Training Guide for the Head Start Learning Community--Community Partnerships: Working Together--Module 4: Practicing the Collaborative Process

Training Guides for the Head Start Learning Community:
Community Partnerships
Module 4

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Practicing the Collaborative Process
Outcomes
As a result of completing this module, participants will be able to:

Get people involved in the decision to act and encourage the development of a common base of knowledge;
Guide collaborative partners in defining a shared vision;
Use the strategic planning steps to prepare a plan of action for a collaborative effort; and
Recognize the importance of evaluation throughout the collaborative process.
Key Concepts
The key concepts of Module 4 that serve as a knowledge base for the collaborative process include:

Call for Action. A call for action is an issue, problem, concern, or need that ignites people to act.

Collaborative Partners. Once a decision to act is made, potential partners must be chosen, recruited, and brought to the table. Basically, anyone who has a stake or role in the call for action, or who can be part of the solution, is a potential partner.

Building a Base of Common Knowledge. Creating a climate of mutual respect, acceptance, and trust is crucial to getting the collaboration off to a good start. Partners accomplish this when they take enough time to learn about each other and the individual organizations, and have opportunities to disclose self-interests--to discuss what is important to them and what they need from the collaborative.

Shared Vision. A shared vision is a clear picture of what you hope to create; it is essential to sustaining a collaborative effort. The vision focuses on future possibilities--not current problems--and leads partners toward actions and desired results. A shared vision generates energy, motivates partners, and tells everyone where the collaborative is going.

Strategic Planning. Strategic planning is a comprehensive planning process that provides the framework for collaborative action. This five- step process involves 1) defining the collaborative's mission; 2) assessing the environment and the collaborative's capacities; 3) establishing well-formed goals; 4) exploring and selecting strategies; and 5) developing a plan of action.

Evaluation. Ongoing evaluation tells the partners how well they and their strategies are working and guides decisions on changes or modifications to the collaborative effort. Evaluation can be a relatively simple process, with partners measuring effort, effectiveness, and efficiency.
Background Information
Attention to choosing and engaging collaborative partners, developing a base of common knowledge, and defining a shared vision are essential to developing a strategic plan--the framework for action. This module is devoted to practicing the first three stages of the collaborative process: 1) getting together; 2) building trust and ownership; and 3) strategic planning. This module also guides participants toward taking action, the fourth stage of collaboration.
Getting Together¹
Initiators of a collaborative effort usually come together due to a call for action or a vision of how community life could be better; they reach out and share their vision in ways that attract others to become their partners. Initiators tend to choose partners they know, are aware of, or have access to. However, there are other selection criteria to consider:

Capacity. The scope of a collaborative effort often dictates the number of needed partners. However, too many partners can cause difficulties in scheduling meetings and in giving everyone the chance to speak and be heard. Sometimes, collaboratives with many members subdivide into smaller groups with each group assigned to a specific task. Ideally, a collaborative, or its sub-groups, should have no more than 15 members. At the same time, the collaborative door must always be kept open for new partners.

Governing Bodies and Policy Groups. In a collaborative, it is important to involve persons who have policy-making and governing authority as partners or informed stakeholders. Getting organizations to buy into the collaborative effort occurs more readily when policy-makers and members of governing boards are part of the collaborative process.

Potential Opponents. We tend to avoid people who oppose us or who make us feel uncomfortable. However, if they possess skills or resources the collaborative needs to succeed and are in a position to obstruct a collaborative effort, it is important to invite them to the table and point out the advantages of working together. Often, potential opponents become critical allies.

Community History. The history of community organizations is another important consideration in choosing partners; that is, who has worked well together in the past and who has not. During the start-up phase, a history of positive working relationships helps a collaborative come together.

Variety in Skills. Collaboratives need people who collectively have a variety of skills. Initiators should look first to the skills they bring to the collaborative effort and then to those of potential partners. Important skills to look for include leadership, planning and facilitating, resource development, evaluation, and communication (writing and speaking).

Territory. Initiators of collaboratives tend to invite people from disciplines or organizations similar to theirs. However, the information, skills, resources, community ownership, and support that collaboratives require may come from a variety of sectors:

Businesses and Business Organizations. The involvement of large corporations, small businesses, and business organizations often brings expertise in information management systems, marketing techniques, and financial strategies--valuable help that often proves vital to a collaborative. Other possible benefits are the loaning of staff to work on a specific activity or the use of office space or equipment.

Consumers. These are the people who will be most affected by the collaborative's initiatives. If a collaborative's efforts are to improve services to children and families and achieve broad-based community support, the people who live in the collaborative's targeted neighborhoods and/or use services must be engaged as partners.

