DEVELOPING SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIES

What is a strategy?

A strategy is how you are going to get things done.

Why develop strategies?

Take advantage of resources and opportunities
Respond effectively to resistance and barriers
More efficient use of time, energy, and resources

How to develop strategies

Organize a brainstorming meeting
Review the targets and agents of change
Review your vision, mission, and objectives
Work together to brainstorm the best strategies for your initiative

Some broad strategies

Prevention: reducing risks (increasing protection) for all
Early (and more intensive) intervention with those at higher risk
Collaborative partnerships involving all relevant parts of the community
Community development: building capacities for community (systems) change and improvement
Some more specific strategies
Enhancing experience and competence information, skill building educational opportunities
Enhancing resources and opportunities social support, caring relationships economic opportunities, life options
Modifying barriers and access poverty, discrimination, physical barriers access to opportunities
Changing the broader system policies, laws culture

Criteria for developing strategies

Strategies should:
Give overall direction
Fit resources and opportunities
Minimize resistance and barriers
Reach those affected
Advance the mission

Summary of types of strategies

Prevention
Early/intensive intervention
Enhancing experience and competence
Enhancing resources and opportunities
Modifying barriers/access
Changing broader system

Developing strategies: How to's

1. Set overall direction: the "how"
2. Examples: prevention, early/intensive intervention, experience and competence,
     resources and opportunities, barriers/access, broader system
3. Record, review (based on criteria), and revise

Practice exercise:

Creating strategies for your group
Prepare strategies for your group
Report them to the group
Consider whether they meet the criteria
Revise based on feedback