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The Plan phase answers the questions: who, what, where, when, and how the problem will be addressed in the community.

Areas of Focus during this phase:

1) Choose a planning framework that works for the coalition. There are several frameworks available to choose from: logic models, VMOSA (Vision, Mission, Objectives, Strategies, Action Plan) and VMSOA (Vision, Mission, Strategies, Objectives, Action Plan) are just a few.

2) The plan needs to identify or map out what will be done, how it will be done and by whom, and when it will be done in measurable and manageable terms.

3) All members of the coalition need to understand the plan, have a say in the development and be committed to making it a living document to be reviewed and revised on a regular basis.

4) Identification of Best Practices; if available in your particular topic area.

• Best Practices are programs/activities that have shown to be effective based on previous research and evaluation.

5) In order to ensure this is a long-term plan rather than a plan for events, components to be addressed include awareness and knowledge, skill development, and policy and environmental changes.

• Awareness and Knowledge

Questions to ask to address this component:

• What is the current awareness level of the community?
• What is the community knowledge of the problem being addressed?
• What knowledge does the community need to gain in order to make better health decisions?
• What barriers currently exist that prevent awareness and knowledge?
• * Where and how are awareness and knowledge going to be addressed?

• Skill Development

Questions to ask to address this component:

• What skills do the community members already possess?
• What skills can be developed by the community members through implementation of this plan?
• What barriers currently exist that prevent skill development?
• * Where and how will the development of these skills occur?

• Policy and Environment Change

Questions to ask to address this component:

• What barriers currently exist in the community that prevent the adoption of healthy behaviors?
• What changes can be made to the environment to provide increased opportunity for healthy choices?
• What changes can be made to various policies or the way things are done to increase the opportunity for healthy choices?
• * Where and how can these changes in policy and environment be implemented?

* It is important to address where these components will be implemented i.e. schools, churches, worksites, and neighborhoods.

What to look for when...

• The planning process is going well :
• All coalition members have a say in the process.
• The work is evenly distributed.
• The coalition feels they are making progress.
• The plan is doable and not overwhelming to any organization.
• There is no planning process :
• Activity/programs are happening without a focus on the vision statement.
• Progress is difficult to measure.
• The work is not distributed evenly among all organizations.

Evaluation Measures for Plan Phase:

It is important to take time to assess your success at this level before moving on to the next phase of Implement. This involves process evaluation.

Process evaluation is assuring that you are doing what you said you were going to do in the way you planned to do it and in the timeframe you projected. In the simplest form, the question you are asking yourself is "Did we accomplish what we intended to accomplish as stated in the work plan?" Process evaluation during this phase may include monitoring and tracking the following:

• Identification of planning framework
• Number of framework components that have been accomplished
• Number of coalition members who feel the plan is doable

Impact evaluation is what effect the decision, activities, and procedures had on reaching the long-term goals. In the simplest form, the question you are asking yourself is "Did we change behavior in the community relative to the identified problem?".

The Evaluate phase is the Impact Evaluation of the Plan phase.

Conclusion:

The Plan phase is the coalition's roadmap that leads them from the problem statement to the vision statement.

Plan Tools:

General:

Strategic Planning - http://www.mapnp.org/library/plan_dec/str_plan/str_plan.htm

Basic Overview of Various Strategic Planning Models - http://www.mapnp.org/library/plan_dec/str_plan/models.htm

VMOSA and VMSOA:
VMSOA: An approach to Strategic Planning: free brochure is available from the Kansas Health Foundation - http://www.kansashealth.org/

Community Tool Box: Chapter 8: Developing a strategic plan - http://ctb.ku.edu/en/tablecontents/chapter_1007.htm

Logic Models:

Community Tool Box:
Chapter 2 Section 1: Developing a logic model or theory of change - http://ctb.ku.edu/en/tablecontents/section_1877.htm

Program Development: Logic Model - http://www.uwex.edu/ces/pdande/evaluation/evallogicmodel.html

W.K. Kellogg Foundation Logic Model Development Guide (.pdf)
http://www.kdheks.gov/chipr/download/wk_kellogg.pdf

Best Practices:

Prevention Strategies That Work, a guide for learning effective strategies to reduce the burden of diabetes, obesity, cancer, heart disease, and stroke. The guide also discusses the lifestyle choices associated with these diseases, including tobacco use, physical activity and nutrition, and youth risk taking. It is available at http://www.HealthierUS.gov/steps/summit/prevportfolio/Prevention_Strategies.pdf.

Guide to Community Preventive Services: Systematic Reviews and evidence based recommendations. - http://www.thecommunityguide.org/

Best Practices - http://www.colorado.gov/bestpractices/

Eat Smart Move More - http://www.eatsmartmovemorenc.com/

Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center - http://www.walkinginfo.org/

5 a Day - http://www.5aday.gov/

Self-Assessment/Planning tool:

School Health Index - http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dash/SHI/

Next Phase Implement: