Planning and commissioning your programmes
To achieve successful results, you need to turn your strategies into action through well planned programmes of work. As with the development of vision, values and strategy, all ten of the challenging questions can help you with this process. The following questions are particularly important:
- How should leaders promote the values of equality, diversity and cohesion in each programme and project?
- What outcomes are you trying to achieve for each community and is there any conflict or contradiction between different desired outcomes?
- Have you assessed the risks that might affect the success of the programme and what arrangements do you have to review objectives and targets as circumstances change?
- What arrangements have you made for management and accountability? It is particularly important to be clear about this when you are working in partnership. Who is responsible for leading the work? Have you allocated clear roles and responsibilities?
- Have you established clear baselines?
- What are the timescales you are working towards?
- What milestones do you need to set?
- How will you involve the interested communities?
- How will each programme or project affect the accessibility of services for different communities?
- What measurable outcomes will you expect from providers and suppliers for each programme or project?
- How will you communicate with partners and communities and promote cohesion in the way you manage this programme or project?
- What information do you need about the communities that may be affected by this programme or project?
- What training or support do staff require to deliver successfully on this programme? How can this programme help to develop staff competencies on community cohesion issues?
- What arrangements do you need for monitoring and evaluating success?
- How will you ensure sustainability of the work you are doing? If you are working with temporary funding, what is your exit strategy?
The Stoke-on-Trent Pathfinder developed a programme planning tool that linked to their health impact zone, using quality of life indicators that record the positive and negative perspectives around health, transport, housing and environment. This has provided a sound basis for developing their programmes for addressing cohesion issues.