frame

Assets and

Supports

Challenges and

Conditions Strategies

4. Again, make sure you have information on existing programs, any recent

program evaluations and current logic models and/or outcome measures used by the agency or its programs. Have this information available to use in processing the group # s discussions.

As the facilitator, you will want to speak with the Executive Director in advance and have a chance to learn how these materials are currently being used.

5. Before the session, work with agency leadership to develop the lists of

participants for the small groups that are used in Exercise 1 on page 22 of the Participant Manual.

Module III - Exercise 1 – Identifying Activities, Developing Strategies -- Worksheet


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Objectives for Module III By the end of this module, participants will

• Identify strategies and activities that will successfully achieve the outcomes prioritized by the agency in Module II;

• Evaluate current activities regarding their strategic impact on the those outcomes;

• Determine whether activities should continue to be supported, or whether they should be altered, or dropped; and

• Determine potential new strategies.

Who Should Participate? Ideally the participants for this module will be the same as in Module II, as this is largely a continuation of that effort.

• Conduct small group work for 25 minutes and report out for 25 minutes. • Take a 10-minute break. • Return to small groups to finalize their strategies for 15 minutes. • In the large group, engage in final discussion about all of the strategies for 25

minutes.

Overview of Module III The purpose of this series of modules is to assist participants in their strategic planning for the Community Action Agency with which they are involved. A strategic plan is a working guide to keep the agency focused on its mission and on the guiding principles of the Community Service Block Grant (CSBG) and the Six National Goals. In the course of Module III:

A. Participants will identify the strategies and activities that the agency will need to develop as they address the outcomes the agency is going to work towards.


• Both existing and new strategies and both direct service and community advocacy strategies,

• Individuals or teams who will be responsible for implementation of the strategies

• A tentative time frame for the implementation of the strategies.


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You will be conducting several exercises to help participants think about their agency and the role it plays in the community to meet the outcomes they hope to see in the near future. FACILITATING MODULE III I. Introduction to the Module (5 Minutes) Briefly go over the results of the prior work and link the information from all of the modules to date. Provide a short opportunity for participants to discuss and refine that work. Instruct participants to turn to page 1 in Module III and read the objectives for this module.


Module III - Identifying Activities, Developing Strategies

Objectives of Module III At the end of this module, participants will have:

• Identified strategies and activities that will successfully achieve the outcomes prioritized by the agency in Module II;

• Evaluates current activities regarding their strategic impact on the those outcomes;

• Determined whether activities should continue to be supported, or whether they should be altered, or dropped; and

• Determines potential new strategies. During this session you will be adding a column called ! strategies." Strategies are defined as actions that the agency takes to achieve its visions.

Activities are defined as the steps taken to achieve the strategy.

Be sure to point out the use of the terms “strategies” and “activities” at the bottom of the page.


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II. Review Efforts from Module II (10 minutes) Distribute the 8x11 copy of the chart you created of Exercise 1, Module III that contains all of the large group # s work completed in Module II. Lead the participants in a discussion of the outcomes that were identified in Module II. The step is to ensure that the group knows which outcomes they will be working with during this session. Review Outcomes Identified by the Agency for Their Prioritized Domains: Tell the participants that in Module III you will be adding a column called ! strategies " to the chart that will help us achieve the targeted outcomes. Begin By Dividing Participants into Groups: Your groups should have selected only four domain areas at this time. (This was done in Module II.) For the next activity, you need to divide the large group into 4 small groups. If the large group has selected 4 domains, there will be one small group for each domain. If for some reason, the large group has selected only 2 domains, then you need to have two small groups for each domain, as participants will be more productive working in small groups than in one large group. Facilitator’s Tip: As the facilitator, it will be your job to see that the groups are balanced in numbers and in the kind of roles the participants play for the agency. (For example, be sure that board members are mixed into several groups.) Tell the large group that the membership in the small groups is being mixed on purpose. It is probably easier to speak with agency leadership before the session to assign participants to groups. If that was not possible, then write the domains on a flip chart page, dividing the page into the four domains. Ask participants to volunteer as you write their names under one of the domains. By now you should know the participant # s affiliation or have someone who is very familiar with everyone help you as ! scribe " . If one group seems to be more ! popular, " ask for volunteers to go to another group.


