Plan

• Who is most affected by the issue, who is responsible for addressing it, and how will their meaningful participation in planning be ensured?
• What is the shared vision and mission for advancing community engagement, and what will it take to get there?
• What do we hope to accomplish, by how much, and by when?
• What factors contribute to the problem or goal, and how can we reach and engage those most affected and best positioned to make change?
• What particular strategies are most likely to lead to success in this context?
• How can promising or evidence-based approaches be adapted to fit local conditions?

1. Engage key community members and stakeholders in planning, including those who are affected by, interested in, and responsible for advancing community engagement within your unit, program or group.
2. Develop a shared vision and mission that clearly articulates what the engagement effort seeks to achieve and why it matters. 
3. Define measurable objectives that specify how much change is expected and within what timeframe.
4. Review potential strategies to develop a plan that fits the context of your unit. Strategies may focus on: 
   • Reaching and engaging particular groups experiencing inequities (i.e., related to race, ethnicity, gender, income)
   • Addressing relevant factors and determinants affecting the problem/goal, including:
     • Personal factors such as knowledge, beliefs, skills, education and training, education and training, experience, cultural norms and practices, social status, cognitive or physical abilities, gender, age, and genetic predisposition. 
     • Environmental factors such as social support, available resources and services, barriers (including financial, physical, and communication), social approval, incentives and disincentives, time costs and delays, policies, living conditions, poverty, and disparity in status.
     • Social determinants that produce inequities such as differences in exposure and opportunity, vulnerability and capacity, and consequences. 
5. Select strategies to be used in the initiative, including:
   • Evidence-based and practice-based approaches relevant to the issue.
   • Specific organizational or systems changes such as modifying policies, strengthening services and supports, modifying access, barriers and opportunities, providing information and enhancing skills.
6. Identify who can best implement strategies, and how they can be engaged, including:
   • Those intended to benefit, particularly groups most affected by inequities and those whose actions are critical for success. 
   • Agents of change who have the authority or influence to address contributing factors (e.g., administrators, student leaders, community leaders)
   • Channels of influence either across the university or in the community through which people can be reached and engaged (e.g., Provost’s Office, Office for Community Impact, Student Affairs, Center for Service Learning, Office of Faculty Development, Center for Teaching Excellence, etc.)

Explore these resources from the Community Tool Box