Elected Officials. Elected officials are usually supportive of a collaborative's desires to improve community conditions or the effectiveness of services. For collaboratives pursuing wide system change, the support of elected officials can help to bring the right players to the table, create the right conditions for action, and leverage resources from public sectors. Elected officials may be partners, or they may be part of the network the collaborative chooses to keep well-informed. In deciding when and how to involve elected officials, initiators need to weigh a number of factors, including the officials' political agenda as well as potential risks and pressures.

The Media. Decisions to involve the media in the collaborative should usually wait until the collaborative is ready to go public. Media attention is alluring, but if the collaborative is unsure of the message it wants to convey to the community, newspaper and television coverage can sometimes backfire.

Natural Community Leaders. All communities have natural leaders who are the voice for underserved populations, low-income families, and minority populations. Their participation as partners helps ensure that the collaborative's mission responds to the full range of community expectations and needs. Many natural leaders also bring power to the collaborative due to their charisma, persuasive speaking abilities, visibility, and base of community support.

Private Providers, Non-Profit and Grassroots Organizations. This sector brings to the collaborative 1) experience in developing effective services and resources and 2) the support of private citizens. Many organizations in this sector have well-developed volunteer networks and useful community contacts.

Public-Sector Organizations. Public agencies and organizations bring major resources into a community. Thus, they bring legitimacy and visibility to a collaborative, expand the possibilities for supporting larger numbers of children and families, and provide linkages with federal and state agencies.

Building Trust and Ownership²
Once potential partners are identified, attention turns to building trust and ownership by engaging them in the collaborative, building a base of common knowledge, and developing a shared vision of what needs to change. In the most effective collaboratives, partners take time to understand each other's organizations and self-interests. It is important to remember that once partners make a joint commitment to collaborate, basic ground rules for working together must be reexamined and revised and resources need for collaborative planning must be identified.

Engaging Partners
Recruiting the right partners for a collaborative effort often requires more than invitations to initial or exploratory meetings. A number of steps may be necessary to lay the groundwork for participation. Thus, initiators of a collaborative must be prepared to reach out to potential partners and get them engaged. Handout 5 provides some strategies for engaging partners in the collaborative effort.

Building a Base of Common Knowledge
Building a base of common knowledge means working to understand self-interests and personal similarities and differences. Self-interests are powerfully motivating and can work for a collaboration when partners openly discuss, "What is in this for me? My organization? The people I represent?& Each partner has something to gain from participating: influence, money, prestige, contacts, career advancement, goodwill, and so on. The more partners speak openly about self-interests, the stronger the chances for building trust and achieving a win-win outcome for all.
Knowing where partners stand in terms of personal similarities and differences also helps to build trust. For example, when planning initial meetings it is helpful to find out what partners need to feel comfortable or what traditions are important to them. Including time during meetings for partners to talk candidly about their cultural backgrounds and values; previous experiences with collaboratives; the resources they bring to the collaborative (e.g., expertise, resources, connections); their views on meeting procedures; and their interpretation of vague terms helps create a respectful, supportive, and accepting collaborative climate.

Developing a Shared Vision
Simply stated, a vision is a clear picture of what you hope to create.³ For collaborative partners, developing a shared vision is a critical juncture. Each partner is likely to come to the table with a different picture. Knitting the different pictures into a vision that captures the essence of the collaboration takes time and a lot of listening.
A shared vision is essential to sustaining a collaborative effort. It focuses on the possibilities for children and families to have a better life--not problems--and leads partners toward actions and desired results. A shared vision generates energy and motivation in partners and tells everyone where the collaborative is going.
Strategic Planning⁴
Strategic planning is a comprehensive planning process that provides the framework for collaborative action. Strategic planning involves five steps that can be revisited by partners at any time. The steps include: 1) developing the collaborative's mission statement; 2) assessing the environment and the collaborative's capacities; 3) establishing well-formed goals; 4) examining and selecting strategies; and 5) developing a plan of action.

Step One: Develop a Mission Statement
In this step, the shared vision that brought the partners together is refined and developed into a mission statement. A carefully crafted mission statement captures the shared vision (the direction), unique purpose (what you want to achieve), and the values and beliefs (the rationale) of the collaboration. The mission statement charts the collaborative's future direction and establishes the basis for strategic planning decisions. Examples of mission statements include:

Every child will grow up healthy, be secure, and become literate and economically productive. Youth Futures Authority, Savannah-Chatham County, Georgia.

To make Racine the nation's most youth-friendly community, every member of the community will be personally involved in supporting and guiding Racine's children as they move from infancy to adulthood. Racine, Wisconsin, Community Coalition for Youth.

