Planning for Results

1. Planning for Results National Peer to Peer (NPtP) ROMA Training Project Goal 5 – Agencies improve capacity to Achieve Results

2. The OCS Monitoring and Assessment Task Force in 1994,produced a National Strategic Plan which endorsed a “results-oriented” approach for CAAs. In the Strategic Plan, the MATF identified six national goals, so that all CAAs could talk about their results using one or more of these goals.

3. 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)

4. In 1998, the CSBG Act was amended, mandatingimplementation of a comprehensive performance-based management system, “Results-Oriented Management and Accountability,” or ROMA, across the entire Community Services Network. (Performance reporting, using ROMA, from all partners in the Network began October 1, 2001.)

5. So, we began to focus on results. The focus for the past decade, for many Community Action Agencies, has been on the identification, observation, documentation and reporting of outcome data; rather than just describing and reporting the services delivered. We have been addressing these questions: • What happened to the families we serve and the communities in which we work? • How have our agencies changed?

6. How do we interpret our results? Questions are growing out of the data that we have been collecting, and we are now seeking to link the results that have been identified to family/community needs and to the strategies we employ to meet the needs, such as: • Do our strategies and services address the anti-poverty mission of Community Action? • What do our results mean in context of changing community circumstances? • How many people have actually moved out of poverty (become self sufficient)? • What are the strategies and services that have been most productive in supporting these moves?

7. Looking at agency management quality and effectiveness. These questions point to basic principles of good quality management practices and to using accountability data to improve performance. Do agencies have procedures and practices in place that will enable them to analyze the “results oriented accountability data” that they are now collecting? Do they to embrace all of the elements and activities of the cycle of Results Oriented Management and Accountability?

8. The ROMA Cycle

9. Why ROMA? • Sometimes agencies will talk about their “ROMA report” or about the “ROMA program.” • ROMA is, however, a complete management and accountability process that is focused on the results supported by your agency.

10. Connecting strategies and services to family and community results can be a challenge “I think you should be more explicit here in Step Two.”

11. How do we get more explicit about what we do? How do we decide what to do? PLANNING!

12. Why plan? • The act of “planning” provides an opportunity for an agency or a community to step away from day to day operations and consider a vision of the future. • It helps you identify where you want to be in 3-5 years. • It allow you to consider, in a strategic and comprehensive way, how your agency will address its anti-poverty mission. • It allows you to remain competitive as needs and community environment change. • A well thought out plan will help to unify agency staff (from all programs) and board members around a common vision and common outcome goals.

13. We got the grant! Now we need to figure out what to do with it! A different view: Where do you start your planning activities?

14. STRATEGIC THINKING MODEL The development of strategies must be built on a firm foundation that includes the community outside your agency. What will the community be like if you are successful in your work? Who do you want the community to say you are? How can you develop Stakeholder Involvement? You must be faithful to your mission and to your “corporate identity” as an anti-poverty agent. PROVISION OF SERVICES MODEL Providing services because funding is available can distract you from a more effective selection of services and strategies. Failure to link activities together to form a comprehensive set of services and advocacy strategies may reduce your effectiveness in helping the families with whom you work to move out of poverty. Sometimes there are unintended consequences doing the same services you always have done -- enabling the continuation of poverty. Community Action Agencies are more than service providers.

15. A different view: Where do agencies start their planning process? -- Some begin looking at the services they currently provide. -- Some look at the resources they have, or might be able to attract. We propose that the “results focused” way to do planning is to first articulate the vision for an improved community that is identified in the agency mission – and use that mission to drive the identification of results that the agency wants to achieve. AFTER the results/outcomes are identified, THEN the agency can identify strategies that would enable them to promote those results, and FINALLY they identify the resources (existing and those that need to be developed) that will support their delivery of these strategies.

16. 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. Hierarchy of Planning

17. Consistent with guidance from legislation: We have been charged with identifying community needs (as they relate to the elimination of poverty) and resources, and then creating strategies that use existing resources (and develop new ones) to address needs. (1964 OEO language, 1970 directive, 1998 recertification) And we are responsible to develop a Community Action Plan that indicates what we will do and what we will accomplish. CSBG ACT 1998 - Sec.676(b)(11) -- The State will secure from each eligible entity in the State, as a condition to receipt of funding by the entity 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.

18. More recent guidance from OCS: Specific core activities are identified in Information Memorandum 49 (2001), for Agencies and their Boards: Regular assessments of the Agency’s overall mission, desired impacts and program structure including: • Needs of community and residents, • Relationship of activities supported by Agency to other anti-poverty, community development services in community, • Extent Agency activities contribute to the accomplishment of one or more of the six national ROMA goals; Use of these assessments to identify yearly or multi-annually improvements or results it plans to achieve in the lives of individuals, families, and/or the community.

19. Planning for Results Curriculum • In response to input from the NPtP Advisory Council and Certified ROMA trainers from across the country, CAAP commissioned the development of a guide for CAAs to help them improve their planning processes. • The result is a product that has been piloted in PA, NY and CA. • It consists of four 2.5 hour modules that can be combined in a variety of ways.

20. Planning for Results Modules • Module I - Developing a Community Vision explores a vision for the community and assesses where the community is relative to that vision • Module II - Setting Priorities and Determining Outcomes examines challenges and supports to the agency mission and desired outcomes of community and agency to help with setting priorities and determining.

21. Module III - Developing Strategies examines existing and new strategies for achieving the outcomes aligned with priorities • Module IV - Identification and Development of Resources reviews current and needed resources for implementing strategies

22. In Module I we look at Vision Your agency works in the context of a community, and as such needs to be able to ground its works in the visions of the community. In Module I, we suggest you include community partners and recipients of service as you begin the planning process.

23. In Module II we identify outcomes We begin this module with a review of the agency mission. Once your agency has a clearly articulated vision and mission, it is important to assess the community supports and challenges that will impact on the agency’s plan. It is important to identify outcomes and to identify the agency’s priorities in the early stages of the planning process

24. In Module III we look at strategies Once your agency has done its community assessment, has identified the priorities that you will adopt for the next 3 to 5 years, and has identified the broad outcome areas that you will address, it is time to think in detail about what you will do, what indicators you will be looking to document, and how you will work towards achievement of specific outcomes within the outcome areas.

25. Identifying Strategies – Con’t • Identify strategies and activities which will achieve the outcomes identified • Evaluate current activities relative to their strategic impact on those outcome • Determine which programs should be continued to be supported, altered or dropped • Determine potential new activities and/or strategies

26. Identifying Strategies – Con’t Identify areas to be discussed • Focus on 4 or 5 areas • Select domains that the agency will address • Consider current agency efforts but broaden the discussion to new areas. Consider strategies: Operating programs is one kind of strategy but also consider community education, volunteer engagement, advocacy and partnerships .

27. In Module IV we look at resources. • What is needed to implement the strategy you identified? • There are many different types of resources. What resources do you have? What partnerships can assist? • What resources are needed to be developed? How will you face this challenge?