Creating an Action Plan
Jennifer Woodward, MD, MPH
Kansas Health Institute
"People don't plan to fail.
Instead they fail to plan."
 Objectives
 Review CHIP framework
 Describe action plans
 Outline components of an action plan
 Review sample action plans
CHA
Describe health status of community
• Priority setting exercise  priority areas
CHIP
O
V
E
R
V
I
E
W
• Investigate root causes of the problem
• Set goals for each priority area
• Write SMART objectives for each goal
• Choose evidence-based intervention
strategies that address the root cause of
priority area
• Develop action plan to assign tasks to
members and ensure timely completion
• Implementation, evaluation, adjustments
Strategic Plans
What is an action plan?
 Detailed work plan that guides the
implementation of the CHIP
 Gets people organized and adds
structure to the details needed to get
things done
 Early organization and structure can
save time, energy, and resources
Functions of an action plan
 Helps us think through why we are
doing things instead of just jumping in
 Provides framework to a complex
project with multiple moving parts
 Clarifies responsibilities
Action Plan Benefits
 A comprehensive action plan can
have positive side effects
 Maximizes probability of a successful
CHIP
 Can help justify funding requests
 Adds credibility to your CHIP process
 Contributes to transparency
Components of an action plan
 Associated goal, objective, and intervention
strategy
 Planned activities
 Individual/organization responsible for each activity
 Timeline for each activity
 Resource needs
 Status report and results of actions taken,
monitoring system
Three Cs of action plans
 Complete
 List all action steps or changes to be sought
in all relevant parts of the community
(health department, schools, government)
 Clear
 Make sure everyone knows who will do
what by when
 Current
 Update and re-update
PHAB Requirements
 “The tracking process must specify the
strategies being used, the responsible
partners involved, and the status of the
effort or results of the actions taken.
 Documentation could be, for example, a
narrative, table, spread sheet, or a
combination. This may look like a work
plan that includes the status of the
implementation of the work plan.”
Process measures
 Answers the question: are we doing what we said
we were going to do in our action plan?
 Evidence of whether or not the activities in the
action plan were carried out
 Completed action steps can be listed as process
measures
 Example
 Action step: Plan meeting with school board
 Process measure: Meeting planned for 7/28/14
Pre-plan considerations
 What are the existing resources, assets,
and strengths for this work?
 Who is already engaged in this work?
What are they doing? Can we partner?
 Who else needs to be engaged in this
work?
 What are the barriers and how can they
be overcome?
Pre-plan considerations
 More work on understanding the
problem may be necessary
 Good time to think about why you
have chosen this particular strategy
 What is it about your CHA, root cause
analysis, additional investigation that
makes you sure completion of these
action steps will lead to change?
Immunization example
 Due to low immunization rates in your county which is reflected in
your CHA data, you have chosen immunizations as a priority area
 Goal: Increase immunization rates in your community
 Objective #1: Increase the percentage of kindergarten age
children immunized to the HP2020 goal of 95% by 2017
 Outcome measure: 95% of kindergarten age children will be
appropriately immunized by 2017 [school immunization survey data]
 Intervention strategy: Develop/promote an educational campaign
to increase awareness about immunizations in the community
 Before developing action steps and getting started on the work,
cycle back to think about why you know an educational campaign
is going to increase immunization rates in your community
Example #1
 Priority area: Decrease obesity
 Goal: Increase consumption of healthy foods by County
residents
 Objective: Increase the percent of children and teens
(ages 2-17) who consume five or more servings of fruits
and vegetables daily to 22% by 2017
 Outcome measures: measures of F/V intake, # of schools
with healthy vending policy, healthy vending sales,
decrease % of children consuming sugary beverages
 Intervention strategy #1: Healthy vending machines -
work with school board to create and implement healthy
vending policy
Worksheet #9
Goal: Increase consumption of healthy foods by County residents
Objective: Increase the percent of children and teens who consume
5+ servings of fruits and vegetables daily to 22% by 2017
Intervention strategy: Healthy vending machines - work with
school board to create and implement healthy vending policy
Action steps
Target
date
Lead person/
organization
Resources
needed
Potential
partners
Process
measure /
progress
notes
Goal: Increase consumption of healthy foods by County residents
Objective: Increase the percent of children and teens who consume 5+
servings of fruits and vegetables daily to 22% by 2017