Mission statements focus on possibilities; they do not include the how-to's for achieving the results. The following questions can serve as guides for preparing a mission statement:

Does our mission statement describe what we will accomplish and for whom?

Is the scope of work (how big, how many, how much) suggested in our mission statement?

Does our mission statement convey our vision and a unique purpose? Is the purpose connected to, but different from, the missions of our individual organizations?

Is our mission statement easy for everyone to understand?

Step Two: Assess the Environment and the Collaborative's Capacities
This step requires 1) an environmental analysis and 2) a capacity assessment. An environmental analysis involves finding out about forces external to the collaboration, and their potential impact on the collaborative. For example, a collaborative working to coordinate services for children with disabilities would want to study agency policies on service eligibility, local funding streams, and federal, state, and local laws.
A capacity assessment engages partners in an examination of the collaborative's ability to accomplish its mission, in light of its internal strengths (e.g., skills, talents, advantages, resources, and opportunities) and limitations. Failure to conduct an accurate and thorough capacity assessment can cause a false sense of security among partners. The capacity assessment points out the collaborative's strengths, as well as what needs to be done to make the collaborative stronger.

Step Three: Establish Well-formed Goals
Goals are specific statements of what collaborative partners intend to do; they are indicators of the change partners want to achieve and serve as measures for evaluating a collaborative's progress and for holding partners accountable. Long-term goals point to the results partners hope to see in two to three years or even farther into the future. Short-term goals focus on more specific and immediate results and help to keep partners motivated and enthused. The following questions serve as criteria for well-formed goals:

Does the goal suggest a positive outcome, rather than a decrease in a problem? (Achievements--not problems--are the focus of well-formed goals.)

Is the goal realistic? (Unrealistic goals cause many collaboratives to collapse.)

Is the goal measurable? (If not, partners will have no way of knowing whether they are making progress.)

Is the goal stated in clear and concrete terms? (The language of a well-formed goal is specific and understandable to everyone.)

The following are examples of goals set by collaboratives working to change and improve community service systems:

To increase employment by 20 percent;

To increase high school graduation rates by 10 percent;

To establish a respite care resource for families of children with disabilities; and

To provide children's books free to low-income families with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.

Goals are subject to revision as new partners join a collaborative, as unexpected events unfold, or as the collaborative journey takes a change in direction.

Step Four: Examine and Select Strategies
Once goals are defined, collaborative partners must decide on the strategies for achieving them. Therefore, in this step, partners take an inventory of possible strategies and choose those that are most likely to produce the goals within the constraints of their resources. Partners should always compare the strategies to their mission statement to ensure consistency.

Step Five: Develop a Plan of Action
In this last step, an action plan is prepared; it maps out the steps partners will take to implement the chosen strategies. For each action, the plan specifies which partner or partners are responsible, the time frame for completion, accountability indicators, and anticipated costs. Actions are the partners' steps for moving the strategies forward. They may include getting letters of commitment from membership organizations, drafting interagency agreements, revising agency policies and procedures, developing a communications or promotional plan, joint agency training, grant writing, or fund-raising.
Taking Action
Taking action, the fourth stage of the collaborative process, involves implementing the plan of action developed by the partners to achieve their mission and goals. Sometimes, before going full scale with the collaborative initiative, partners decide to do a pilot project. The results of that test or project are measured and evaluated by the partners to identify any changes needed in the initiative or action plan.
For example, an initiative designed to provide young, first-time mothers with parenting support and education might be tested out in a neighborhood, with results showing that the mothers' participation in social activities was much higher than in educational activities. Expansion of the initiative into other neighborhoods would take the participation finding into account, perhaps by making the activities for mothers both social and educational.
Taking action demonstrates the deepening commitment of partners to the collaborative. It is a time for partners to do what is necessary to realize the results of their hard work and careful planning. With measures for determining the action plan's progress in hand, partners have a means for evaluating the initiative's success. Along the way, partners may discover the need to revisit earlier collaborative stages or strategic planning steps. Collaboration is rarely, if ever, a static process. Partners must always remain open to change and be ready to respond to new developments and evaluation findings.
Evaluation
Evaluation tells partners how well they and their strategies are working and guides decisions on changes or modifications to the collaborative. While evaluation by outside specialists may be preferable, much information can be obtained through low-cost self-evaluations.
Ongoing self-evaluation does not need to be complex. Finding out what's working and what corrections might make things work better can come from a relatively simple evaluation that includes asking questions on effort, efficiency, and effectiveness. Handout 8 serves as an example for a collaborative's self-assessment.
Instructions
This module, Practicing the Collaborative Process, builds on the skills taught in Module 1, Module 2, and Module 3 of this guide; it is essential for participants to be familiar with the information presented in earlier activities. If participants are unfamiliar with the collaborative process and/or unable to complete activities from these modules, be sure to provide an extensive overview using each module's background information.