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III. Developing Strategies to Achieve Outcomes - Exercise 1 – (105 minutes $ total)

• Conduct small group work for 25 minutes and report out for 25 minutes. • Take a 10-minute break. • Return to small groups to finalize their strategies for 15 minutes. • In the large group, engage in final discussion about all of the strategies for 30 minutes.

Definitions of Strategies and Activities Say: ! Remember the difference between a strategy and an activity:

-- strategies are defined as actions that the agency takes to achieve its visions. -- activities are defined as the steps taken to achieve the strategy.

For example, an agency may decide to offer employment training to respond to a community need. Offering the employment training is a strategy. Recruiting and enrolling students are activities within that strategy. Working in Small Groups:

Once the small groups have formed by domain, give the participants the final directions for their task. Direct participants to turn to Exercise 1 on page 22. Say: ! In Exercise 1, for each outcome, your goal is to: 1. Identify at least one existing strategy, and 2. Propose at least one new strategy. ! While you can consider efforts your agency is currently using, don’t limit your thinking to current activities. Instead consider a broad array of activities that could involve a range of stakeholders. " ! Try to define more than one strategy wherever you can. Some of these will be service strategies. " ! At least one of these should be an advocacy strategy. "


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Give participants 25 minutes to work on strategies for their outcomes. Ask each group to select a ! reporter " to share what they discuss with the larger group. As the facilitator it is important for you to assist the participants by going around the room and listening in on the discussions of the groups. Operating programs is one kind of strategy with which participants are very familiar. However, participants should also consider such advocacy strategies as community education, volunteer engagement, board member advocacy with elected officials and/or chambers of commerce, partnership development, and/or media awareness. As you interact with the groups while they are working, encourage them to write advocacy strategies by making statements such as ! I see service strategies, but do you have advocacy strategies to go with them?" or ! what are the new strategies you are considering? " Help the small groups flesh out the strategies so they clearly define how they meet the identified need and achieve the identified results. Part of the goal of this exercise is to expand thinking about how the agency can achieve results. Remember that the strategies will be edited in the large group session later in this module, so you want to encourage a broad list during the exercise. Even if the ! new strategies " are dropped later, this exercise is designed to help participants look beyond current perceived limitations and program boundaries.


Module III - Exercise 1 – Developing Strategies To Achieve Outcomes - - - Worksheet

Outcomes the Agency will

work towards


Time Frame Strategies


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Reporting Out From The Small Groups: After 25 minutes of work, ask each group to report out their results. Let participants know that each group will have only five minutes to report out and to receive feedback from the large group. Encourage participants to respond to the work of the small group with suggestions, comments, and questions. In this way, the entire group will be aware of what the small groups are doing and will ensure that one small group isn # t going in a direction that will not be accepted by the entire large group. As they report out, write their ideas on the newsprint charts you created to represent Exercise 1. After the large group discussion, give a 10-minute break. Return To Small Groups To Finalize Strategies: After the break, ask participants to return to their small groups for 15 minutes. Say:

! Now, check your strategies to see if they will achieve the outcomes You identified, using the indicators you named." ! Consider the feedback you were just given in the large group. Also re-consider the National Performance Indicators that are located in Appendix 2 of Module I. "

! Feel free to make changes or edits to your work. " Tell the group they have 15 minutes for this activity. Facilitator Tip: It is possible that the participants will want to include a program or activity that the agency is currently running that does not seem to fit into the strategic areas identified. In that case, post a flip chart page called ! Parking Lot " and write down these programs/activities for later discussion when the participants have finished exploring all of the identified strategy areas.


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You will lead that discussion either at the end of this session as part of the Wrap Up, or at the beginning of Module IV, in the review section. You may wish to discuss this with the Executive Director, as there may be something the agency is doing that does not address any of the outcomes that have been identified as important. The Executive Director may have some expectations from this strategic planning process regarding these activities. When you lead this discussion with participants, ask them to consider how the programs or activities listed in the ! Parking Lot " are related to the list of outcomes prioritized by the agency in the earlier session. Return to the Large Group for Final Discussion of Strategies: In the large group, allow 30 minutes for the final discussion. Ask:

! Does this activity or program act as a subpart of another effort? ! Does it support another effort?"

! If it is outside the priorities identified by the agency, can the agency consider subcontracting it to a partner organization or perhaps eliminating the program or activity? "

Encourage the group to consider if the list of challenges should be revised to accommodate these activities, or if the activities should be modified to fit the prioritized list of challenges. The most important part of this process is for the participants to consider the strategic impact of each activity in achieving the outcomes that demonstrate progress toward solving the problem at hand.


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IV. Who is Responsible? By When? - Exercise 2 (15 minutes) In the same small groups, instruct participants to turn to Exercise 2, on page 23. Direct them to identify a person responsible for the implementation of each of the strategies they selected. If the strategy currently exists, then the current program director is probably the responsible party. If the strategy is new, the group should consider which staff member to suggest. Also instruct participants to indicate the time frame needed for accomplishment of the outcome. This is a different time frame than the one identified in the previous module. That time frame was an indication of how long it would take to accomplish the outcome. In this exercise, they are identifying the time frame for the completion of the strategies, or the progress toward the larger outcome.


Module III -- Exercise 2 - Who is Responsible? By When?

Outcome and Measurable

Indicator

Strategy Person Responsible

By when?


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V. Wrap Up (10 minutes) Stress that the work done in this module is just the preliminary work for these outcomes. Ask participants: ! What can be done before the next session to help you further consider the

strategies identified during this session, before we meet next time? " As in previous modules, review the new work of this session, particularly showing places that programs work together as strategies to achieve outcomes, new strategies suggested, and other program modifications. Provide a brief overview of Module IV. Explain that the next step in our work will be to explore the resources that are available to support these strategies, as well as the challenges that might impede them. After The Session: Be sure to save of the charts that were created throughout this module and the others. They will be needed in the next session.


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Module Four: IDENTIFICATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF

RESOURCES


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MODULE IV IDENTIFICATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF RESOURCES

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Timing of Session ....................................................................................................... 93 Prior to Module IV........................................................................................................ 94 Objectives for Module IV ............................................................................................ 95 Who Should Participate .............................................................................................. 95 Facilitating the Module ............................................................................................... 96 I. Review Efforts from Module III ............................................................................. 96 II What Resources Are Needed - Exercise 1......................................................... 97 III. Resources Needed to Support Strategies—Exercise 2 .................................... 99

Worksheet A – Resource Identification ........................................................ 100

Worksheet B – Graphing Resource Identification ....................................... 103 IV. Review and Reconsider – Exercise 3 ................................................................ 105 V. What Are the Next Steps – Exercise 4 ............................................................... 107 VI. Wrap Up .............................................................................................................. 109


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MODULE IV IDENTIFICATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF RESOURCES

Timing of Session

I. Review Efforts From Module III 10 minutes

II. What Resources Are Needed? -- Exercise 1 15 minutes

III. Resources Needed To Support Strategies -- Exercise 2 70 minutes

Worksheet A 30 minutes

Break 10 minutes

Worksheet B 30 minutes IV. Review and Reconsider -- Exercise 3 25 minutes

V. What Are The Next Steps? -- Exercise 4 20 minutes

VI. Wrap Up 10 minutes

TOTAL: 2 hours, 30 minutes


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MODULE IV – IDENTIFICATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF RESOURCES Prior to Module IV 1. Compile the results of Module III, if that was not done at the end of Module III.

Use the newsprint charts you created to look like Exercise 1 in Module III. Also complete an 8.5 x 11 copy of the handout of Exercise 1 from Module III (below) so that all of the columns are filled in with the work conducted in Module III. Make enough copies of this completed handout for all participants.

