MAPP Handbook - The National Association of County and City ...

Phase 6:
THE ACTION CYCLE
T
he Action Cycle can be summarized as follows:
• Planning —
• Implementation —
• Evaluation —
Determining what will be done, who will do it, and
how it will be done.
Carrying out the activities identified in the
planning stage.
Determining what has been accomplished.
Each of these activities builds upon the others in a continuous and interactive manner. The
strategies identified in the previous phase form the foundation for the Action Cycle.
During this phase, the efforts of the previous phases begin to produce results, as the
local public health system develops and implements an action plan for addressing the
strategic issues.
Planning for Action
In planning for implementation, participants must be clear about what is being done, by
whom, and with what measurable result. Care should be taken to ensure that
objectives are:
• Valid and reliable.
• Clearly measurable.
• Directly associated with the achievement of the strategy.
• Responsive to changes in expected results.
Objectives should also:
• Provide timely feedback at a reasonable cost.
• Link performance to the expected improvement.
• Tighten rather than diffuse accountability.