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Strategic Planning for Community Action Agencies in Light of ROMA, Organizational Standards, and
CSBG Reauthorization
New Mexico Association of Community Partners and UNM Continuing Education
Lessons from Poverty: Communities Working Together
June 5, 2014
Presented by:
Denise Harlow, CCAP, NCRT Community Action Partnership
1140 Connecticut Ave, NW, Suite 1210 Washington, DC 20036
“Leadership is the capacity
to translate vision into reality.”
— Warren Bennis
Strategic Planning-Agenda
• Why Do We Plan
• Strategic Planning and ROMA
• Strategic Planning and Organizational Standards
• Strategic Planning and CSBG Reauthorization
• Activities and Process
Why do We Engage in Strategic Planning?
Strategic Planning
• Agency-wide
• Board-led, staff engaged
• Uses a wide variety of data collected, including data collected as part of the Community Assessment process and analysis of prior plan’s accomplishments/misses
• Core component of the ROMA Cycle
• No one right way to do strategic planning
Importance of Strategic Planning
• Anticipate and head off challenges
• Unify people and strategies
• Mobilize and/or focus resources
• Support decision-making
• Identify and support new leadership
• Strengthen existing leadership
• Set context for accountability
• Generate energy and confidence
Planning Cannot…. • Fill a leadership void
• Fix bad staff or board behavior
• Make money appear
• Mobilize or empower people who are not included
• Build on unacknowledged strengths
• Improve unacknowledged areas of weakness
Types of Planning • Strategic Planning: Provides Guidance in fulfilling a mission
with maximum efficiency and impact – Goals, Action Steps, Resources, 3-5 years
• Operating Plan: Coordinated set f tasks for carrying out the goals delineated in the strategic plan – Time frames, roles, 1 year
• Business Plan: Focused on the actions and investment necessary to generate income from a specific program or service – Product, Competitive Environment, Revenue Assumptions
• Case Statement: Geared toward marketing and fundraising rather than planning – Goals, Cabilities, Strenthgts, and Benefits it provides
Source: TCC Group Briefing Paper: Ten Keys to Successful Strategic Planning for Nonprofit and Foundation Leaders
“Building around mission and long-term goals is the only way to integrate shorter-term interests. Then
management can always ask, ‘Is an objective lading us toward our basic long-range goal, or is it going to
sidetrack us, divert us, make us lose sight of our aims?’ St. Augustine said, ‘One prays for miracles but works for results.’ Your plan leads you to work
for results. It converts intentions into action”
— Peter Drucker
ROMA Planning Cycle
ROMA Activities Start at the base of the pyramid.
Design & develop services and activities based on the identified outcomes to be achieved, priorities established and resources.
Identify outcomes and indicators that align with the agency priorities and community assessment.
Develop priorities to address needs -- based on mission and vision.
Identify needs and resources of the
community.
Outcomes
& Indicators
Services
& Activities
Agency Priorities
Community Assessment
Incorporating the Six National Goals
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)
Incorporating the Six National Goals
• Some CAAs use the Six National Goals as their broad strategic goals
• Some have the plan roll up into to the six goals operationally but not directly as part of their plan
• Some key into Family, Agency, and Community as the overlay for their plan
• No one right way to do it, but good to have the Six National Goals considered
CAA Boards (IM 82)
• Sections 676B of the Community Services Block Grant Reauthorization Act of 1998 requires that, as a condition of designation, private nonprofit entities and public organizations administer their CSBG program through tripartite boards that “fully participate in the development, planning, implementation, and evaluation of the program to serve low-income communities.”
14
CSBG Organizational Standards and CSBG Reauthorization
• Will require each CAA to move formally to having a strategic plan
• Will push CAAs to engage boards in this effort
Organizational Standards Vision and Direction Strategic Planning
Standard 6.1 • private
The Organization has an agency-wide Strategic Plan in place that has been approved by the governing board within the past 5 years.
Standard 6.2 • private
The approved Strategic Plan addresses reduction of poverty, revitalization of low-income communities, and/or empowerment of people with low incomes to become more self-sufficient.
Organizational Standards Vision and Direction Strategic Planning
Standard 6.3 • private
The approved Strategic Plan contains Family, Agency, and/or Community goals.
Standard 6.4 • private
Customer satisfaction data and customer input, collected as part of the Community Assessment, is included in the strategic planning process.
Standard 6.5 • private
The governing board has received an update(s) on meeting the goals of the Strategic Plan within the past 12 months.
Organizational Standards Other Related Areas
Standard 4.1 • private The governing board has reviewed the Organization’s mission statement within the past 5 years and assured that: 1. The mission addresses poverty; and 2. The Organization’s programs and services are in alignment with the mission. Standard 4.3 • private The Organization’s Community Action Plan and Strategic Plan document the continuous use of the full ROMA cycle or comparable system (assessment, planning, implementation, achievement of results, and evaluation). In addition, the Organization documents having used the services of a ROMA-certified trainer (or equivalent) to assist in implementation.
