Idaho Case Study

Strategic Planning Process to Address Tobacco-Related Disparities in Idaho

Timeline

Planning

• July-December: Collect prepare, and synthesize data for Idaho, present grant objectives to representatives of population groups, identify and hire facilitator
• January: Attend CDC training, plan strategic planning process
• February: Intensively recruit Workgroup members
• March: Recruit Workgroup members, select evaluator, set agenda, design evaluation tools, send out information
• April: Hold first Workgroup meeting, present synthesis of data available, assign environmental scans and SWOT analysis, administer evaluation tool
• May: Compile results of Workgroup meeting evaluations; set and distribute agenda for June meeting; solicit feedback about agenda from potential Workgroup members
• June: Hold second Workgroup meeting, present three environmental scans and SWOT analyses, choose five issue areas to use as goal areas, assign Project Director job of drafting preliminary strategic plan, administer evaluation tool
• July: Work on draft of strategic plan, compile results of Workgroup meeting evaluations, solicit feedback from Workgroup meeting attendees and those invited to be participants in Workgroup
• August: Work on draft of strategic plan, set and distribute agenda for September meeting; send out draft of strategic plan; solicit feedback from Workgroup members
• September: Hold third Workgroup meeting, present draft of strategic plan, determine revisions to strategic plan in workgroup meeting, administer evaluation tool
• October: Solicit feedback from Workgroup meeting attendees and those invited to be participants in Workgroup re: revisions to strategic plan, incorporate revisions into final draft of strategic plan, compile results of Workgroup meeting evaluations
• November: Distribute final draft of strategic plan to Workgroup members for approval, present strategic plan to state for acceptance, compile results of Workgroup meeting evaluations, conduct key informant interviews
• December: develop publication copy of strategic plan, request state to develop plan to market strategic plan, compile results of key informant interviews, write case study as final evaluation report.
  
  Collecting the data prior to beginning the actual strategic planning process took six months. During this time, the Tobacco Program presented the grant objectives to various groups and constituencies. Community leaders were contacted and provided a "heads up" about the strategic planning process to occur.
  
  Planning included the development of the strategic planning process according to CDC guidelines, hiring the facilitator and selecting the evaluator, recruiting the Strategic Planning Workgroup members and setting the agenda for the first Workgroup meeting. These processes took three months.

Implementation

The entire process took eighteen months. The planning process, the identification of appropriate data, and informing key community members lasted from July through December. The strategic planning tasks commenced in January with the CDC meeting and were completed the next December with publication of the strategic plan.

Evaluation

The evaluation tasks took nine months. The evaluation commenced with the selection of an independent evaluator in March.

• March: Development of evaluation plan. Meetings with Project Director and Facilitator. Development of evaluation tools.
• April: Administration of Workgroup Meeting evaluation tool.
• May: Meeting with Project Director and Facilitator. Compilation of evaluation tool results.
• June: Administration of Workgroup Meeting evaluation tool.
• July: Meeting with Project Director and Facilitator. Compilation of evaluation tool results.
• August: Meeting with Project Director and Facilitator.
• September: Administration of Workgroup Meeting evaluation tool.
• October: Meeting with Project Director and Facilitator. Compilation of evaluation tool results. Key informant interviews.
• November: Compilation of key informant interview results.
• December: Writing of case study for final evaluation report incorporating results of evaluation tools and key informant interviews.