How is your planning?

Remember the Program Performance Report (PPR) that you submitted the end of December? In one of those sections — Section 6.2.1 — you were required to “establish clear priorities through annual and 3-year program and financial planning objectives for the center, including overall goals or a mission for the center, a work plan for achiving the goals or mission, specific objectives, service priorities, and types of services to be provided, and a description that shall demonstrate how the proposed activities of the applicant are consistent with the most recent 3-year State plan”. Let’s break this down a little.

First, the funder wants to know what you plan to do with the funds you receive. How will they be used? What are your program priorities? Usually this is determined by your board, with input from others. You may or may not publish a three year plan, but you need to have one. The priorities and goals flow from the mission the board establishes. That isn’t enough, though. You need to have specific objectives you plan to achieve (and that you will report on in next year’s report).

Second, you need to address financial goals. One way to do this is to examine what resource development activities you want to conduct. You are required to do resource development, so those are good financial goals. Others might include ways you plan to implement better internal controls, or adding a fee for service option that you expect will increase your funds.

Finally, your goals need to be compatible with your State Plan for Independent Living. How does what your center plans to achieve dovetail with what the network in your state wants to achieve?

Your PPR is reviewed by the Office of Independent Living Programs. (Yes, that has been happening and you may have heard from them.) You may get questions if you didn’t provide a thorough response in this section. Remember that planning for the future, and achieving that plan, are important in your center’s work.