Activity 4-1:
Dream House Purpose: To provide practice in developing a shared vision.

Preparation For this activity you will need:

Handout 1: Dream House Discussion Guide
Handout 2: A Call for Action
Handout 3: A Vision for Change
Newsprint/Markers/Tape

(a) Prepare the group for a drawing exercise. Present the activity's purpose. Divide participants into small groups. Distribute one sheet of newsprint, a marker, and tape to each group.
(b) Explain that a dream house is "the ideal home." Ask participants to take a minute or two to mentally create a vision of their dream house.
(c) Tell the groups that their task is to draw a group dream house on the sheet of newsprint, following two basic rules: 1) Group members take turns drawing the house, with each member drawing one line at a time and then passing the marker on to the next member; 2) No talking is permitted during the drawing exercise. Allow 10 to 15 minutes for groups to complete their dream house drawings.

Trainer Preparation Note: Participants may ask you about the shape or length of the lines for the dream house. Respond by going over the instructions and noting that no particular shape or length is specified.

(d) Once the drawings are completed, call time and suggest each group add a name or title to its dream house drawing. Ask the groups to tape their drawings on the front wall of the room.

Initiate small group discussions of the drawing exercise. Distribute handout 1 to each group as a discussion guide. Allow 20 minutes for the small groups to discuss their dream house drawing experiences.

Debrief the drawing exercise. Reconvene the large group. Ask for a volunteer from each small group to come forward and talk for a minute or two about his/her group's dream house and drawing experiences.

Provide a brief presentation on developing a shared vision. Explain that in the dream house activity, each group member brought an individual vision to the exercise; however, the group needed to work together to develop a shared vision. Review the concept of a shared vision, based on the module's background information. Encourage participants to make comments or ask questions.

(a) Prepare participants for an individual exercise. Distribute handout 2. Give participants a few minutes to read the calls for action. Then, instruct each participant to choose a call for action.
(b) Distribute handout 3 to participants and instruct participants to complete part 1. Explain that there will be time later for sharing their vision. Allow 10 minutes for participants to complete part 1 of the handout.

(a) Initiate a small group exercise to create a shared vision. Ask participants to group themselves based on their chosen call for action (handout 2).
(b) Describe the task and explain that you want the members of each small group to work together to create a shared vision for change. Refer small groups to handout 3.
(c) Ask each small group to appoint a facilitator and a recorder/reporter. Explain that when the large group reconvenes, the reporter for each small group will be asked to present the group's shared vision. Allow 30 minutes for small groups to complete the task.

Trainer Preparation Note: Suggest that small groups begin by having members take turns presenting their individual visions for change, as captured on part 1 of handout 3. Explain that, after the sharing process, group members should move on to part 2.

(a) Debrief the small group exercise. Reconvene the large group. Ask the group for general reactions to the exercise by asking, for example:

Was it easy or hard to come up with a shared vision?
What happened in your group?

(b) Ask for reporters to take turns presenting the individual pictures and the shared vision. Make sure reporters begin by identifying the group they were in; that is, the group's call for action.
(c) When the reports are complete, raise the following questions for discussion:

Is each group's vision clear to you? Do you understand what each group wants for children and families?
Do you believe your group succeeded in knitting everyone's individual picture for change into a larger shared vision? Why? Why not?

Close the activity. In bringing the activity to a close, make sure the group understands that in real life, defining a vision in which all partners are committed takes ongoing conversations. Encourage participants to ask questions or comment about the activity.

Activity 4-2:
Recruiting Partners Purpose: To enhance skills in selecting and engaging partners in a collaborative effort and in developing a base of common knowledge.

Preparation
For this activity you will need:

Handout 2: A Call for Action
Handout 4: Selecting Collaborative Partners
Handout 5: Engaging Partners and Learning About Each Other
Newsprint/Markers/Tape

(a) Lead a warm-up discussion. Explain that a call for action is an issue, problem, concern, or need that ignites people to act. Pose this question to the group: "What needs or events might trigger a call for action and the start of a collaborative effort?"
(b) Reinforce and add to the group's responses by covering the points below:

Collaborative partnerships can start in various ways. Some start when policy-makers encourage or require agencies to establish interagency work groups or develop interagency agreements. Others grow from projects that are funded to demonstrate collaborative approaches to serving families. Sometimes, a traumatic community event--the death of a child, a drive-by shooting, or cuts in a vital service--unites different community stakeholders into a collaborative partnership.

