| COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING |
 |
|
 |
|
|
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do we get "non-mandated" partners involved?
A: Getting partners involved takes a variety of facilitation approaches. Some may freely come to a meeting or focus group; for others, approaches such as setting one-on-one meetings, joining other planning tables or even substantive email correspondence may work.
When undertaking a significant effort such as planning, it helps to consistently reinforce the reasons for participating. Talking points/key messages could include:
- Planning help leverage resources - Discussing strategies with multiple partners can lead to the identification of resources or solutions. Articulating priorities set with broad input strengthens applications for funding.
- Planning focuses efforts - Children, families, and communities benefit when priorities are established and organizations work together to achieve goals.
- Planning improves systems - We learn from the mapping update and from the analysis what opportunities and needs are currently. We learn from measuring our success what we are accomplishing and what needs to be reworked.
Q: Is the Oregon Progress Board looking at how valid the High Level Outcomes (Benchmarks) are? For example, Readiness to Learn is a voluntary kindergarten survey and isn´t always a reliable measure of a county´s situation.
A: Currently the Oregon Benchmarks are the most reliable statewide data measures we have. The Progress Board is open to suggestions for better statewide measures or how to improve the current measures. In addition, the difficulty in obtaining valid data on populations or programs requires the utilization of substitute indicators to help community members and policymakers frame the discussion on the issue.
Q: Do strategies have to be documented by a certain source (best practice)?
A: No. Strategies should reflect the ability of the county to implement them in an attempt to address the County´s highlighted priorities. Best practices provide a research-based strategy for achieving desired outcomes, but innovation that is evidence-based is encouraged whenever possible.
Q: From the diagram, it looks like strategies drive the logic model. Do strategies drive data collection?
A: No. This should be seen as a cycle, not a start to end linear progression. Data allows analysis to take place, which allows counties to determine their priorities. Once priorities are known, strategies are developed to move counties in the right direction. Data is then collected to gauge whether the strategies have had the desired effect. And this cycle continues on and on resulting in constant improvements.
Q: How does planning fit into the funding process?
A: Phase II planning doesn´t incorporate funding into it. Hovever, the community plans establish priorities, which are reflected in county RFP processes. Counties can anticipate a transition between the many "old plans" and the single new " community plan". This includes transitions from program language to strategy language as well as the RFP process.
Q: How do counties deal with data issues?
A: Counties will be provided updated versions of the data provided during Phase II from the State Office with anticipated data release on May 1. In addition, the Office of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Programs is hosting a web-site that links to this multi-agency High Level Outcomes data. This data is available at www.oregon.gov/DHS/addiction/index.shtml.
Some data will still only be available at the regional or state level. This is due to measurement processes or size of populations that may impact confidentiality. State agencies that are responsible for the collection of this data are working to find updated measurement tools or processes to better calculate these data sets and increase the level of discrete population data that can be made available. Concerns about specific data elements can be directed to Michael Rindfleisch, OCCF Policy & Data Analyst for further review and interchange with other state agency data staff.
|
|
|
|
