Using Multi-Objective Management to Reduce Flood Losses in Your

Chapter 5
Preparing a M-O-M Plan
A multi-objective management plan is a written statement of the facts, a review of
alternatives, and recommendations on how to meet community goals and
objectives. Anyone can prepare a plan−a report with recommendations of what
should be done. But only by following a proper planning process can you
determine what is best for your community and get everyone to agree on what
to do.
The process is the key. You may not need to produce a fancy document or
follow every step in detail. However, keep in mind the overall process, which
follows the headings for the sections in this chapter:
Organize
Involve other local people
Involve agencies and organizations
Define the problems
Agree on goals and objectives
Review alternatives and select the best ones
Prepare a written document
Get public and official acceptance
Implement and follow through.
Although the main objective in preparing a plan is to formalize your work, there
are other benefits, too. It is educational, because participants learn more about
their own and others’ concerns and learn about the techniques and measures that
can improve your community.
In addition, planning brings people together. The act of working
cooperatively to produce the document gives the participants “ownership” in the
product. Many people will want to see that what they worked on actually gets
implemented.
Finally, many state and federal programs require a plan as a prerequisite to
providing you with assistance. Funding organizations want to know how their
money fits into what the community wants to do. They also want to know how
their share can “leverage” more action by other people or groups. The written
plan explains what you’re doing and shows others how much you’re doing for
yourselves.
Organize
The most efficient way to get people to work together is to be organized.
Organizing gives each participant a specific responsibility, so the workload is
distributed and carried out by those who are or will become experts in certain
topics.
Organizing can be done informally by simply talking to the same people on
a regular basis. However, a more formal organization can be more productive,
especially as the issues expand and become more complex.
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