Collaborative partnerships can be started by high profile community leaders, the behind-the-scenes work of agency administrators and managers, the efforts of direct-service providers, and/or consumers who decide to act on a concern.

(a) Prepare the group for the activity. Explain that in this activity participants will form small groups to examine two critical collaboration milestones: 1) involving the right people; and 2) developing a base of common knowledge among partners; that is, learning as much as possible about each other's organizations, beliefs, goals, objectives, and cultures.
(b) Refer the group to handout 2. After reviewing the calls for action on the handout, ask participants to raise other issues they would like to see addressed through a collaborative effort. Record responses on a sheet of newsprint.
(c) Using the background information on Getting Together as a guide, provide a brief overview on factors influencing the choice of partners.

Form small groups based on the calls for action. Quickly go over the examples of the calls for action on handout 2 and the sheet of newsprint. Divide the group into small groups, each group representing collaborative initiators who have decided to act--to respond to one of the calls for action.

Trainer Preparation Note: Allow participants to join the small group of their choice. If more than eight participants choose the same small group, suggest that the group subdivide into smaller groups, having 4 or 5 members each. Do not require participants to form small groups around the calls for action on handout 2 if they are more interested in those on the newsprint list.

Provide instructions on the small group activity. Ask each group to appoint a facilitator. Then, refer the small groups to handout 4, which they are to complete during the small group activity. Allow 30 minutes for the small groups to complete the task.

(a) Debrief the small group activity. Ask participants for general reactions or comments about the small group activity. Ask for a reporter to volunteer and summarize the outcome of his/her small group's choices for collaborative partners, following the framework on handout 4.
(b) After hearing the volunteer's report, ask participants to suggest other potential partners for the collaborative effort.
(c) Repeat steps 5(a) and 5(b) above until reports from all small groups have been presented and discussed.

(a) Examine strategies for engaging partners and developing a base of common knowledge. Provide a brief overview on engaging partners and building a base of common knowledge, based on the background information on Building Trust and Ownership.
(b) Refer the group to handout 5 and review the strategies. Ask participants during the review:

Has anyone already tried this strategy?
How did it work for you?
(b) Reconvene the small groups. Write the following three questions on newsprint for the small groups to consider during their discussions:

How will we divide the task of recruiting partners for our collaborative effort? Who will contact whom? Why?
What will we actually say or do to engage potential partners?
What will we actually say or do to develop a base of common knowledge among potential partners?
Allow 30 minutes for the small group discussions.

(a) Process the small group discussion. Reconvene the large group. Ask for examples of specific strategies identified by the small groups for getting potential partners to the table and for developing a common knowledge base.
(b) As shown in the groups' examples, emphasize that strategies must be tailored to:

The relationships that already exist between collaborative initiators and potential partners;
The uniqueness of each collaborative effort; and,
The individual needs, interests, and benefits to each potential partner.

Close the activity. In closing, stress that recruiting key partners and developing a base of common knowledge take time and commitment on the part of collaborative initiators. Point out that new partners may be added as the collaborative develops and that learning about each other is an ongoing process. Emphasize that successful collaborations build on individual strengths and talents and foster new ideas.

Activity 4-3:
Starting a
Collaboration Purpose: To develop the skills required for the start-up of a collaboration, including choosing and recruiting partners, developing a base of common knowledge, and developing a shared vision.

Preparation
For this activity you will need:

Handout 3: A Vision for Change
Handout 4: Selecting Collaborative Partners
Handout 5: Engaging Partners and Learning About Each Other
Newsprint/Markers/Tape

Provide an overview of the coaching activity. Explain to participants that the purpose of this activity is to help them develop the skills necessary for starting a collaborative effort:

Choosing and recruiting partners;
Learning about each other; and
Defining a shared vision.

Involve participants in identifying a call for action. Explain that community partnerships can be initiated by anyone who wants to see change; collaboratives usually start when an individual or a small group decides to act. Encourage participants to talk freely about the needs or issues that warrant a call for action.

(a) Describe the process for developing a shared vision among collaborative partners. Use the module's key concept on Developing a Shared Vision to guide your remarks.
(b) Revisit the calls for action discussed in step 2. Ask participants to select a call for action and share their vision for change. Encourage participants to think about how the lives of Head Start children and families would be different if the call for action were addressed through a collaborative effort.
(c) Explain to participants that they have taken the first step in the development of a vision for a collaborative effort. Refer participants to handout 3; explain that the handout is a tool collaborative partners can use to develop a shared vision with interested partners.

