Steps in the Planning Process

Question 1

Stage 1: Pre-Planning

Answer 1

Community Diagnosis:

• Determine your community’s purpose, capacity and readiness for planning.
• Identify key stakeholders

Process Design:

• Establish a budget for planning.
• Issue an RFP if applicable.
• Incorporate opportunities for public participation and education.

Question 2

Stage 2: Planning

Answer 2

Data Collection and Analysis:
- Assess your community’s data and information needs.

Issue Identification:

• Involve local decision-makers and the public in identifying key community issues, challenges, opportunities and desires.
• Identify a vision for the future development of the community.

Goal and Objective Formulation:
- Develop goals and measurable objectives to help attain your community’s vision.

Strategy Formulation:

• Identify potential plan implementation strategies to satisfy goals and objectives.
• Take formal action to adopt the plan.

Question 3

Stage 3: Post-Planning

Answer 3

Plan Implementation:
- Adopt a specific course of action to implement the plan.

Monitoring and Assessment:
- Monitor progress towards achieving stated goals, objectives and indicators

Question 4

Visioning

Answer 4

is a process whereby citizens attend a series of meetings that provide the opportunity for them to offer input on how the community could be in the future. Planners use visioning processes to help citizens develop a conception of the future. Its focus is on what the community wants to be rather than looking at existing conditions.

This occurs early in the planning process. Citizens develop a vision statement, which is then broken down into themes that represent the consensus of the community’s goals for the future. A visioning plan typically has a 20- to 30-year time horizon.