Strategic Planning the RBA way Stephen Mondy and Merissa Barden Centacare Broken Bay Oh no, not someone else with a mission statement!

Typical Strategic Planning tasks Analysing and assessing the current situation, including the external environment. Confirming the ongoing work. Identifying what the organisation wants to achieve. Deciding on any changes to ongoing work and new activities. Identifying the resources and risks associated with doing so. Describing how the organisation will know that the plan is being followed and objectives are being achieved.

“In most organizations, strategic planning processes are completely useless.” (Friedman, 2005, p.114) Plans are developed - never used. Vision/mission/values first…goal setting, action planning… Confusion between strategic plans and operational/business plans. Top down – product not process

Why is strategic planning so complex?

Real World Diocese Council Programs Politics Funding bodies Partners Real needs Centacare Com- petitors Management What works Standards Factors influencing strategic planning Clients

Purpose and benefits to the Agency Direction and common purpose. Clarity about what is to be done. Increased control over future development. A basis for monitoring and evaluating performance. A clear way of communicating.

Brief (July 2009) Involve staff at all levels of the organisation and key stakeholders including: all Centacare staff Centacare management the Centacare Council Internal stakeholders: o Diocesan staff o the Catholic Schools Office o Broken Bay Institute staff o Parish staff o priests External stakeholders: o clients o funders o partners o peak bodies

Brief (July 2009) Involve staff at all levels of the organisation and key stakeholders including: all Centacare staff where practicable Centacare management the Centacare Council Internal stakeholders: o Diocesan staff o the Catholic Schools Office o Broken Bay Institute staff o Parish staff o priests External stakeholders: o clients o funders o partners o peak bodies Inclusive Short Simple Delivered in <6 months Outcomes

Decision to use RBA Had been looking at it anyway Simple Plain language Easy to understand Inclusive Focused on results or outcomes Could be implemented immediately Could be used to introduce staff to RBA through strategic planning with a view to introducing it as a performance measurement framework

Typical Strategic Planning tasks Analysing and assessing the current situation, including the external environment. Confirming the ongoing work. Identifying what the organisation wants to achieve. Deciding on any changes to ongoing work and new activities. Identifying the resources and risks associated with doing so. Describing how the organisation will know that the plan is being followed and objectives are being achieved. RBA How much did we do? How well did we do it? Is anyone better off?

Typical Strategic Planning tasks Analysing and assessing the current situation, including the external environment. Confirming the ongoing work. Identifying what the organisation wants to achieve. Deciding on any changes to ongoing work and new activities. Identifying the resources and risks associated with doing so. Describing how the organisation will know that the plan is being followed and objectives are being achieved. RBA How much did we do? How well did we do it? Is anyone better off?

Typical Strategic Planning tasks Analysing and assessing the current situation, including the external environment. Confirming the ongoing work. Identifying what the organisation wants to achieve. Deciding on any changes to ongoing work and new activities. Identifying the resources and risks associated with doing so. Describing how the organisation will know that the plan is being followed and objectives are being achieved. RBA Past Future How much did we do? How much do we want to do? How well did we do it? How well do we want to do it? Is anyone better off? Will anyone be better off?

Typical Strategic Planning tasks Analysing and assessing the current situation, including the external environment. Confirming the ongoing work. Identifying what the organisation wants to achieve. Deciding on any changes to ongoing work and new activities. Identifying the resources and risks associated with doing so. Describing how the organisation will know that the plan is being followed and objectives are being achieved. RBA Past Future How much did we do? How much do we want to do? How well did we do it? How well do we want to do it? Is anyone better off? Will anyone be better off?

Typical Strategic Planning tasks Analysing and assessing the current situation, including the external environment. Confirming the ongoing work. Identifying what the organisation wants to achieve. Deciding on any changes to ongoing work and new activities. Identifying the resources and risks associated with doing so. Describing how the organisation will know that the plan is being followed and objectives are being achieved. RBA Past Future How much did we do? How much do we want to do? How well did we do it? How well do we want to do it? Is anyone better off? Will anyone be better off?

Typical Strategic Planning tasks Analysing and assessing the current situation, including the external environment. Confirming the ongoing work. Identifying what the organisation wants to achieve. Deciding on any changes to ongoing work and new activities. Identifying the resources and risks associated with doing so. Describing how the organisation will know that the plan is being followed and objectives are being achieved. RBA Past Future How much did we do? How much do we want to do? How well did we do it? How well do we want to do it? Is anyone better off? Will anyone be better off?

Typical Strategic Planning tasks Analysing and assessing the current situation, including the external environment. Confirming the ongoing work. Identifying what the organisation wants to achieve. Deciding on any changes to ongoing work and new activities. Identifying the resources and risks associated with doing so. Describing how the organisation will know that the plan is being followed and objectives are being achieved. RBA Past Future How much did we do? How much do we want to do? How well did we do it? How well do we want to do it? Is anyone better off? Will anyone be better off?

Equivalence – the RBA framework is a strategic planning framework Isomorphic mapping between RBA and traditional tasks of strategic planning

What did we do? 1. Gained support Briefed the Centacare Council and trained them in RBA Briefed the Senior management team and trained them in RBA Set up a strategic directions committee that included two Council members and representatives from all levels and services in the agency – 20 people who met one day per month for 5 months July-November (Champions!)

What did we do? (cont.) Gathered data Trained the Committee members in RBA to lead 21 groups of staff in the RBA algorithm (4Q and 7Q exercises) and a “bigger picture” exercise Sent out RBA based questionnaires to clients asking them to rate us on two measures: Centacare has treated me well Centacare has helped me Sent out Questionnaires to internal stakeholders and external stakeholders – partners, competitors, funders, peak bodies: Centacare is a good partner Centacare is a good advocate and influences public policy Centacare provides effective services for people in the community What do you see as Centacare’s major contribution to the Diocese/welfare sector? In which areas could Centacare make the biggest difference? In which areas could Centacare do better?

What did we do? (cont.) 3. Analysed data We had data from over 80 programs, from clients, from stakeholders (internal and external) Each Headline Measure and Data Development Agenda item was assigned a theme, and the themes were given descriptor sentences which captured the essence of the theme Themes were combined together into ‘meta-themes’ – Clients, Staff, External Environment, Systems, Agency. % Kids having one continual caseworker for entire CBB placement DDA1STABILITY % staff turnoverH STABILITY #THEME NAMETHEME DESCRIPTION 1SKILL DEVELOPMENTDevelopment of life skills/ educational activities undertaken by young people 2STABILITYStability and continuity of placement/ foster carer/ residential care worker 3RELATIONSHIPSDevelopment and maintenance of relationships 4SAFETYSafety of clients and staff 5CASE PLANCase plan goals achieved by young people

Overarching themes emerging from the data Identity and culture: who we are Structure: how we are organised Systems: how we connect Services: what we do Staff: how we deliver Relationships: who we deal with Advocacy: how we make a difference Evaluation: how we know what works Funding: how we are resourced Growth: how we develop

Strategic Direction 1: Explore emerging needs and plan the alignment of services to needs for positive outcomes. Strategic Direction 2: Improve accessibility and inclusion in our services and agency operations. Strategic Direction 3: Strengthen relationships and partnerships with Catholic and other communities. Strategic Direction 4: Build infrastructure and systems to serve efficiency and good practice. Strategic Direction 5: Strengthen the culture of care and accountability, through staff supervision, development and support. Strategic Direction 6: Raise Centacare Broken Bay’s profile and strengthen our identity as a quality social care provider.

How did we do? all Centacare staff consulted 70% Centacare management Briefed and trained in RBA the Centacare Council Briefed and trained in RBA Internal stakeholders responded to survey External stakeholders: clients over 200 service user responses to survey funders : partners : over 50 responses to survey peak bodies :

How did we do? all Centacare staff consulted 70% Centacare management Briefed and trained in RBA the Centacare Council Briefed and trained in RBA Internal stakeholders responded to survey External stakeholders: clients over 200 service users responded to survey funders : partners : over 50 individuals responded to survey peak bodies : Inclusive Short Simple Delivered in <6 months Outcomes

Staff reported: Process was: transparent inclusive authentic

Outcomes for the Agency Every program developed performance measures: we know what it does, how well it does it, and if children and families are better off. Every team member is involved at their level: they know what it is their program is set up to do – the contract, the funding, and the service agreement. Every team is involved in strategic planning at their level: they know what they are going to aim towards over the next three years – outcomes (all outcomes) + data development agenda. Every team has an operational or business plan at their level: they know what it is they are going to do over the next year (head line outcomes + data development agenda) and how they are going to improve the lives of children and families. Every team has a reporting framework at their level that informs the operational plan and the strategic plan and the Annual Report

For more information about this talk please contact: Dr. Stephen Mondy Centacare Broken Bay PO Box 966 Pennant Hills NSW