(a) Identify potential collaborative initiators/organizers. Review factors affecting partner recruitment, using the background information on Getting Together.
(b) Refer participants to handout 4. Review the worksheet categories and have participants identify potential partners to assist with the selected call for action.
(c) Ask participants to choose three people from the handout who they would like to recruit as partners for the collaborative effort; for the purpose of the upcoming homework assignment, these people should not be someone participants already have a strong working relationship.

Examine strategies for engaging partners and learning about each other. Explain that engaging partners and building a base of common knowledge is another critical milestone in the collaborative process (see Building Trust and Ownership in the background information section of this module). Refer participants to handout 5 and ask participants to share their ideas for ways to engage partners and to learn more about them. Add the participants' ideas to the handout.

(a) Prepare participants for a homework assignment. For homework, explain that you want participants to pick out one of the strategies for engaging partners. Direct the participants' attention back to the three potential partners they selected in step 4(c) and ask them to try the selected strategy with them in the next two to three weeks.
(b) Give participants the chance to practice (through impromptu role playing with you) what they will say to the potential partners during initial contacts. Make sure participants understand that initial contacts with potential partners are times for building trust, learning about each other, and sharing mutual concerns; no specific decisions about working together have been made yet--that is the collaborative partners' task.
(c) As necessary, help participants refine or expand the chosen strategy and prepare a plan for carrying it out. Offer to be available to participants if any questions, concerns, or barriers arise as they carry out their homework assignment. Suggest that if they are unable to meet with the three potential partners they chose, they should choose others from the list developed. Set up a time for debriefing the homework.

Debrief the homework assignment. Ask participants to describe the process and outcome of their homework assignment, based upon the following questions:

What did you say to the potential partners during your first visit? How did they react?

What did you learn about the potential partners? Their organizations?

During your visits, did you discuss some mutual concerns related to your call for action? Describe the discussion.

How did your ideas for a collaborative effort change as a result of your conversation or visit?

Are any of the people you met with interested in joining you in an exploration of collaborative possibilities? Or, at least meeting with you again?

What are your next steps?

Discuss plans for pursuing collaborative possibilities. Go over the next steps identified by participants in step 7. Help participants map out a plan for carrying out the steps.

Close the coaching activity. Remind participants that the development of a shared vision must occur with the partners. Suggest that participants meet again with the potential partners to determine whether they are ready to act--to explore possibilities for a collaborative effort. Point out that participants will be able to help the collaborative move forward by sharing what they have learned about selecting partners, developing a base of common knowledge, and creating a shared vision. Offer to be available to participants as they implement their next steps.

Activity 4-4:
Strategic Planning Purpose: To provide practice in creating a strategic planning team and being an effective team member.

Preparation
For this activity you will need:

Handout 6: Strategic Planning Scenarios
Handout 7: Strategic Planning Worksheet
Handout 8: Evaluating the Progress
Newsprint/Markers/Tape

Trainer Preparation Note: This activity's small group strategic planning exercise takes about four hours to complete and one hour to debrief. Considering the amount of time, as well as the intensity of the exercise, you may want to divide the activity into two sessions, preferably on consecutive days or within the same week. On the second day, small groups should be ready to start with step 4 on handout 7.

(a) Introduce the activity. Present the purpose of the activity and give a brief overview. Remind participants that strategic planning is the third stage of the collaborative process. (The first two stages, Getting Together and Building Trust and Ownership, are covered in Activity 4-1, Activity 4-2, and Activity 4-3.)
(b) Encourage participants to share their experiences as members of planning teams. Explain that strategic planning is critical to a collaborative's success because it confirms partner commitment and establishes a plan of action.

Provide an overview of the strategic planning process. Using the background information as your guide, describe each of the five strategic planning steps:

Step 1: Developing the collaborative's mission statement;
Step 2: Assessing the environment and the collaborative's capacities;
Step 3: Establishing well-formed goals;
Step 4: Examining and selecting strategies; and
Step 5: Developing a plan of action.

(a) Initiate the small group strategic planning exercise. Refer the group to handout 6 and briefly describe the two scenarios. Point out that the group (or several participants) might prefer to pursue a scenario that is unique to their Head Start program, or one discussed during Activity 4-1 or Activity 4-3. If participants wish to pursue other scenarios, record possibilities on newsprint.
(b) Instruct participants to choose a scenario. Next, divide participants into small groups, based upon the scenario of their choice. Point out that more than one small group may focus on the same scenario. Make sure there are at least five and no more than eight participants in each small group. Instruct each group to appoint a facilitator and a reporter.
(c) Refer the small groups to handout 7, which provides a set of worksheets to complete during the exercise. Review the instructions on the handout. Offer to be available to the small groups if questions arise or your help is needed. Distribute newsprint, markers, and tape to each small group and instruct them to begin.

Trainer Preparation Note: Periodically check on each small group's progress and spend a few minutes observing the interaction of group members. Have additional copies of the handout 7, step 5 (Plan of Action) ready to hand out to small groups. Encourage small groups to take a break midway through the training activity.

(a) Debrief the small group exercise. Reconvene the large group after four hours. Ask for reporters from each group to come forward, form a panel, and briefly present their group's mission statement, goals, strategies, and plan of action. Organize the reporting back process around the strategic planning scenarios; that is, if more than one group focused on the same scenario, hear all reports on that scenario before going on to another.
(b) Bring closure to the debriefing by asking for additional comments about the strategic planning process and outcomes.

(a) Discuss evaluation. Stress the importance of ongoing evaluation throughout the collaborative process. Point out that evaluation serves many purposes, helping partners to: 1) examine how well they work together; 2) bring underlying conflicts to the surface; 3) identify small victories (which keep partners enthused and motivated); 4) discover the collaborative's strengths and needs; and 5) make decisions on changes to strategies and the plan of action.
(b) Ask small groups to briefly meet again to evaluate their work as a strategic planning team. Distribute handout 8 as a guide for the groups to assess their effort, effectiveness, and efficiency.

Close the activity. Recap highlights of the activity. Describe taking action based on the information provided in the background information. Encourage the small groups to go forward with their plans by refining them and, when ready, moving on to the next stage of collaboration--taking action. Celebrate!

Activity 4-5:
Forming a Strategic
Planning Team Purpose: To provide practice in carrying out the strategic planning process.

Preparation
For this activity you will need:

Handout 6: Strategic Planning Scenarios
Handout 7: Strategic Planning Worksheet
Handout 8: Evaluating Progress
Newsprint/Markers/Tape

Coach Preparation Note: This activity builds on the skills taught in Activity 4-3. For best results, this training activity should be used as an extension of that activity.

(a) Introduce the activity. Present the purpose of the activity and review the outcomes of Activity 4-3. Be sure to review the list of potential staff or community representatives recruited or engaged in the call for action during Activity 4-3.

Coach Preparation Note: If participants did not complete Activity 4-3, explore the issues, concerns, or needs (the call for action) that participants would like to focus on during this strategic planning session. Suggest participants review handout 6. Next, brainstorm potential staff or community representatives to engage in the call for action.

2. (a) Examine strategic planning. Write the five strategic planning steps of a collaborative on a sheet of newsprint:

Step 1: Develop the collaborative's mission statement;
Step 2: Assess the environment and the collaborative's capacities;
Step 3: Establish well-formed goals;
Step 4: Examine and select strategies;
Step 5: Develop a plan of action.
(b) Describe strategic planning and each of its steps, using the information in the module's background information to guide your remarks. Encourage participants to ask questions about the steps of strategic planning.

(a) Prepare participants for a homework assignment. Refer participants to handout 7 and go over the instructions. Explain that for the homework assignment, you want them to complete the worksheet with other interested partners. Encourage participants to work with the potential partners identified in Activity 4-3.
(b) Decide with participants when you will hold the debriefing, allowing enough time for them to meet a few times and complete the strategic planning worksheet. Offer to be available, if help is needed in the meantime.

(a) Debrief and review the strategic planning process. Guide the review by asking participants to present the completed version of their strategic planning worksheet (handout 7).
(b) Do not rush the review. Spend time discussing the completed version of each worksheet; help participants refine the worksheets, if needed. Make sure participants consider the following questions during the review:

Do you believe your mission will be endorsed or supported by the Head Start community? By stakeholders in the broader community? What can you do to gain support?

Do your assessment findings suggest that a collaborative partnership can work? That you will be able to accomplish your mission? What additional data or information might help you make those decisions?

Are your goals realistic? Clear and specific? Measurable?

Do you believe the strategies you selected are the best routes for reaching your goals? What resources do you need to implement them? What are some resource possibilities? Are other key players or partners needed to implement your strategies?

Is your plan of action consistent with your mission statement? Are there any gaps in your plan? Does your plan require any changes in your Head Start program's policies, procedures, or budget?

(a) Explore next steps. Decide with participants whether additional strategic planning meetings are necessary to finalize their action plan. If so, help them prepare for those meetings by discussing and listing on newsprint what still needs to be done or decided, key players to invite to the meetings, and the roles they will have in the meetings. (b) If the action plan is complete, point out that participants are now ready to move into the fourth stage of collaboration, taking action, which involves five more milestones: formalizing interagency relationships, implementing the plan of action, deepening the collaborative culture, adapting and expanding the initiative, and evaluating progress. Refer participants to handout 8 for some evaluation guidelines. Offer to be available to participants, as needed, to move their plan of action forward.