Intervention strategy: Healthy vending machines - work with school
board to create and implement healthy vending policy
Action steps
1. Research model
policies
2. Adapt policy for
our community
3. Peer review and
corrections
Target
date
Lead person/
organization
Resources
needed
Potential
partners
Process
measure /
progress notes
Goal: Increase consumption of healthy foods by County residents
Objective: Increase the percent of children and teens who consume 5+
servings of fruits and vegetables daily to 22% by 2017
Intervention strategy: Healthy vending machines - work with school
board to create and implement healthy vending policy
Action steps
Target
date
1. Research model
April-14
policies
Lead person/
organization
Resources
needed
Potential
partners
County
Commission
20 hours
staff time
KHI
Written summary
completed
County
Commission,
KHI, KDHE
Draft policy
created
KHI
Policy finalized
LHD
2. Write policy
adapted to our
community
Jun-14
3. Peer review and
corrections
Jul-14
Process
measure /
progress notes
Communications 10 hours of
staff
staff time
LHD staff
5 hours
staff time
Example #2
 Priority area: Address needs of elderly in county
 Goal #1: Reduce preventable injuries to elderly adults
 Objective #1: Reduce the number of fall-related injuries to
elderly residents of county by 20% by 2016
 Outcome measure: Number of ED visits due to
preventable fall-related injury to elderly residents
decreases from approx. 425/year to 340/year (20%
decrease) by 2016 [ED data]
 Intervention strategy #1: Develop educational campaign to
bring awareness to issue of elderly falls in the community
 Intervention strategy #2: Provide CDC’s STEADI (Stopping
Elderly Accidents and Injuries) toolkit to health care
Worksheet #9
Goal: Reduce preventable injuries to elderly adults in county
Reduce the number of fall-related injuries to elderly residents of
county by 20% by 2016
Intervention strategy: Provide CDC’s STEADI (Stopping Elderly
Accidents and Injuries) toolkit to health care providers in county
and offer education for its use
Action steps
Target
date
Lead person/
organization
Resources
needed
Potential
partners
Process
measure /
progress
notes
Goal: Reduce preventable injuries to elderly adults in county
Objective: Reduce the number of fall-related injuries to elderly residents of county by 20% by 2016
Intervention strategy: Provide CDC’s STEADI (Stopping Elderly Accidents and Injuries) toolkit to
health care providers in county and offer education for its use
Action steps
1. Obtain list of all
clinical providers
serving elderly
adults in county
2. Order CDC
STEADI materials
3. Contact providers
to announce
materials and offer
training
4. Complete provider
training sessions
Target
date
Lead person/
organization
Resources
needed
Potential
partners
Process measure
/ progress notes
Goal: Reduce preventable injuries to elderly adults in county
Objective: Reduce the number of fall-related injuries to elderly residents of county by 20% by 2016
Intervention strategy: Provide CDC’s STEADI (Stopping Elderly Accidents and Injuries) toolkit to
health care providers in county and offer education for its use
Target
date
Lead person/
organization
Resources
needed
Potential
partners
Process measure
/ progress notes
1. Obtain list of all
clinical providers
serving elderly
adults in county
7/1/14
Senior Citizen
Center
In kind staff
time
KAFP, KUMC
geriatric
society
List created
2. Order CDC
STEADI materials
8/1/14
Health
department
Free
N/A
Materials arrived
3. Contact providers
to announce
materials and offer
training
9/1/14
KAFP
In kind staff
time
Senior Citizen
Center
Providers
contacted
3/1/15
KUMC
geriatric
society
$50/class for
materials/
snacks
KAFP
Trainings
completed
Action steps
4. Complete provider
training sessions
Tips to ensure action
 Make sure individuals responsible for
action items in the plan are involved in its
creation
 Identify a responsible organization for each
action item
 Everyone with an assigned task receives a
copy of the action plan with his/her role is
clearly defined
Tips to ensure action
 CHIP leaders regularly make friendly, supportive
contact to check in
 Add reports on accomplishments to meeting
agendas
 Acknowledge and commend those who
complete activities
 Think about adding things that have the potential
for quick, highly visible results
 Ongoing monitoring, evaluation, and
adjustments
Conclusion
 Action plans are detailed work plans that guide the
most important part of the CHIP process –
implementation
 Organization early can save resources and
maximize the possibility of success
 Be specific
 Communicate with members, celebrate
accomplishments
 Adapt action plan as needed
References
 Information adapted from several sources:
 Connecticut Department of Public Health: Guide and
Template for Comprehensive Health Improvement
Planning
 KU Community Toolbox: Developing an Action Plan
 Beginning with the End in Mind: Supporting the
Development of Health Improvement Plans Designed for
Action. IPHI, MPHI – available on NACCHO website