Incorporating the Organizational Standards
• Opportunity for work plans to address areas that may need to be expanded
• Opportunity to provide board and staff the chance to analyze each area in relation to the future direction of the CAA
HR 3854 and Strategic Planning • CSBG Reauthorization Bill – Sec. 673 Definitions • Community Action Strategic Plan: The term ‘community
action strategic plan’ means a plan that is adopted as the policy of an eligible entity and that – (A) Establishes goals for a period of not less than 4 years that are
based on meeting needs identified by the entity in consultation with the residents of the community through a process of comprehensive community needs assessment;
– (B) Provides detail on how all activities of an eligible entity under this subtitle will contribute to meeting such goals including, but not limited to how such entitle will use funding received under this subtitle to reduce though impact of the causes of poverty in the community; and
– (C) Specifies how such activities will be managed, funded and measured b the performance measurement system of such entity
HR 3854 Boards and Strategic Planning
• Sec. 681. Operations and Duties of the Board: The duties of the board described in in paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (b) shall include…..
– (4) participating in each comprehensive community needs assessment, developing an adopting as a policy for the corresponding eligible entity a community action strategic plan, including provision for the use of funds under this subtitle, and preparing the community action program plan for the use of funds under this subtitle.
Are Your Ready to Plan?
• Board Commitment?
• Executive Director on board with the project and currently has time to commit?
• Strong Committee Chair identified?
• Budget Developed? – Human Resources and Financial Needs
• Do you know why NOW is the time? – Incoming Standards cannot be the only reason if
this is to be useful to your CAA
Typical Process • Planning Committee
– Take lead planning role – ED and Board Members, other Key Staff – Consultant/No Consultant – Establish planning process – Develop/Approve/Implement Data Collection Tools – Set Agenda for the Retreat
• Board and Staff Surveys • Community Key Informant Interviews • Board and Key Staff Retreat • Planning Committee Develops Reviews Retreat Outcomes and
Develops Draft Plan • Board Adopts Plan • Committee/Staff report on plan’s progress quarterly for life of
the plan
Data Collection: Surveys
• Customers – Focus Groups may be an option
• Board
• Key Staff
• Front Line Staff
• Community Members
• Key Partners
• Funders
Data Collection: Key Informant Interviews and Focus Groups
• Funders
• Community-Based Organizations
• State CSBG Office
• Elected Officials
• Neighborhood Groups
• Schools
Data Collection: Matrix Map
• Look at programs by their dual bottom line:
– Mission and Financial
• Do you know which program areas have a financial benefit and those which loose the agency money?
• Do you know which programs have a large mission impact and those that are less impactful?
A Duel Bottom Line: Mission Impact and Financial Return
High Mission Impact
Low Profitability
High Mission Impact
High Profitability
Low Mission Impact
Low Profitability
Low Mission Impact
High Profitability
From: Nonprofit Sustainability: Making Strategic Decisions for Financial Viability (2010)
Sustainability
• Nonprofit Sustainability: Making Strategic Decisions for Financial Viability (2010)
– Jeanne Bell, Jan Masaoka, Steve Zimmerman
– Fiscal Oversight combined with programmatic oversight
– www.josseybass.com
Matrix Map Analysis Decision Making The Sustainable
Nonprofit Business Model
Activity: Board/Key Staff Retreat (Sample Topics)
• Mission, Vision, Values – Mission – Vision (Organization/Community) – Values
• Analysis of Current Environment – SWOT Analysis – Review the Community Assessment – Review Customer Satisfaction data – Review Data Collection Results
Strengths Weaknesses
Opportunities Threats
SWOT
Board/Key Staff Retreat (cont’d) • Set Strategic Directions/Goal Statements (Family, Agency and Community)
– A. Programs, Services, and Activities – B. Communications and Marketing – C. Partnerships/Collaborations – D. Governance – E. Facilities – F. Fund Development – G. Human Resources – H. Information Systems and Technology, etc.
• Begin to flesh out goals and activities that need to be done over the next
2-3 years to move the organization in each strategic direction
• Next Steps-Charge to the Committee – Time Frames – Expectations of Detail needed back to the full board – Additional Data to be reviewed
Role of the Committee Post-Retreat
• Keep the process moving • Gather additional information as needed • Wordsmith the results of the board/staff retreat • Frame the report/plan • Develop milestones, timelines and accountability structure
– Some map out work over a 1-2 year period
• Work with Staff and Board Finance Committee to determine budget impact of plan
• Present draft report to the board – Ensure connects to Community Assessment – Family, Agency and Community
• Meet regularly and report to the board quarterly (at least annually) on progress of meeting the plan’s goals/work plan
Potential Pitfalls • Unclear or unassigned leadership roles • Disengaged board • Inconsistent follow-through • Decision-avoidance • Lack of a willingness to change • Budget decisions get delayed, and delayed, and
delayed…. • Unclear expectations of staff and board members • Time frame keeps extending…the never ending
strategic plan…. • It gets done and sits on a shelf gathering dust
When the CAA Decides Now is the Time…
• Get committee and chair established
• Set a defined time frame in which to complete the project
• Decide if bringing in a consultant and if so, get them involved early
• Committee start data collection process
• Schedule board/staff retreat and have it held sacred on people’s calendars
• Refresh memory of previous plan and Community Assessment
CSBG T/TA Resource Center
• www.csbgtta.org
• Many more toolkits, webinars, and print resources
• Consultant Bank
• Training Calendar
• Discussion Forum
• Shared Calendar
• Individual registrations for Board and Staff
Community Action Partnership Annual Convention
Special Pre-Con Day for Executive Directors and
Emerging Leaders August 19th Noon - 4:00!
Contacts
Denise Harlow, CCAP, NCRT
202-595-0660
This publication was created by the National Association of Community Action Agencies – Community Action Partnership, in the performance of the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Services Grant Number 90EQ0231 and 90ET0428. Any opinion, findings, and
conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.
