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

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Practicing the Collaborative Process

Handout 7: Strategic Planning Worksheet⁸

Instructions
Your small group represents a strategic planning team, which is meeting to address the issues, needs, or concerns selected. This handout guides you through the five steps of the strategic planning process; there are activities to complete for each step. Strategic planning steps are often revisited, as new partners join the effort, as new information points to another strategy, or as new resources are discovered. Take each step as far as you can. The worksheet includes space to record the issues your team encounters and ideas for resolving them. If your team decides to follow up with the exercise in "real life," you will be clear about what your team needs to do to complete the step and move forward. You have four hours to complete the process. When the large group reconvenes, the reporter for your group will be asked to present your team's plan of action.

Step 1: Develop a Mission Statement

Overview A mission statement is the starting point for strategic planning; it specifies the collaborative's role in realizing its vision. A carefully crafted mission statement reflects the shared vision (the direction), the unique purpose (what you want to achieve), and the values and beliefs (the rationale) of the collaborative. Below are excerpts from a mission statement prepared by the Racine Community Coalition for Youth.

• Shared Vision: "Making Racine the nation's most youth-friendly community."

• Purpose: "We will make Racine a place where 1) youth are wanted, respected, capable, and liked; 2) children and youth have a healthy start and feel safe and secure; 3) children and youth are helped to reach their personal, academic and vocational potential. . . ."

• Values and Beliefs: "We believe our community's future depends on its youth. As we make it right for our young people, we will also strengthen families, and ultimately, we will make it right for the whole community. Effective prevention and early intervention are crucial for the success of our families and children. Moral and ethical development of children is as vital as physical and intellectual growth; every person and organization that touches the life of a child must make a real contribution. . ."

• Mission Statement: "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. "

The following questions serve as guides for the development of 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 shared vision, unique purpose, and values and beliefs? Is the mission statement connected to, but different from, the missions of our individual organizations?

• Is our mission statement easy for everyone to understand?

Instructions
Based upon the selected scenario, develop your mission statement. It may be helpful to brainstorm words or phrases that describe your team's vision, purpose, values, and beliefs. Jot down the words or phrases on newsprint. Decide which words or phrases are most important and record below. Remember, you can revisit this step at a later time. You have 30 minutes to complete this step.

Our Mission Statement

Vision:

Purpose:

Values and Beliefs:

Issues and Ideas to Talk About Later:

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⁸Adapted from U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Strengthening Homeless Families: A Coalition-Building Guide (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, 1996).

Handout 7: Strategic Planning Worksheet (continued)

Handouts

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