PLANNING PRACTICE
Greenville, South Carolina, Laurie Rovin
Development of Greenville County Child Care Initiative Strategic Plan
• Began in 1999 with a concern regarding the quality of child care.
• 23 recommendations were made indicating that child care quality was poor.
• Feedback was collected from community stakeholders, the recommendations
were revised, and a strategic planning document was drafted.
• The community needed to work to get along, coordinate and share resources.
• A report card was developed illustrating progress made in the area of child care.
• Obstacles have included changes in personnel, dealing with personalities, and
funding.
• Greenville has a large urban, suburban and rural geographic area with a
population of 400,000 and a school district of 67,000.
Positive Parenting DuPage, DuPage County, Illinois, Jeanna Capito
• The community was the catalyst for the creation of Positive Parenting DuPage.
• Four-month planning process that included representatives from the health
system, school districts, social services, etc.
• Existing programs were evaluated for effectiveness as part of the planning
process.
• Specific design principles were included: evaluation, focus on birth through three,
and mosaic of services for all families (regardless of socio-economic status).
• Positive Parenting DuPage does not provide direct service but serves in the role of
building infrastructure and supports.
Deanna Gomby
Early Childhood System Document
• Early Childhood Systems
• Strategic Planning for Non-profits
• Strategic Planning for Systems
• Components of strategic planning
o Budget and finance
o Planning for implementation (timeline for phase-in, training, TA)
• Pre-planning
o Conversations that need to be held; individuals that need to be involved in
one-on-one conversations
o Cost (how much will be spent on planning process)
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Timeline for planning
Scope of planning (length of time period for implementation of plans)
Structure of the process (use of consultant vs. in-house planning)
Data collection
Who should be involved
Planning
o Structure and content of meetings
Writing the document
o Purpose (how will the document be used)
o Audience (tailoring documents to audiences)
o How to tell the story: striking a balance between poetry and information
o Time for review and revision
Questions
• What is needed to be successful?
o All partners must be at the table.
o There must be a commitment to the cause.
o Individuals must put personal agendas aside.
o Data must be accurate.
o Incorporate business planning into strategic planning.
o Roles must be defined.
o Identify the gaps and funds needed.
o A good facilitator is critical.
o A commitment to meeting a timeline.
o Ground rules must be developed.
o Develop a clear targeted measurable vision.
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What changes are necessary?
o Give up turf issues.
o Allow “payment” to parents for participation in the process.
o Provide funds for planning and infrastructure.
o Accept and welcome new partners.
o Build in incentives for planning, development of coordinated system, and
outcomes.
o Include evaluation from the beginning.
o Create an effective and efficient process.
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What are the obstacles or barriers to moving forward?
o Lack of data (not collected, not accessible).
o Lack of time.
o Lack of funds for evaluation.
o Individuals who hold on to turf issues.
o Planning is not valued.
o Individuals who are tired of strategic plans being developed and gathering
dust on a shelf.
o Lack of shared ownership.
o Need to identify an “owner/leader”.
Action Priorities
• Local
o Establish a state level cabinet office dedicated to early childhood
education that has local county level planning bodies attached.
o Reach consensus with a valid, measurable goal. Decision-makers need to
make tough decisions.
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State
o Establish a state level cabinet office dedicated to early childhood
education that has local county level planning bodies attached.
o Provide dedicated training and professional development funding for
agency directors.
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Federal
o Provide communities with dedicated birth to three funding for services.
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Multiple
o Philosophy of funding in RFPs that includes:
• Pre-planning, planning and implementation over multiple years;
• Collaborative partnerships; and
• Built-in incentives for agencies to collaborate.
o Create a management information system at all levels to track child wellbeing and services (data repositories for all).