Introduction
The It Takes a Village Toolkit is an adaptable set of tools for practical use in planning and managing sustainability.
The ITAV Analysis Kickoff Activity is designed to help determine a program's sustainability status, priorities, and capacity, to then be able to decide which of the activities in the Toolkit would be most helpful to complete.
To get started with the Kickoff process, read through the Pre-Work and Activity Instructions below to get a general sense of the meeting’s core components. Next, read through the Planning and Facilitator Guide, which provides links to all the materials needed for your program to plan and carry out a successful Kickoff. After reading through the Pre-Work, Activity Instructions, and Facilitator Guide, choose the path that will work best for your program. Potential pathways include:
- Carry out the Kickoff Activity as designed, using the scripts and templates linked in the Planning and Facilitator Guide.
- Identify a specific Facet your program would like to focus on and shorten the Kickoff to complete only the Core Data Activity and Analysis Checklist for that specific Facet.
- Decide that the level of planning described in this document is not needed and move directly to the table of contents for each Toolkit Facet and choose Activities “a la carte.”
Activity: ITAV Analysis Kickoff
Download Complete Activity and Planning Guide: DOC | PDF
ITAV Analysis Kickoff Pre-Work
- Determine who will be responsible for managing the kickoff process. One or two members of the program team or governance group are recommended as facilitators, or you may wish to engage outside facilitators.
- Determine the format of the Kickoff – i.e., in-person or virtual.
- Review the linked resources in the Planning/Facilitator Guide and customize them for your program.
- Complete Activity: Core Data Worksheet
- Schedule and carry out Activity: ITAV Analysis Kickoff.
ITAV Analysis Kickoff Activity Instructions
Introduction and kickoff description
Have the facilitator introduce the It Takes a Village in Practice Toolkit to the meeting participants and explain the purpose of the kickoff meeting
Core data and information sharing
Have the meeting facilitator or member of the program team present an overview of the Core Data gathered during the pre-work phase to all meeting participants. Allow time for those familiar with the data to speak about it, and for those unfamiliar to ask questions.
ITAV Phase Analysis Checklist
As a group, complete the ITAV Phase Analysis Checklist for each of the four facets in the ITAV Framework (Governance, Technology, Resources, and Community Engagement). The ITAV Analysis Checklist is designed to help your program determine which Phase of Sustainability you’re currently in: Getting Started, Growing, or Assessing and Evolving.
Identify and prioritize sustainability goals
As a group, prioritize two or three Objectives identified via the checklist to explore further using the ITAV toolkit. These might be strengths you’d like to amplify, weaknesses to shore up, opportunities to take advantage of, or threats to mitigate.
Wrap up
As a group, complete Part 1 of the ITAV Analysis Project Planning Template. The plan should be based on the baseline information gathered and priorities mapped during the kickoff.
Next Steps
Schedule and move on to Activity: ITAV Analysis Activity Selection. This activity can be completed synchronously or asynchronously.
ITAV Analysis Kickoff Planning and Facilitator Guide
Meeting Facilitation and Planning Resources
| ITAV Kickoff Introduction Slides | A short introduction to the ITAV Framework and to the Kickoff process for meeting attendees. The slides can be adapted for your program and include a suggested script. | ||
| ITAV Core Data Worksheet | The Core Data Worksheet should be filled out by program leadership / program management participants before the Kickoff event and presented to attendees during the event. It provides a baseline of information about the program's current sustainability status to all Kickoff attendees. | DOC | |
| ITAV Phase Analysis Checklist & Related Materials | Phase Analysis Checklist - a list of all Moving Forward Objectives in the Guidebook and is used during the Kickoff to determine what progress a program has made in achieving the Objectives, and which Objectives are the highest priority to achieve or sustain. | DOC | |
| Phase Analysis Checklist Slides - all Moving Forward Objective in slideshow format; one Objective per slide. | |||
| Phase Analysis Checklist Strategy Guide: In-Person - a detailed script and facilitation suggestions for completing the Phase Analysis Checklist during an in-person meeting. | DOC | ||
| Phase Analysis Checklist Strategy Guide: Virtual - a detailed script and facilitation suggestions for completing the Phase Analysis Checklist during a virtual meeting. | DOC | ||
| ITAV Analysis Project Planning Template | The Project Planning Template is completed at the end of the Kickoff meeting, and provides a place to note the outcomes of the Kickoff, and determine roles and timelines for moving forward. | DOC | |
| ITAV Analysis Activity Selection | ITAV Analysis Activity Selection is used to help choose the Toolkit Activities related to the high priority Objectives identified. This is a separate meeting from the Kickoff and can be completed synchronously or asynchronously. | DOC | |
| ITAV Kickoff Agenda Template | A template for a Kickoff agenda to share with meeting participants. | DOC | |
| Meeting Planning Checklists | A set of checklists to: gather key points about your program's Kickoff (e.g. purpose, date, time, and participants); manage the logistical tasks of the Kickoff including scheduling, collaboration tool identification and testing, and agenda and participant list development; manage the logistical tasks specific to an in-person Kickoff; manage the logistical tasks specific to a virtual Kickoff; and manage post-meeting follow up tasks. | DOC |