Participant Manual – Module III—page 22

Module III - Exercise 1 – Developing Strategies To Achieve Outcomes - - - Worksheet

Outcomes the

Agency will work towards


Time Frame Strategies

You will need the information regarding the Assets and Supports, the Challenges and

Conditions, and the Strategies that the large group created during Module II which was used in Module III. Make sure you have copies of that handout, also, in case participants don # t bring them back.

3. In addition, take a blank 8.5 x 11 copy of Exercise 2: Worksheet B on page 30 of

the Participant # s Manual in Module IV. Write in the outcomes and strategies that were identified in Module III.

Make completed copies of Worksheet B for all participants.

On a poster-sized version of Exercise 2: Worksheet B, also fill in the outcomes and strategies. Also, make multiple copies of Worksheet A. You will need enough copies so that each group has several blank copies. They need one blank sheet for each strategy they have identified.


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4. Working with input from agency leadership, compile a list of existing resources, particularly for existing strategies and activities.

5. The composition of the small groups in this module will be the same as the small

groups in Module III. . Remember to bring a copy of the list of groups in case participants have difficulty remembering their group.

6. Before this session, it is particularly important to be sure to meet with or talk with

agency leadership so that you can prepare together for the last activity, (Exercise 4). During Exercise 4, participants will project the action steps they need to take to move from planning into implementation of their plan.

It is critical that the appropriate leaders in the agency create a model during this

activity by taking on responsibility for specific action steps. In addition, their support is needed to encourage staff to work in a cross-disciplinary fashion on achieving positive outcomes. Take the time with agency leadership to plan their role so that Module IV ends on a strong, positive note.

7. Be sure to bring all of the charts that were created throughout Modules I, II, and

III. They will need to be hung near the end of this work session.

Objectives For Module IV At the end of this module, participants will:

• Identify resources needed to support the strategies and activities identified in Module III, both those that are currently available and those that need to be developed;

• Review the work completed throughout the four modules to take a final look at

the priorities; and • Determine next steps needed for the agency to implement the plan.

Who Should Participate? Ideally the participants for this module will be the same as in Module II and Module III, as this is largely a continuation of those efforts. You may want to also include staff that were not part of the earlier sessions. These may include staff that deliver services, write proposals, and members of the fiscal team.


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FACILITATING THE MODULE I. Review Efforts from Module III (10 minutes) Before you begin, hang all of the newsprint charts back up on the wall so they resemble the chart in Exercise 1 of Module III. Briefly go over the results of the prior work. Provide a short opportunity for participants to discuss and refine that work. Instruct participants to turn to page 25 in Module IV in the Participant Manual. Review the objectives for this module.


MODULE IV $ IDENTIFICATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF RESOURCES Objectives of Module IV At the end of this module, participants will have: • Identified resources needed to support the strategies and activities identified in

Module III, both those that are currently available and those that need to be developed,

• Reviewed the work completed throughout the four modules to take a final look at

the priorities, • Determined next steps needed for the agency to implement the plan. In this module we will be working to identify resources that will be needed to implement the strategies you identified in Module III.


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II. What Resources Are Needed? -- Exercise 1 (15 minutes) You will now introduce the broad concept of resources to be addressed in this module. Ask participants to turn to Exercise 1 on page 26 of Module IV. Ask the group:

! What kinds of resources do you believe are necessary to support the agency # s efforts to implement the strategies identified during Module III !

Instruct participants to write their individual ideas in the box called, ! What Resources Are Needed?" in Exercise 1 on page 26.


Module IV - Exercise 1 – What Resources Are Needed? Think of resources that are needed to implement the strategies that were identified to accomplish the selected outcomes, and list them below:

After a few minutes, ask participants to share their ideas with the large group. Take several responses. After people have shared their ideas, ask them to please turn to Categories of Resources on page 27 in the Participant Manual.


