STRATEGIC PLAN

Transcription

1 STRATEGIC PLAN Adopted January 26, 2015 Allegany County Community Opportunities and Rural Development, Inc. 84 Schuyler Street P.O. Box 573 Belmont, NY STRATEGIC PLAN Adopted January 26, 2015

2 STRATEGIC PLAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY HISTORY OF ACCORD Years from now when we reflect back on 2014, we will certainly remember it as a year of transition spurred by the retirement of ACCORD s Executive Director of over 30 years. New leadership took the reins in the Executive positions, as well as new Directors in the Child Care Services, Head Start, and Business and Community Development divisions. In 2014, we also celebrated the 50 th anniversary of the War on Poverty and the conception of Community Action. Looking towards the future, the agency is focused on systems efficiency, outcomes based data collection and decision making, employee engagement and high quality services delivery, just to name a few. The 50 th anniversary celebration brought about a renewed sense of inspiration, dedication and a reminder of the true important of the work that we do. As a united front, we will forge ahead in our fight to improve the community s response to rural poverty and to give a voice to the unheard. This strategic plan will guide the way. Lesley Gooch-Christman Executive Director ACCORD originated in 1972 as Housing Action Corporation, when a group of concerned citizens saw a need to improve the housing conditions of low and moderate income individuals and families residing in Allegany County (New York). Together, they formed a corporation, under Section 402 of the New York State Not-For-Profit Corporation Law, which would address that need. In 1985, steps were initiated with the New York State Department of State for designation as the Community Action Agency for Allegany County. A needs survey was performed, Allegany County Legislative support was established, and the Certificate of Incorporation was amended to change the purposes of the corporation to encompass a broader range of services as indicated through the survey results. On January 23, 1987, ACCORD s Board of Directors adopted a resolution to amend the Certificate of Incorporation to change its name to Allegany County Community Opportunities and Rural Development ( ACCORD ) Corporation, to reflect its broadened purposes as a newly designated Community Action Agency. Since that time, ACCORD has expanded its reach to include services such as Head Start, Child Care Resource and Referral, domestic violence, homeless prevention, respite care for youth with mental health diagnosis, after school programming, emergency food, business and community development, and ACCESS Centers where people in need receive centralized screening, referral, and support. ACCORD successfully operates an average of 65 federal, state and local contracts for service each year with an annual operating budget of over $8 million. These comprehensive services are based on an annual community needs assessment and are strategically designed to improve the quality of life for low income residents by providing support and opportunities aimed at increasing economic selfsufficiency, strengthening families, and enhancing community engagement.

3 STRATEGIC PLAN OUR MISSION STRATEGIC PLAN As a Community Action Agency we believe in the strength, dignity, and potential of all people. We offer access to opportunities, resources, and services to strengthen individuals, families and communities. We are committed to improving the community s response to rural poverty and giving a voice to the unheard. Our Vision Educate, Encourage, Empower. Our Core Values Compassion, Dignity, and Diversity: We care for all people as unique human beings worthy of compassion, dignity, and respect. We value diversity in families, our agency, and our community. Advocacy and Empowerment: We believe in advocating for social justice through education and empowerment. Commitment to Excellence: We are committed to the highest standards of excellence by fostering continuous improvement and innovation in response to the changing needs of our community. Professional Development: We value each employee and provide an environment that fosters professional development through continued education, sharing of knowledge and experience, and opportunities for challenging work. Partners and Collaborations: We recognize that strong collaborations and partnerships are the foundation of community mobilization and change. Accountability and Responsibility: We take responsibility for our attitudes, actions, and judgments and expect to be held accountable for them. We take great care to protect the resources entrusted to us. In January 2012, ACCORD began developing a new, 3-year agency strategic plan to incorporate the most recently completed needs assessment, input from staff, community partners, program participants, volunteers, and funding sources. The process began with asking staff to help design new mission, vision and values statements, which were used to guide the plan s development. The 3-year plan was approved by the ACCORD Board of Directors in May 2012, and all agency staff participated in implementation strategy training in October The plan was reviewed quarterly by the Executive, Deputy Executive and Division Director staff. All agency staff reviewed the plan during quarterly supervisory coaching sessions and provided comments and suggestions on its progress. The Board of Directors Planning Committee and the full Board of Directors received quarterly updates regarding the progress and barriers related to attaining strategic plan goals. By March 2014, it was evident that agency staff and committees had made tremendous progress in achieving nearly all of the goals outlined in the Plan. Accomplishments include implementation of an agencywide financial literacy program and the Family Wellbeing Scale to measure asset development among our participants; improvements in the management of agency facilities, including the sale of two properties; implementation of a new data management system and intentional focus on data driven decision making; improved financial status of the agency as a result of monthly finance meetings, training, accountability, and fundraising activities; development of board policies; a 10% reduction in the agency s voluntary staff turnover rate in 2013; implementation of cross training and succession planning; new employee coaching, 90-day, and annual performance evaluation systems; technology improvements; improved communication systems; and vast progress towards implementing paperless systems. With strong momentum related to accomplishment of the plan s goals, and high levels of staff engagement, the leadership team designed a plan to guide the strategic planning process for the new timeframe of January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2017.

