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

How to Plan, Implement, and Evaluate your
Action Plan
Step 1 — Organize for action
The first step in this phase is organizing for action. If key participants—those who will
play a role in implementing and evaluating strategies—are not currently involved in the
MAPP process, they should be recruited to participate.
Give careful thought to how implementation activities will be overseen. While specific
organizations or groups will be accountable for each objective, there should also be an
entity responsible for ensuring that the MAPP process is sustained.The group overseeing
implementation oversees the function of assuring sustainable implementation.
T
ips
from the Field:
• One of the most common failings in collaborative planning is ambiguity
about who is responsible for what. Make sure that everyone is on the same
page about who is doing what and when.
• Continue to engage new people and organizations throughout the process.
• Identify opportunities that can serve as celebratory events—an art contest,
a picnic, etc. These events keep people engaged.
• Empower community members to move the plan forward.
• Maintain accountability linkages to the action planning committee or entity.
• Encourage regular check-ins as the action plan is implemented.
How work will be completed and how connections will be made throughout the
planning and implementation process should also be determined. In order to assure
sustainable implementation the following questions should be considered:
1.What do we expect from the leaders of this process in terms of commitment,
presence, coordination, and so on?
2.What kinds of communication mechanisms need to be in place among
participants (including quality, frequency, breadth, and depth)?
3.What products should result from evaluation and monitoring activities
(e.g., evaluation model, reports, recognition, etc.)?
User Notes:
Phase 6:
THE ACTION CYCLE
89