Mission / Vision

Goal: To enable program governance to consider and create a Mission and Vision Statement if they do not already have one. Having a Mission and Vision Statement are helpful for many of the ITAV activities. 

Strategic Priorities

Goal: To enable program governance to consider and create some high level strategic priorities if they do not already have them. These are helpful for many of the ITAV activities. 

Who is Your Community?

Goals: To identify community stakeholders, consider goals for each stakeholder group,

and prioritize community stakeholders 

This is helpful as pre-work, but also for programs in any phase. Note, there is a fuller version of this in the Community Engagement Facet.

Phase 1 Objectives include: Define the Need for Governance; Review Existing Governance Models; Selecting the Governance Model that Works Best Now, and Communicating Changes to Stakeholders

Catastrophizing

Goals: Understand how the program’s current governance model (or decision making) works with unexpected issues; Understand if the model works well or has gaps; and Identify the kinds of issues that need to be solved.

Note: This activity is valuable for any phase. 

Checklist of Governance Elements

Goals: Understand the elements of various governance models, and determine which your governance structure currently has.

Understanding Governance Models and Process Impact

Goal: Understand the range of various governance models, how they function, and what they could mean for your own program. 

Structure: How Much Works Best for Your Program Now

Goal: Understand program needs in terms of more or less formality in governance structure.

Selecting a Governance Model that Fits Your Program Needs

Goal: Choose the governance model that most closely aligns with your program’s priorities and values.

Articulating the Case for Change

Goals: Draft your communication strategy and communicate change to your stakeholders.

Evaluate Communication Campaign Feedback

Goal: Evaluate how well your communication campaign was received.

Phase 2 Objectives include: Document Existing Governance Practices. Evaluate Each Element of Existing Governance, Increase the Level of Community Engagement, and Evaluate Long Term Home Organization Options

Catastrophizing

[links to first one; list in each phase?]

Goals: Test resiliency of current model; Understand how the program’s current governance model (or decision making) works with unexpected issues; Understand if the model works well or has gaps; Identify the kinds of issues that need to be solved; and Document governance policies or decision making process.

Pack Your Bags - Mapping Decision Journeys

Goals: Enumerate the strategic and tactical decisions the program stakeholders are faced with; Enumerate the paths those decisions take before they are finalized; For decisions that have no path, identify choke points, redundancies; and Identify gaps or areas of governance or program management that need improvement.

Financial and Organizational Stability Assessment Checklist

Goals: Assess the financial and organizational stability of your program’s governance, and identify gaps or areas of governance that need improvement.

Position Descriptions for Elected Leaders

Goals: Create, update, or confirm position descriptions for elected leaders; Help elected leaders and community members understand the roles and responsibilities of each position; and Facilitate succession planning.

Creating Personas

Goals: Create more explicit stakeholder personas to help guide community efforts.

Recognition and Contributions

Goals: Understand how the program currently recognizes contributions; Understand how recognitions and contributions are incorporated into the program; Understand the kind of recognition that is most appreciated/motivating to each kind of contributor; and Discover how the program can improve in this area.

Org Home Process: A) Requirements Gathering and Assessment

Goals:  Determine if you need a new organization to provide organizational home functions; gather requirements for assessment and decision.

Org Home Process: B) Core Values Match Assessment

Goals: Determine which values are important for your program to help with evaluation. 

Org Home Process: C: Program Services Evaluation Matrix

Goal: Determine which services are important in selecting a home organization for your program.

Five Elements Assessment

[reformat? license doesn’t allow…] pretty complicated 

Goals: Evaluate the program’s current governance structure, determine potential needs, and prioritize work going forward.

Phase 3 Objectives include Support Consistent Structures, Continue to Evaluate and Evolve Governance Practices and Expand community Participation in Governance

Succession Planning

Goals: Identify critical positions within your organization; Identify future staffing needs; Identify people with the skills and potentials to perform future roles; Develop action plans for individuals to assume those positions.

Continuing Education

Goals: Determine what information is necessary for Board members to feel invested, informed and engaged; Identify topics that inform Board discussions and decisions; Create a continuing education plan (schedule and content) based on those topics for Board members.

Catastrophizing     

Goals: Test resiliency of current model; Understand how the program’s current governance model (or decision making) works with unexpected issues; Understand if the model works well or has gaps; Identify the kinds of issues that need to be solved; and Document governance policies or decision making process.

Representative Governance Assessment Checklist     

Goals: Evaluate if governance structure is representative, prioritize any gaps, document or revise governance policies or decision making process, and devise a plan to make change to practices.

Expanding Community Participation

Goal: Develop a plan to expand community participation in governance.