Some beta testers have kindly provided samples of their work with activities. They are included below as available.
Pre-Work | |||
These are activities that may be helpful if you haven’t already done strategic planning. | |||
A. Mission / Vision | Goal: To enable program governance to consider and create a Mission and Vision Statement if you do not already have one. Having a Mission and Vision Statement are helpful for many of the ITAV activities. Examples: Mission Vision; Mission Vision | ||
B. Strategic Priorities | Goal: To enable program governance to consider and create some high level strategic priorities if you do not already have them. These are helpful for many of the ITAV activities. | DOC | |
C. 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. Example | DOC |
Phase 1: Establishing Governance | |||
Phase 1 Objectives include: Define the Need for Governance; Review Existing Governance Models; Select the Governance Model that Works Best Now, and Communicate Changes to Stakeholders | |||
1. 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 and document issues that need to be solved. Note: This activity is valuable for any phase. Examples: Ideate, Prioritize, Gap Related Objectives: Define the Need for Governance | DOC | |
2. Governance Elements - Checklist and Planning Tool | Goals: Understand the elements of various governance models, and determine which your governance structure currently has and prioritize future elements. Example. Related Objectives: Review Existing Governance Models | DOC | |
3. Understand 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. Related Objectives: Review Existing Governance Models | DOC | |
4. Choose Your Own Governance | Goal: Enumerate the decisions for stakeholders, enumerate responsibility, match roles with decision making groups and validate governance model against scenarios. Related Objectives: Select the Governance Model that Works Best Now | DOC | |
5. Documenting and Implementing a Governance Structure | Goal: Finalize an initial governance structure Related Objectives: Select the Governance Model that Works Best Now | DOC | |
6. Articulate the Case for Change | Goals: Draft your communication strategy and communicate change to your stakeholders. Related Objectives: Communicate Changes to Stakeholders | DOC | |
7. Evaluate Communication Campaign Feedback | Goal: Evaluate how well your communication campaign was received. Related Objectives: Communicate Changes to Stakeholders | DOC |
Phase 2: Stabilizing Governance | |||
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 | |||
8. Catastrophizing | Goals: Test resiliency of current model; Understand how the program’s current governance (or decision making) works with unexpected issues; Understand if the model works well or has gaps; Identify and document issues that need to be solved. Examples: Ideate, Prioritize, Gap Related Objectives: Evaluate Each Element of Existing Governance | DOC | |
9. 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. Related Objectives: Evaluate Each Element of Existing Governance | DOC | |
10. 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. Related Objectives: Evaluate Each Element of Existing Governance | DOC- Activity DOC - Checklist | PDF Activity PDF - Checklist |
11. 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. Related Objectives: Document Existing Governance Practices | DOC | |
12. Create Personas | Goals: Create more explicit stakeholder personas to help guide community efforts. Related Objectives: Increase the Level of Community Engagement | DOC | |
13. Recognition and Contributions | Goals: Understand how the program currently recognizes contributions; Understand how recognition 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. Related Objectives: Increase the Level of Community Engagement | DOC | |
14. Org Home: Requirements Gathering and Assessment | Goals: Determine if you need a new organization to provide functions; gather requirements for assessment and decision. Related Objectives: Evaluate Long Term Home Organization Options | DOC | |
15. Five Elements Assessment | Goals: Evaluate the program’s current governance structure, determine potential needs, and prioritize work going forward. Related Objectives: Evaluate Each Element of Existing Governance | DOC |
Phase 3: Evolving Governance | |||
Phase 3 Objectives include Support Consistent Structures, Continue to Evaluate and Evolve Governance Practices and Expand Community Participation in Governance | |||
16. 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. Related Objectives: Continue to Evaluate and Evolve Governance Practices; Expand Community Participation in Governance | DOC | |
17. 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. Related Objectives: Support Consistent Structures | DOC | |
18. Catastrophizing | Goals: Test resiliency of current model; Understand how the program’s current governance (or decision making) works with unexpected issues; Understand if the model works well or has gaps; Identify and document issues that need to be solved. Examples: Ideate, Prioritize, Gap Related Objectives: Continue to Evaluate and Evolve Governance Practices | DOC | |
19. 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. Related Objectives: Continue to Evaluate and Evolve Governance Practices; Expand Community Participation in Governance | DOC - Activity DOC - Checklist | PDF - Activity PDF - Checklist |
20. Expand Community Participation | Goal: Develop a plan to expand community participation in governance. Related Objectives: Expand Community Participation in Governance | DOC |
You can use any of the activities in any order but we have designed some suggested pathways based on a few personas: