Community Planning 101

Disability Preparedness Summit

Nebraska Volunteer Service Commission

Laurie Barger Sutter

November 5, 2007

Assessment and Planning

In order for an initiative to be successful, it is important that it be based on objective information and comprehensive, evidence-based planning.

Planning Logic Model

AssessmentProblem Identification & Target Population

GoalsObjectivesOutcomes

Strategies & ActivitiesImplementation Plan

Evaluation Plan

Step 1: Assessment

A structured method used to collect and analyze data in order to obtain actionable information.

Assessment

Collects information about:

– Contextual Conditions– Needs– Resources– Capacity– Readiness

Contextual Conditions

Contextual conditions describe local conditions, and to help explain why things are the way they are.

Contextual Conditions

Examples:– History– Norms– Economy – Geography– Boundaries– Demographics– Politics

– Policies– Issues around planning– Community

infrastructure/workforce– Resources

Needs Assessment

A needs assessment:– collects information about the state or extent of an

existing or potential problem, and – assesses the underlying conditions and attributes

that may contribute to the problem

T-3.17

Key Types of Data

Demographic and social indicator data provide descriptive information about

populations within the community.

Demographic & Social Indicator Data

Demographic:– Race/ethnicity– Age– Gender– Family composition

Social Indicator:– Additional characteristics that allow groups to be subdivided for analytical purposes

(e.g., income, religious affiliation, education)

Key Data Collection Methods

Surveys and archival data can be used to collect different types of information.

Archival data are records from agencies and organizations at the local, county and state levels

(e.g., U.S. Census, courts, schools, social services).

Resource Assessment

Resource assessment helps to identify and maximize the use of community resources.

Resources can include:– Services that currently exist in your community.

– Resources (human, financial, in-kind) that are available to help you develop and implement your initiative.

Capacity Assessment

Capacity assessment measures:

– Leadership - the ability of the initiative to develop, communicate and carry out a vision for the common good based on mutual trust and respect, and collaborative, inclusive and effective methods;

– Capacity - the combination of knowledge, experience and ability that increases an initiative’s ability to solve problems and implement change; and

– Use of Effective Processes - a series of evidence-based practices or actions performed to achieve a given purpose.

Readiness Assessment

Readiness is the degree to which a community is prepared to plan for and

take action on an issue.

Step 2: Problem Statement

People engage in planning efforts in order to try to solve or prevent problems.

A problem statement is a brief description of the most important issues that compromise

the health and well-being of the people living in your community, which your

initiative will address.

The “LACK” Trap

It is easy to fall into the trap of describing the problem you want to solve as a lack of

certain activities.

Instead, you should phrase your problem statement in terms of what currently exists

that is a problem and needs to change.

Step 2: Target Population

Describe who is affected by the problem you are trying to solve or prevent.

Decide who you need target in order to have the greatest impact on those affected by the

existing or potential problem.

Target Population

Target population can be:– Individuals – Groups of individuals connected by relationships

or characteristics (families; an organization)– Groups of individuals connected by a

geographically related area (community or block)

Step 4: Goals

Goals are general statements of the major accomplishments you intend to achieve.

They describe, in broad terms, the kinds of changes you want to see in order to solve or prevent the problems you have identified.

Goals

It is best to limit the number of planning goals to three or fewer.

If you find you have many more than three goals, it is probably a sign that you are trying

to do too much.

Step 5: Objectives

Objectives are specific statements that describe the changes in conditions and/or

personal attributes that have to occur in order to achieve your goals.

Step 6: Outcomes

Outcomes are tangible accomplishments that demonstrate that progress is being made.

Outcomes should be:– Specific– Measurable – Achievable– Realistic – Time-limited

Outcomes

Outcomes may also be: – Immediate: a change in knowledge, skills,

abilities or attitudes due to an activity or strategy;– Intermediate: a change in underlying conditions;

and – Long-term: a change in behavior that prevents or

reduces the problem(s).

Step 7: Strategies

A strategy is a broadly stated course of action, based on causal theory, that is

selected in order to achieve goals.

Strategies may include policies, practices and programs.

Policies, Practices and Programs

Policies: rules, regulations, standards or laws.

Practices: standard activities that are based on

policy.

Programs: structured interventions that are designed to change individual attributes, or social, physical, fiscal or policy conditions within a defined geographic area or for a defined population.

Strategy Selection Considerations

• Identified problem

• Priority underlying or contextual conditions

• Community readiness

• Resources

• Target population

• Comprehensiveness

• Evaluability

• Sustainability

Strategy Selection

Keep in mind that some strategies can help you to achieve more than one desired

outcome.

Step 8: Activities

Activities are the specific actions that are implemented as part of an overall strategy.

Step 9: Outcome Indicators

Outcome indicators are benchmarks that indicate that you are on the road to

achieving your outcomes.

Step 10: Outputs

Outputs are the quantifiable measures of an activity.

Step 11: Implementation Plan

An implementation plan is critical because it lays out the series of activities - in

chronological order - that need to take place in order for your initiative to proceed,

and identifies roles, responsibilities and specific benchmarks for the

implementation process.

Step 12: Process Indicators

Process indicators put your implementation plan into specific,

measurable terms that can monitor how well your initiative is operating.

Step 13: Evaluation Planning

It’s important to plan how you will monitor progress toward achieving your outcomes, so

you can make timely corrections or modifications as needed.

Mobilization

Stakeholders

Collaborators

Opinion Leaders

Allies

Step 3: Mobilization

In order for an initiative to be successful and sustainable, it is also important that it have a

broad base of support.

When a problem extends beyond the boundaries of a single organization and involves others, solutions require activity

across — and on the edge of —the organizational boundaries.

- L.K. Bradshaw

Boundary Spanning

Stakeholders

Stakeholders are those who will be involved in, affected by, interested in, or

have power over your effort in one way or another.

If you take their perspective into consideration as you begin the

prevention planning process, you are more likely to develop a successful

initiative.

Collaborators

Those stakeholders who will actively work with you to help develop and implement your prevention plan.

Collaborators

It is important to know:• Who your collaborators are• What their role can be throughout the planning

and implementation processes• Why they would want to participate• Their level of commitment to planning and

implementation

Opinion leaders are people who are influential in your community.

Opinion Leaders

Lazarsfeld’s Two-Step Flow Theory

Opinion Leaders are more persuasive in impacting public opinion through

interpersonal means than any mass communication medium.

Allies

Those collaborators and key stakeholders who will actively

work with you, or who will champion your cause.

Mobilization Tool

Allies Matrix

(Adapted from a worksheet included in “Fighting Back on Budget Cuts: A Toolkit,” a product of the Praxis Project of the Tobacco Technical

Assistance Consortium)