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CATEGORIES OF RESOURCES We have categorized resources for this planning into five areas. How do the resources you identified fit in these categories? Are there additional resources that you want to add to your list? Resources could include: • Financial Resources ! Dedicated and unrestricted funds; property and other assets; as well as program efficiencies that free funds for other uses. • Human Resources ! Staff , board members, or volunteers who possess the knowledge, skills and abilities to conduct the work. • Physical Resources ! Space, furniture, equipment, and technology. • Community Resources ! Partner organizations or potential partner organizations from the faith, non-profit, public and or private sectors, and key champions such as advocates, clients/former clients, elected and other officials and policy makers. • Systemic Resources ! Governance, fiscal and administrative systems, and management information systems. Ask participants:

! Are there resources on this list that we hadn # t considered? " ! Do you want to include them in the discussions we will have for the rest of this session? Why or why not? "

Take a few responses from the large group.


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III. Resources Needed to Support Strategies -- Exercise 2 (30 minutes for small group, a 10-minute break, 30 minutes for sharing results)

Participant Manual – Page 28 Directions for Exercise 2 -- Resources Needed To Support Strategies What resources are needed to implement the specific strategies and activities you have identified? Look back at the outcomes you identified in Module III, and the strategies and activities you identified to achieve each outcome. Consider those you will be implementing and the specific resources that will be needed to be successful in accomplishing the outcome. On Worksheet A, you will identify some of these resources. Include both resources that are available and those that will need to be developed. Note: You will need multiple copies of Worksheet A, as you will need one for each strategy you identified. Then on Worksheet B, you will create a chart of these resources, identifying them as those that are currently available and those that need to be developed. Say: This exercise has two parts. In the last session, you worked in small groups to identify outcomes that your agency will be working to achieve. You also identified strategies that the agency could take to achieve the outcomes. In the first part of the exercise, you will return to the same small groups and will discuss what resources are needed by the agency to implement

the strategies you identified earlier. You will also define the resources that are currently available and those that need to be developed. In the second part of the exercise, we will report back to the large group and complete the master chart, indicating which resources are available and which are needed to be developed for all of the strategies that we have identified. We will create a visual summary of the work.


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Exercise 2: Worksheet A -- Resource Identification (30 minutes) Dividing Participants into Small Groups: Direct participants to form the same small groups who worked together during Module III to identify strategies to achieve the prioritized outcomes. They will now work together in identifying the resources needed to implement the strategies. If there are new participants, assign them to groups as appropriate. Completing Exercise 2: Worksheet A: Point out the blank copy of Exercise 2 $ Worksheet B on page 30 in the Participant Manual. Explain that you have already updated a copy of this exercise to include the outcomes and strategies that the large group identified in Module III. Distribute the copies of Exercise 2 - Worksheet B that you updated before this session Say: ! In your small groups, look at the chart of Worksheet B and find the outcomes and strategies you developed during Module III. " ! Then look at the five resource categories listed on Exercise 2 - Worksheet A on page 29 in your Participant Manual:

• Financial • Human • Physical • Community • Systemic ! Based on the work you completed last time in Module III, discuss the the resources you will need to implement those strategies and successful accomplish those outcomes.. " ! Then, use Exercise 2 $ Worksheet A on page 29 to record both the resources that are currently available and the resources that need to be developed."


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Post a few of the following examples on a piece of newsprint and point them out to the group.

Financial: A: We have two thirds of the money we need.

D. We need to raise the last third of the money. Human: A. We have sufficient staff. D. One staff member needs to become licensed to offer the program. Physical: A. We have a building that we can use for this strategy. D. We need to update our computer systems. Community: A. We have partnerships with agencies that help our clients. D. We need to develop collaborative efforts to address community needs. Systems: A. We have an accounting system that meets our needs and exceeds commonly accepted accounting standards. D. We need to develop a plan/system for collecting and sharing data about our results. Tell the groups they will be given 30 minutes to work on this exercise. Ask each group to select a recorder, a timekeeper, and a reporter. The most important part of this exercise is to get the participants to identify the various kinds of resources they have, and that they need, beyond a simple reliance on fiscal resources. It is NOT important that they identify a given resource as ! physical " or ! system" $ for example, such as computer hardware versus computer systems -- but that they identify a range of kinds of resources. Do not get bogged down on a discussion regarding which kind of resource something might be. Just get the participants to identify as many kind of resources as they can.


