Provisionally Approved 4/25/02

STRATEGY AND PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT I & II

Level III

RATIONALE:  Every community or organization is faced with a number of problems and opportunities.  These problems and their potential solutions may seem to be inter-related or in conflict with one another.  Planning is a method by which communities and organizations can address and solve problems in an organized and comprehensive way.  A community planner needs to have the ability to assist in putting together plans that address the different aspects of problems that need to be solved.

This involves:  (1) being able to assist communities and organizations to set long-range goals that reflect needs and values; (2) being able to assist in translating these goals into strategies, or programmatic alternatives (taking into account existing and potential resources that can be made available); (3) being able to evaluate and recommend from among the different options in terms of their feasibility, implications, and effectiveness in achieving the goals.

The implementation of a plan involves selecting one or more of the strategies outlined in the plan and proposing ways to carry out those strategies.  In some cases, the implementation process requires preparing a grant proposal for outside funding.  In other cases, it involves developing an action plan for mobilizing a constituency, building an organization, enacting new policies, undertaking a development project, or redirecting human and financial resources.  A competent planner must be able to facilitate both the broad comprehensive planning process and detailed implementation planning.

COMPETENCY:  Can develop a plan addressing a problem or set of problems faced by a community or organization and develop a proposal to implement specific aspects of the plan.

CRITERIA:

1.      Identify a community or recognized organization.

2.      Identify and describe a problem or set of problems facing the community or organization.

3.      Identify a client group to work with in addressing the problems.

4.      Develop a set of goals which address the problem(s) and which reflect community/organization needs, priorities, and values.

5.      Formulate alternative strategies for meeting the goals.

6.      Select a strategy or set of strategies from among the alternatives.

7.      Develop a proposal to implement the selected strategies.

Portfolio Links:  You are expected to use the Level III Communications Portfolio writing standards as guidelines for the essays required by this competency.  At a minimum, writing should demonstrate Level II Communications Portfolio standards.

STANDARDS:

1.      For Criterion 1, the selected community or organization and problem must be approved by the evaluator.

2.      For Criterion 2, the description of the problem(s) must document and explain its (their) scope, origins, and causes.

3.      For Criterion 3, if the plan is for a community, the client should be a formal or informal group serving the community.  If the plan is for an organization, the client should be the organization itself or an identifiable committee or part of the organization.

4.      For Criterion 4, the choice of goals must be explained in terms of the decision-making processes used to reach them.  Who are the participants in that process and how were the goals reached?  The goals should be developed in active interaction with the client group.

5.      For Criterion 5, alternative strategies must relate back to the stated goals.

6.      For Criterion 6, the basis on which strategies are chosen, discarded, or ranked in importance must be clearly specified.  It should address such criteria as effectiveness, efficiency, feasibility, equity, and secondary results.

7.      For Criterion 7, the implementation proposal must be either:  (a) a grant proposal or (b) an action plan.

a.        If the implementation plan is a grant proposal, it must include all of the following elements:

• Needs assessment/problem statement that defines the major needs/problem(s) the proposal is designed to address;
• Goals and objectives to be accomplished;
• Methods sections, describing how the organization/agency plans to accomplish the objectives;
• Description of the capability of the organization/agency to implement the proposed program;
• Discussion of criteria for evaluating the program;
• Budget section detailing the categories, purposes, and amounts of funds requested;
• Timelines allocating tasks specific to each objective; and
• Outline of appropriate appendices (such as letters of support, financial statements, treatment of human subjects documentation, tax exemption letters, appropriate legal documentation).

b.      If the implementation proposal is an action plan it must include all of the following elements for each selected strategy:

• Major actions (about 4-10 per strategy) in logical order;
• Specific tasks required for carrying out each major action;
• Approximate financial and/or people resources needed to carry out the strategy effectively;
• Coordination among various people, groups, components;
• Timetable for the tasks, showing the sequence and duration and the interconnection among tasks;
• Major barriers or difficulties likely to be encountered in implementing the strategy and how they will be addressed; and
• Measures and procedures to be used to evaluate success.
  

EXAMPLES of DEMONSTRATION:

1.      Prior Learning:  Based on your prior experience as a member of the planning team of a multi-service agency, you submit the agency’s comprehensive plan along with summary of the planning process, explanation of your role, and a letter verifying your role.  You submit a copy of a funding proposal you prepared for implementing one of the programs proposed in the plan, along with evidence that you wrote the proposal.

2.      Workshop/Independent Learning:  As part of a Community Planning Workshop, you utilize your participation on your town’s Finance Committee to prepare a comprehensive fiscal plan to deal with declining revenues.  You participate in setting goals and developing strategies for streamlining and prioritizing town services, and for increasing revenues by possibly expanding the tax base, generating new non-tax revenues, and/or increasing taxes.  Working with your Committee, you prioritize the strategies and develop action plans for implementing two of the high-priority strategies.

3.      Field Project:  In a field project, you participate in preparing a comprehensive plan for a low-income community, identifying the range of social, economic, housing, environmental, and political problems confronting the community.  You participate in meetings with the community group to help the group define and formulate its long-range goals for community development.  With several other students you prepare a comprehensive list of strategies for addressing the problems and goals in one area, such as housing, income and employment, or political power.  You work with the community group to select priority strategies.  You prepare action plans for implementing two of the high priority strategies or a funding proposal to obtain grant funding for one of the programmatic strategies.