4 STRATEGIC PLAN CURRENT ANALYSIS The leadership team and Board of Directors began the strategic planning process in April Key stakeholders, including staff, board members, volunteers, program participants, community members, and partner agencies, were surveyed to identify needs and strengths of ACCORD and the communities that we serve. In addition, the leadership team and board members completed the Core Capacity Assessment Tool (CCAT), which measure an organization s culture and capacity in the following areas: adaptive, leadership, management, and technical. The leadership team, with input from the board, analyzed the stakeholder surveys, the agency s 2014 Community Needs Assessment, and the CCAT results, and used the information to develop a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis to guide the goal development process. The summary of the SWOT analysis, which was developed in June 2014, is as follows: STRENGTHS: Characteristics of ACCORD that give it an advantage over others Comprehensive systems focused on planning and collaboration; we have made great gains in breaking down individual silos Strengths based approach to leadership development and services delivery; Heart of Coaching High quality community needs assessment and annual report Performance management systems; reduced staff turnover by 10% this past year Knowledge of our history; as an agency we are in tune with the needs of our community Data driven decision making and focus on quality improvement Number of physical locations and services offered Committed to professional development Benefits (health insurance, flexibility, accrued leave time) Joint accountability great learning environment where people can learn from their mistakes and ask questions Access to and improvements of our technology systems; centralized data collection system used by all programs (CAP60) Leadership commitment; trust in leadership Improved financial stability as an agency; better budget monitoring and sustainability plans Staff engagement in agency committees and community collaborations Team approach to resource development activities High promotion from within rate; cross training/succession planning Our vision, mission, and core values; commitment to excellence Established, long term programs; credibility with funding sources Centralized intake and assessment process Future focused proactive, not reactive Organizational learning; embrace change; resiliency as an agency Transparent and open; communication has improved

5 STRATEGIC PLAN CURRENT ANALYSIS WEAKNESSES: Characteristics that place ACCORD at a disadvantage relative to others Space geographically separated; not enough space; condition of buildings Information sharing need to encourage staff to share information with managers Lack of awareness of our mission (staff, community, partners) Lack of recognition activities within programs/sites New supervisors training and support Volunteer usage and coordination need to use TAB youth, Head Start parents, interns, etc. Outreach, marketing, poverty awareness in the community; connection to our mission Unequal opportunities to attend trainings based on program restrictions, budgets, etc. Accountability through coaching Doing more with less ; the workloads of some staff and managers are too heavy; need more staff to provide current level of service Customer service opportunity to improve physical space pertaining to accessibility, safety, and customer issues; need a centralized customer feedback system Some staff feel excluded; need to improve workplace friendliness Lack of diversity in the workplace (men and cultural diversity) Need to evaluate the effectiveness of providing services that are not fully funded (don t allow admin, salaries, etc.) More often cross-sharing divisionally; sharing with programs Training conference debriefing and action plan implementation Aging technology servers and switches OPPORTUNITIES: External chances to improve performance Service areas in which there are opportunities for expansion/improvement financial literacy, nutritional education, access to food, mental health and sex education for youth, workforce development/job readiness, music and art education for youth, housing rehabilitation services, male involvement Beautiful natural environment, agricultural communities The public transportation system has vastly improved in our county Many local funding opportunities (i.e., United Way, Alfred Hot Dog Days, etc.) Populations in which we could expand/develop services Opportunity areas that need further development strengthen partnerships with colleges and universities, improve risk management education for staff, volunteer usage and coordination, outreach and marketing, board development, expansion of services into the northern tier of the county, focusing on asset development of our clients to assist them in moving out of poverty People help each other; close knit communities; families are connected; low crime rate; safe communities Our school districts are great partners; located in each community Strong collaborations and partnerships among providers

6 STRATEGIC PLAN CURRENT ANALYSIS GOALS THREATS: External elements in the environment that could cause trouble for ACCORD Common core teacher disengagement National elections; political climate Student loan debt need to research forgiveness opportunities and find a way to retain college graduates Online degrees lack of experience in the workplace Increase in technology has resulted in employees having less workplace skills such as conflict resolution, communication, public speaking, etc. Poverty rate of single mothers in Allegany County; median income of men vs. women; percentage of children living in poverty Natural gas development issues pertaining to cost of housing increase Aging populations; youth are leaving our area to find jobs Low wages in our field; lack of living wage jobs Lack of child care slots Potential regionalization of non-profit organizations Funding uncertainty; sequestration Funding source limitations on indirect costs, cost per child, etc. Regionalization of school districts we can help with this through partnership building and relationships with districts External perception of issues that could occur with new leadership The way it s always been mentality at agency, county, state, and national levels Lack of economic development and jobs in our area; high taxes School shootings Literacy issues we use too much text in our outreach materials Vacant main streets and schools; aging housing stock Increased accountability of reporting expectations of funding sources The results of the SWOT analysis were used to develop the goals on the following pages. The leadership team conducted focus groups and solicited additional feedback from staff and board members through and phone conversations to assist in developing strategic goals during the months of July, August, and September 2014.

7 1 GOVERNANCE 2 CUSTOMER CARE To assure a high functioning tripartite Board of Directors through ongoing recruitment, training and communication. ⑴ The Board of Directors will enhance the agency s image and increase community investment in the agency by improving their visibility by attending fundraisers and awareness events, and by contributing to the agency s newsletter, social media presence, website, and other agency marketing/outreach opportunities. ⑵ The Board of Directors will financially contribute to the agency. ⑶ Board members will have signed board member job descriptions, which will include fiduciary responsibility, fundraising, community investment, professional development, and staff communication. ⑷ The Board of Directors will receive public relations training specific to the agency to ensure board members can summarize the agency s mission, articulate the strategic direction of the agency, and define the positive impact the agency has on the community. ⑸ Board vacancies will be filled within 90 days. ⑹ Board members will participate in at least 8 formal training sessions per fiscal year, and will be provided with professional development opportunities at least 4 times per fiscal year to include webinars, conferences, etc. related to Community Action and/or nonprofit board responsibilities. To provide a warm, inviting, customer-friendly environment to program participants, partners, and community members that call, visit our physical space, or visit our website / social media pages. ⑴ Create welcoming, safe and organized parking lots, entrance, meeting spaces, and office spaces at each ACCORD facility that make an excellent first impression each time an individual visits our sites. ⑵ Following the acquisition of a new telephone service plan, complete bi-annual assessments of the agency s telephone system to ensure that individuals contacting the agency by phone have a positive experience and are able to connect with the staff member, program, or department they desire in a timely manner. ⑶ Develop and implement a customer care and service philosophy and motto to ensure that customers are treated positively and consistently each time they interact with any ACCORD staff member. ⑷ Create a centralized customer satisfaction / feedback system to ensure that customers are satisfied with their experience at ACCORD. ⑸ Create a website that is user friendly, engaging, and meets the needs of our customers.

8 1 GOVERNANCE 3 COMMUNICATION continued To assure a high functioning tripartite Board of Directors through ongoing recruitment, training and communication. ⑺ Ensure that the composition of the Board of Directors meets all applicable regulatory standards. ⑻ Develop a Housing Advisory Council Group to analyze, discuss and report housing trends and concerns to the Board of Directors. ⑼ The Board of Directors will review and adopt a multi-year financial plan and evaluate current and possible funding streams, shifts in programming, and strategic opportunities in consideration of financial projections. ⑽ The Board of Directors will work with staff to set outcome based metrics and goals, as well as activity/efficiency metrics, with targets set for a 1-3 year period. To assure our employees are engaged and informed through transparent, accountable and comprehensive communication systems and practices. ⑴ Increase opportunities for staff to provide feedback, voice concerns, provide constructive criticism, and ask questions. ⑵ Executive staff will increase visibility by attending staff and committee meetings, regular and special program events to show support, and by listening to and encouraging feedback. ⑶ Agency staff will have a greater understanding of and commitment to the agency s mission and to Community Action. ⑾ The members of the Board of Directors will evaluate their own individual performance on a periodic basis.

9 4 TECHNOLOGY 5 DATA MANAGEMENT Identify gaps in services and underserved populations; develop, implement or expand programs and services to meet the needs of these populations. ⑴ Expand housing services to address substandard, unsafe and/or aging housing stock, lack of lowincome rental units, and overcrowding. ⑵ Expand / target services to assist all ACCORD clients with asset-building, enhancing their financial literacy skills and work readiness, prioritizing single mothers due to the staggering poverty rates for single women with children. ⑶ Increase the number of available child care slots over the next three years. ⑷ Explore the existing services structure for veterans, identify gaps, and determine the agency s role in meeting identified needs and opportunities to expand partnerships. To enhance the agency s ability to make sound, data driven decisions and demonstrate successful outcomes. ⑴ Utilize CAP60 to efficiently and effectively collect data to enhance the agency s ability to make data driven decision and to accurately report outcomes. ⑵ Ensure that ACCORD staff is trained to collect relevant data, and that ACCORD systems can present the captured data in a useful manner. ⑶ Ensure that the data sets being collected are relevant and incorporated into ACCORD s data program. ⑷ Research and implement a new agency-wide selfassessment tool. ⑸ Expand services to the school-age youth population within Allegany County. ⑹ Provide comprehensive adult education services.

10 6 TECHNOLOGY 7 VOLUNTEER DEVELOPMENT To improve the agency s aging technology, systems efficiency, and staff knowledge. ⑴ Ensure that ACCORD is using efficient, modern technology. ⑵ Complete a bi-annual internal assessment of the agency s Microsoft Outlook Public Folders system to ensure ease of use. ⑶ Ensure that ACCORD staff is adequately trained to utilize ACCORD s technology effectively and efficiently. Develop a comprehensive system for volunteer recruitment and retention to increase the annual total number of volunteers and volunteer program engagement hours. ⑴ Ensure current volunteer coordination, training and ongoing support. ⑵ The Division Director Cross Training Team will evaluate the future focus of the Community Action Angels program. ⑷ Ensure that ACCORD is able to efficiently collect payments, donations, and deliver its online courses.

11 8 PARTNERSHIPS 9 HIRING / RETENTION Develop and enhance relationships with key partners to advance common goals. ⑴ Improve existing partnerships related to services for veterans, small business development, early childhood education, and employment supports (including higher education). ⑵ Establish opportunities for ACCORD staff to learn about internal and external programs and available resources. To recruit and retain high performing employees through a sound retention strategy. ⑴ Develop leadership and cross-training opportunities to diversify the organization and to maintain high performing employees through engagement and training. ⑵ Reduce the turnover rate among employees that have been employed with ACCORD for less than three (3) years. ⑶ Develop and implement a staff retention strategy for On-Call and Substitute positions. ⑷ Utilize ACCORD s website and social media pages to engage employees and to recruit and attract talent. ⑸ Utilize 360 degree feedback to enhance employee development and to engage employees in the performance management process. ⑹ Maximize current systems to recruit potential talent and to diversify the agency s talent pool.

12 10 COMPENSATION 11 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT To ensure that employee workloads are fair and equitable, and that employee compensation is compensable to the position held. ⑴ Develop and implement systems to assure sustainable staffing patterns. ⑵ Develop and implement transition planning prior to an expected employee vacancy. ⑶ Assure an equitable and sustainable compensation structure that rewards performance and incorporates employees contributions to the agency s mission. To value each employee and provide an environment that fosters professional development through continued education, sharing of knowledge and experience, and opportunities for challenging work. ⑴ Each division will develop an annual employee training plan. ⑵ Integrate conflict resolution, communication and public speaking training into supervisory trainings and New Employee Orientation trainings. ⑶ Develop systems to assure that information and ideas gained as a result of attending external trainings, conference, seminars, workshops, etc. are shared with and disseminated to others within the agency to the greatest extent possible.

13 12 OUTREACH 13 FUNDRAISING To develop a brand that allows donors, supporters and clients to remember, recognize and trust the agency s mission, ideas, services and programs, building an agency identity that will separate ACCORD from similar organizations. ⑴ Define and target the agency s intended audience groups, determining the unique desires and preferred method(s) of delivery of each group. ⑵ Create a website that is visually appealing, dynamically built, and developed on a strong platform to maintain a strong online presence and to assure the agency s website serves as the center of interaction between ACCORD and its stakeholders. ⑶ The agency will utilize social media including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and an advocacy blog to inform the community about agency activities and to provide education on social issues. Diversify and enhance funding opportunities to achieve the agency s mission and sustainability. ⑴ Identify and implement soft fundraising activities. ⑵ Establish a Resource Development / Fundraising Committee. ⑶ Develop an Agency Fundraising Plan. ⑷ Develop a Resource Development / Fundraising database. ⑸ Establish a Resource Development staff position to coordinate and cultivate grant opportunities, planned giving, and donor development. ⑹ Increase the agency s unrestricted fund balance to meet two percent (2%) of agency revenue. ⑷ Agency stakeholders will receive information and education about services, events, and social issues. ⑸ Assure efficient use of outreach opportunities and events.

14 14 15 RISK MANAGEMENT EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT Formalize risk management systems. ⑴ Develop systems to ensure that essential plans remain current and that leadership has a strong knowledge of key elements. ⑵ Formalize an exit strategy for staff terminations, both voluntary and involuntary. ⑶ Formalize internal and external risk management controls. Develop a strong commitment to the agency s mission by increasing employee engagement. ⑴ Create an agency environment that promotes inclusion and recognition. ⑵ Establish and communicate committee participation, expectations, and accomplishments. ⑶ Promote the agency s vision, mission and core values throughout the agency. ⑷ Eliminate risk by centralizing all agency operating procedures and making them available to staff. STRATEGIC PLAN EVALUATION The Leadership Team will review this Strategic Plan and evaluate progress every three (3) months during Division Directors Cross Training Team meetings. During these evaluation sessions, each goal, performance target and strategy will be discussed, and progress and/or barriers to accomplishing each goal, performance target and strategy will be recorded in the Status section of each strategy. The Leadership Team will determine if goals need to be altered or abandoned due to changes in circumstances. The Community Needs Assessment will be analyzed at least annually by the Leadership Team to assure we remain focused and responsive to the ever changing needs of the individuals and families residing in our communities. The Leadership Team will submit an evaluation summary to the Board of Directors Planning Committee on a quarterly basis. A formal written update will be submitted to the Board of Directors in January of each year. This information will also be shared with agency staff via , during staff meetings, and in Public Folders. Evaluation updates of this Plan will also be published in the agency s newsletter in January of each year for the purpose of disseminating the information to key stakeholders.