Close the activity. Spend a few minutes recapping highlights from the coaching session. Encourage participants to share what they see as their most outstanding strategic planning accomplishments. Celebrate!

Next Steps:
Ideas to
Extend Practice
Follow-up training strategies to reinforce the concepts and skills taught in Module 4 are presented below. After completing Module 4, review the strategies with staff and help them choose at least one to work on individually, in pairs, or in small groups.

Develop a Collaborative Resource Library
Ask for a copy of this training guide's Resources section. Look over the resources; decide which organizations you will contact for information or technical assistance and which publications you will order or borrow from local libraries. Collect resource materials for Head Start staff, such as:

Local demographic and census data;
KIDS COUNT reports on your state or community;
Community assessment data and reports;
A list of individuals or groups who provide consultation, training, and/or technical assistance to collaborative organizers and groups;
Descriptions of community organizations that are potential collaborative partners;
Information on local foundations and contact persons; and,
Descriptions of collaborative partnerships that have formed in other Head Start programs or communities.

Support Parents in a Collaborative Effort
Talk with Head Start parents individually or in groups about forming a collaborative around a common concern or need. Get interested parents together to explore possibilities for initiating a collaborative effort, or joining an existing one. Offer to serve as the group's mentor throughout their collaborative journey. Along the way provide guidance or training on the challenges of collaboration, including such topics as: selecting the right partners, holding effective meetings, avoiding sandtraps, and creating a conflict resolution process. To enable the parents to be active collaborative partners, provide/arrange for practical supports such as child-care, transportation, meeting space, membership rosters, etc.

Visit People Already Involved in a Collaborative Effort
Set up a time to visit and talk with people in your community or other communities nearby about their collaboration-building experiences. Discuss the difficulties and successes they experienced along the way. Ask for suggestions and tips on starting a collaborative, selecting and recruiting partners, and developing a shared vision.

Conduct a Consumer Focus Group⁵
Invite Head Start parents and family members, as well as representatives of the community, to participate in the focus group. Possible questions for the focus group include:

What services or resources do you and your children need most?
What challenges or barriers do you experience when you seek services or resources?
Describe your most positive encounter with a community agency or organization.
Describe your most negative encounter.
If you could change one part of the way children and families are served now by the community, what would it be?
To encourage parents and the broader community to participate in the focus group, reach out to them by offering child-care and transportation and by selecting a neighborhood meeting location where they will feel at ease. Assure them that their comments are confidential, or not linked specifically to them. Above all, make sure they know that expressing negative views about Head Start or any other community agency or organization will not affect their good standing or their receipt of services, assistance, or support.
After the focus group, analyze discussion results and plan how you will initiate a call for action.

Take the Strategic Plan to Action
Make arrangements with your strategic planning team (i.e., the team formed during Activity 4-4 or 4-5) to continue meeting until your plan of action is ready for implementation. To get ready you may need to:

Invite other key collaborative partners to join your team;
Review the strategic planning steps and incorporate the ideas and suggestions of new partners, as decided upon by the group;
Discuss the resources needed to implement your action plan and strategies for obtaining them;
Build resource strategies into your action plan; or
Identify and list steps for monitoring and evaluating the action plan's implementation.

¹Adapted from Atelia Melaville and Martin Blank with Gelareh Asayesh, Together We Can: A Guide for Crafting a Profamily System of Education and Human Service (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Education and U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, 1993).
²Adapted from Atelia Melaville and Martin Blank with Gelareh Asayesh, Together We Can: A Guide for Crafting a Profamily System of Education and Human Service (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Education and U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, 1993).
³ Judith Chynoweth and Barbara Dyer from Atelia Melaville and Martin Blank with Gelareh Asayesh, Together We Can: A Guide for Crafting a Profamily System of Education and Human Services (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Education and U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, 1993).
⁴Adapted from US Department of Health and Human Services, Strengthening Homeless Families: A Coalition-Building Guide (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, 1996). ⁵Adapted from Atelia Melaville and Martin Blank with Gelareh Asayesh, Together We Can: A Guide for Crafting a Profamily System of Education and Human Services (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Education and U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, 1993).
Handout 1: Dream House Discussion Guide
Handout 2: Recruiting Partners
Handout 3: A Call for Action
Handout 4: A Vision for Change
Handout 5: Selecting Collaborative Partners
Handout 6: Strategic Planning Scenarios Handout 7: Strategic Planning Worksheet
Handout 8: Evaluating the Progress

Copyright © 1998 Head Start Publications Management Center
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