3.5.2  Create a Strategic Planning Team

Since developing a strategic plan is complex and involves diverse segments of the community, establish a volunteer strategic planning team that will develop the strategic plan. Design and assign task teams based on specific aspects of the strategic plan and in relation to people’s expertise and interests, such as resources, organizational structure, public awareness, and target populations.

Strategic planning teams can be established for short- or long-term periods, depending on the specific issue that their planning efforts are designed to address. A resource development strategic planning team should be established as a long-term effort, measured in years. A specific effort, such as developing a strategic plan regarding a public service announcement, may be designed to be a short-term effort, measured in months. In addition, strategic planning teams may be convened to conduct strategic planning for selected risk factors, targeted subpopulations, or multi-program collaboration.

The bottom line is to aggressively recruit community-based individuals who have and want to share specific talents in the service of the program’s goals and objectives.