STEPS Strategic Plan 2017 2020

STEPS Strategic Plan 2017 – 2020

April 27, 2017

Table of Contents

Purpose and Overview3

Leadership5

Vision and Mission7

Goals and Benchmarks8

Purpose and Overview

In November of 2014, the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Governor, Terry McAuliffe, announced that STEPS was selected as the designated Community Action Agency (CAA) for the Counties of Amelia, Buckingham, Cumberland, Lunenburg, Nottoway and Prince Edward. As such, STEPS became the lead organization assisting low-income individuals to identify ways to move their lives forward. With this designation, STEPS has become even more focused on the mission of promoting self-sufficiency and working to alleviate poverty. Through a strategic process, STEPS is growing from an agency, previously viewed as one primarily providing employment and services to persons with disabilities, to one of a “go –to” lead organization broadly serving people with an array of needs and moving them toward self-sufficiency.

One of the first comprehensive activities STEPS performed as a new CAA was to conduct a Community Needs Assessment. This Needs Assessment was completed in 2016 and the results will be utilized to compile a Community Action Plan. The Needs Assessment has also informed the development of this Strategic Plan which will position the organization and its leadership for a future that will best guide efforts to help those individuals in need throughout our region.

Forming this Strategic Plan over the five months, from December 2016 through April 2017 was a multifaceted approach which included STEPS staff, Boardmembers, input from the citizens who provided the information in the Needs Assessment, and a specially formed Strategic Planning Committee. The process began with planning sessions between STEPS executive staff and the consultant designed the framework. The initial launching of the process began with meeting the Board to gather their thoughts, concerns and the critical questions they believed should be posed as the organization moves forward. The members of the Strategic Planning Committee were chosen to include Board members, staff and stakeholders in the community who it was felt could provide energy and insight into the process.

Three work sessions were held with the Strategic Planning Committee to develop draft Goals and success Benchmarks. During these meetings, the committee examined the following data and identified both strategic opportunities and risks:

STEPS Community Needs Assessment, 2016
STEPS four Pillars of Service
Summary information on the missions, programs, services and varying approaches of three other Virginia Community Action Agencies
STEPS Employee Satisfaction Survey results
STEPS Current Operations PowerPoint
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) PowerPoint

Follow up sessions with the Executive staff completed the work and contents have been finalized for this draft Strategic Plan, spanning the work of STEPS over the next three years. This draft is presented to the Board for its approval on April 27, 2017.

Leadership

STEPS Board Members and Executive:

STEPS Strategic Plan 2017-2020Page 1

Government Representatives

Judy M. Jones – Amelia County Board of Supervisors (BOS)

Taylor Harvie, Amelie Alternate

Harry Bryant – Buckingham County BOS

Becky Carter, Buckingham Alternate

William “Kevin” Ingle – Cumberland BOS

Jerry Seal- Cumberland Alternate

Edward W. Pennington – Lunenburg BOS

Tracy Gee- Lunenburg Alternate

Helen Simmons – Nottoway BOS

Jerry Townsend – Prince Edward BOS

Wade Bartlett- Prince Edward Alternate

Representatives of Individuals Living in Poverty

Debra Adams – Amelia County

Linda Paige – Buckingham County

Van H. Petty, Sr. – Cumberland County

Lena Hipps-Clarke – Lunenburg County

Vacant – Nottoway County

Torrie Patterson – Prince Edward County

Community Representatives

Tessie B. Bacon- Attorney

Wanda Bass – Special Education Professional

Kenneth Patterson- Veteran

Dr. Odessa Pride- Chair, Head Start Policy Council

Teresa Stewart – Banking

Jennifer Townsend – Business Owner

President and CEO

Sharon L. Harrup

STEPS Strategic Plan 2017-2020Page 1

Strategic Planning Committee:

STEPS Board Members

Debra Adams

Van H. Petty, Sr.

Linda Page

Community Partners

Jennifer Cox – Longwood College

Kerry Mossler – Centra Health

Rucker Snead –Hampden-Sydney College

STEPS Staff

Matthew Agnor –Finance Manager

Amy Beatson – Vice President of Programs, ROMA Implementer

Carolyn Early- Head Start

Sharon L. Harrup, President & CEO

Consultants: The Clay Christensen Group, LLC

Becky Clay Christensen

Denise Ambrose

STEPS Strategic Plan 2017-2020Page 1

Mission

STEPS leads, coordinates, creates and delivers quality opportunities to impact self-sufficiency and reduce poverty throughout our region.

Vision

STEPS is positively impacting our citizens to succeed, our families to thrive and our communities to improve.

Goals and Benchmarks

FAMILY:

GOAL 1:

STEPS will respond to the Community Needs Assessment with a Community Action Plan that addresses needs including: jobs, transportation, health (mental, physical and dental), affordable day care and affordable housing.

Benchmarks:

Best practice models in place that support more effective evaluation of existing programs, by June 2018.
Evidenced-based case management services in place to provide more holistic, effective response to family needs, in place byJune 2019.

COMMUNITY:

GOAL 1 (Relationships)

STEPS will leverage its relationships withlocal, regional, state and federal partners to successfully implement STEPS Mission and Vision.

Benchmarks:

Update the STEPS mission and vision on digital media, seeking reciprocal links to community partners’ sites by July 2018.
Convene partners around issues documented in the Community Needs Assessment in order to raise awareness and inspire creative, effective response, by June 2018.

GOAL 2 (Communication)

STEPSwill effectively tell its story through meaningful outreach and communication, in order to bring solid information concerning the conditions in the region and to demonstrate STEPS value to the community.

Benchmarks:

Establish STEPS ‘s rebranding with a regional identity as a “go to” link between need and solution by June 2018.
Create an organizational Communications Plan by December 2017 that addresses diverse opportunities for outreach, social media, in-person presentations and participating in community events.

ORGANIZATIONAL:

GOAL 1 (Staff & Management Development)

STEPS will achieve enhanced agency capacity through the improvement of staff morale and retention.

Benchmarks:

Management will clarify expectations for individual staffing capacity, and develop strategies for training and development of staff by June 2018.
Internal communication strategies will be developed and implemented to provide feedback for both staff and management by December 2017.
Staff retention will be measured against current retention rate, with a baseline established by December 2017.

GOAL 2 (Capturing data)

STEPS will achieve a systematic approach to capture all data which needs reporting, and data which completes the picture of STEPS work.

Benchmarks:

Decisions will be data-driven as STEPS’s programs are planned and evaluated, and as funding is pursued, by June 2018.
Reporting mechanisms will be in place to support more effective Board Governance, by June 2018.
Leadership will assess Return on Investment as part of programmatic analytics as of June 2019.

STEPS Strategic Plan 2017-2020Page 1