Comprehensive Strategy
Planning Process:
Page 4 of 4
The vision for participation in the Comprehensive Strategy project was
to continually expand and enhance participation and community involvement.
From the Planning Team members, participation would flow out to the many
community coalitions, boards, commissions and other groups who have a vested
interest in planning for child and family health, education and human services.
Our vision was an ever expanding
"Web" of participation - and ultimately - influence. While the
most active members would be those appointed by the Board of Commissioners,
inclusion was the goal.
To accomplish this task, a matrix was first created that documented Planning Team members participation in Tillamook County planning groups. The twenty original members also held positions on eighteen different board, commissions and advocacy groups within the county. Team members were also heavily involved in state-wide planning and policy bodies such as the Oregon Legislature, the Oregon Department of Education, and professional groups and coalitions.
Throughout the planning process, commission staff, Planning Team members and the planning coordinator made presentations to community groups and coalitions with the goal of engaging them in the process and, inevitably, taking responsibility for at least a portion of the implementation plan. In addition, community involvement strategies were developed to engage county citizens.
The vision for participation in the Comprehensive Strategy project was to continually expand and enhance participation and community involvement. From the Planning Team members, participation would flow out to the many community coalitions, boards, commissions and other groups who have a vested interest in planning for child and family health, education and human services. Our vision was an ever expanding "Web" of participation - and ultimately - influence. While the most active members would be those appointed by the Board of Commissioners, inclusion was the goal.
To accomplish this task, a matrix was first created that documented Planning Team members participation in Tillamook County planning groups. The twenty original members also held positions on eighteen different board, commissions and advocacy groups within the county. Team members were also heavily involved in state-wide planning and policy bodies such as the Oregon Legislature, the Oregon Department of Education, and professional groups and coalitions.
Throughout the planning process, commission staff, Planning Team members and the planning coordinator made presentations to community groups and coalitions with the goal of engaging them in the process and, inevitably, taking responsibility for at least a portion of the implementation plan. In addition, community involvement strategies were developed to engage county citizens.
Work Group Structure & Assignments
From the beginning of
the Comprehensive Strategy process, commission staff and the planning coordinator
strove to streamline the process and identify which tasks were most appropriate
for planning team work groups and which could be handled at a staff level.
As a result, the six work groups recommended by OJJDP were reduced to three.
Other assignments (media and outreach, monitoring and evaluation, etc) were
handled at the staff level. Three work groups were formed; each Planning
Team member was assigned to at least one work group. Additional work group
membership was recruited with an eye toward assuring that the needed expertise
was available, that the age continuum would be represented and that all
geographic areas of the county were involved. The three work groups and
their planning responsibilities follow:
Data Analysis Work Group
conduct a Community Assessment that determines the most critical issues facing children and families in Tillamook County. Results of the assessment will be used to develop prevention goals, strategies and activities. This workgroup reviewed national, state and local data to determine the health and welfare of children and families in Tillamook County. The data gathering and analysis process set the stage for on-going assessment and monitoring of key indicators of wellness by identifying indicators to be tracked over the next five to ten years. The results of the Community Assessment were shared during the Community Forum process in March 2000.
Develop the tools and processes necessary to conduct a thorough Resource Assessment. The assessment will detail resource availability, accessibility, adequacy, and community acceptance of specific programs and services. The results of the Resource Assessment will be used to determine new program development and existing program enhancement activities.
Analyze the current Juvenile Justice, Child Welfare, Chemical Dependency and Early Childhood systems. The results of the systems analysis process will be used to identify cross-system communication improvements, resource development, legislative and policy improvements and improved customer service. A special sub-group was convened to address the specific issues surrounding Home Visitation services in the county. The "Home Visitation" group met from March through May to develop detailed systems improvement plans for home visitors.
Work Groups met monthly from November 1999 through August 2000. Detailed information about each work group, membership, their assignments, progress and recommendations can be found in the accompanying sections of this plan. Each work group developed detailed recommendations for the Planning Team to consider; these recommendations form the foundation for Goals and Strategies as well as the implementation plan.
Community Outreach & Engagement
In an effort to gain greater community ownership and to expand
the general knowledge of Tillamook County citizens, the Comprehensive Strategy
Planning team developed strategies and activities to assure the broadest
possible community involvement. Strategies included multi-media presentations
to community groups and coalitions, community forums, personal interviews,
and questionnaires. Detailed accounts of these activities are included in
subsequent sections of this plan. Special effort was also made to assure
that "hard-to-reach" populations (Spanish speaking families, families
with special needs children, at-risk girls and young women, etc) were included
in the planning process.