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Participant Manual - Page 29

Module IV – Exercise 2 – Worksheet A

Domain:_____________________________________________________________ Outcome:____________________________________________________________ Strategy:___________________________ __________________________________ Resource: (circle) Resources that are available (A): Resources we need to develop (D):

Financial Human Physical Community Systemic

Break After 30 minutes of group work, give the participants a 10-minute break. During the break, be sure to hang on the walls the following materials: • The poster-size version of Exercise 2 -Worksheet B, which you prepared before the session,

and • The completed charts of the work from Module III


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Exercise 2 - Worksheet B – Graphing the Resource Identification (30 minutes)

Reporting Out: When participants return from the break, ask each group to report out. As they report out, you will record their information on the poster-sized version of Worksheet B. (This is the poster you prepared prior to the session.) Explain that on Worksheet B, an A stands for ! available " and a D stands for ! needs to be developed. " As the groups report out, place an A or a D, or both A and D, in the appropriate boxes to show whether the small groups think that the there are Resources already available to support these strategies, or if they think they need to be developed. (As you are writing on the poster-sized version of Worksheet B, participants may also log the same information on the 8.5 x 11 copies they are holding.) This is a time when there might be some discussion about which category a resource should go under. Try to resolve conflicts with minimal discussion, focusing on getting a picture of what is available and what is needed. Facilitate discussion among the large group so that the graphic they create is a representation of the small group work. It should capture: • All of the outcomes and strategies that the agency will be working toward,

and • The small groups’ analysis of the resources available and needed.

© Curriculum developed with funding by the US Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Community Services under the direction of the Community Action Association of Pennsylvania – Sept. 2005

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Module IV – Exercise 2 Worksheet B – Graphing Resource Identification

1. You have looked back at the outcomes you identified in Module III and the strategies you identified to achieve each outcome.

2. In your small groups, you have considered the resources that will be needed to be successful in accomplishing the outcome and discussed both resources that are available and those that will need to be developed.

3. Using Exercise 2 $ Worksheet A $ you have identified those resources. 4. Now, place an ! A," ! D" , or a combination of ! A" and ! D" , in each of the columns below to get a view of all

of the agency work to be accomplished.

Outcome

Strategy

Financial

Human

Physical

Community

Systemic

© Curriculum developed with funding by the US Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Community Services under the direction of the Community Action Association of Pennsylvania – Sept. 2005

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IV. Exercise 3 - Review and Reconsider (25 minutes) After you have completed the resource discussion, you will ask the participants to review their work from all of the modules. They should have their materials in their own manuals, but you will have all of the poster-size charts. (On the break, or while they were engaged in exercises, you should make sure you have all of them hung up in the room.) This is the time you will review all the charts. Walk through the charts, pointing out the process used to complete each step in the planning process. Ask participants to turn to Exercise 3 on page 31 in the Participant Manual. Point out the first question in Exercise 3, ! Are there any changes you would make? " Here are some things you might say to facilitate the participants# considerations. (You may have other things you will need to ask, based on your understanding of the group.) ! Please review the priorities we set during the earlier activities. Consider them in light of the resource discussion we just had."

! Do we need to make any adjustments to our priorities? "

! Do we need to change any time frames? Do we have resources that will help us implement our strategies more quickly? "

! Do we need to reassess our allocation of resources in any way? For example, if we wanted a castle with a moat, and we looked at our resources, can we afford the moat? Or can we look at it another way? "

“Does this chart really capture your vision of your agency’s work in the community?”

! Is your agency being a change agent? ! Does this chart capture the things that you are really known for? Or are we missing something important about your work? " ! Is there something that you think your agency needs to be doing that is not here?"


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! If you have not included emergency services, do you still feel that is the right decision? If the group decides to make any changes, note them on the poster-sized charts in a marker of a different color. Next, explain to participants that the next step will be writing action steps to put the plan into motion. Ask participants to review the second question in Exercise 3: ! Given your current responsibilities, how will you contribute to the strategies or administrative efforts to support the strategies? " Ask: ! Given the priorities, how will you fit in? What will you do? " Instruct participants to take a few minutes to reflect and write down some responses to that question. Then ask participants to share their ideas. Participant Manual – Page 31

Module IV - Exercise 3 – Review and Reconsider Given the resources exercise, please review your priorities from Module One. Are there any changes you would make? Given your current responsibilities, how will YOU contribute to the strategies or administrative efforts to support the strategies?


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V. Exercise 4 - What are the Next Steps? (20 minutes) You will now lead participants in an examination of the ! next steps " that they need to take to finalize their strategic plan and to begin implementing it. This exercise is the final exercise in the Planning for Results Process. Therefore, it is very important that you help the group identify “next steps” and assign both responsibility and time frames for each step. If you don # t get some actually commitment from the group, this plan may become a good doorstop, but they may never move to implementation. Say: ! As part of the strategic planning process, we need to define how we will move into the implementation phase now. We want your strategic plan to be an effective working tool, not a notebook on the shelf. So we need to do the following: Review these points you have posted on a piece of newsprint: 1. Determine action steps for the outcomes – so that you will have clear “next steps” when we leave here today; 2. Identify which individuals are responsible for accomplishing those steps, either independently or as coordinator of a team; and 3. Establish a time frame for the group to accomplish and evaluate these steps. Instruct participants to turn to Exercise 4 on page 32 in the Participant Manual. Explain that participants will work together as a large group to complete the ! next steps " chart in Exercise 4. Ask: ! What are the next steps you need to carry out as an agency? " ! Please think about how who will be responsible for the strategies we have created," or

! who will take the lead in developing the action steps for each outcome " .


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Emphasize that this is really a time for the planning team to think in a holistic and interdisciplinary way. This is not a time to push an individual agenda or the agenda of only one program or agency. Remind participants that they are building a collaborative community agenda, based on the community# s interest and needs. Individual and program agendas make sense if they fit into the collaborative plan. If the group says, ! the executive director is responsible " or ! the planning department is responsible " , your role is to help them think more about how all of the participants can work to help get the process started. This is the time when the ! old habits " will probably resurface and you will find program staff volunteering for the things they already do. If they say, ! That strategy is going to be implemented by XYZ program director, so that person is responsible, " your task is to help them think in a cross-disciplinary manner. Your job is to challenge them to think across programs at the outcome level. Point out there may be multiple program directors who will be contributing strategies to meet the outcomes. Encourage them to include staff from different programs in the “team” that is going to work on developing an action plan to achieve specific outcomes. Invite the agency leaders to speak about how the agency to take this work and carry it forward after this session ends. This is the time when input from agency leadership can make a critical difference in terms of sustaining the energy and commitment that has been building through these four planning sessions. Encourage all participants to take on a role in the planning chart on page 7. Finally, ask the group when they will be meeting again. Direct the participants to all enter this date on the bottom of page 7 in the Participant Manual. As you end the activity, tell them that this chart will be given to the agency leadership for follow-up.


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Module IV - Exercise 4 – What are the Next Steps?

Step Who is responsible? By when?

ENTER THE DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING OF THIS GROUP: __________________________

VI. Wrap Up (5 minutes) Thank everyone for their commitment and their contributions to the planning process. Let them know who will be in charge of the charts they have created together and what will happen to the materials they have generated. Ask agency leadership to provide some closing comments. Follow Up: Arrange with agency leadership for a staff member to type up the ! Next Steps " chart from Exercise 4. After you dismiss the group, discuss the steps outlined in Exercise 4 with the agency leadership. Help them determine how they will follow up to ensure that the action steps are taking place. Assist them in planning how they will inform staff about the progress of the implementation work.

P4R Facilitator Manual

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