Steps in the Planning Process

Question 1

Steps in the Planning Process

Answer 1

Stage 1: Pre-Planning
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.

Stage 2: Planning
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, challenge, opportunities, and desires

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

Stage 3: Post Planning
Plan Implementation - Adopt a specific course of action to implement the plan

Monitoring and assessment- monitor progress towards achieving state goals, objectives and indicators

Question 2

Visioning

Answer 2

a process whereby citizens attend a series of meetings that provide an opportunity 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. Visioning processes focus on what the community wants to be rather than looking at existing conditions. Occurs early in the planning process. citizens develop a vision statement, which then broken down into themes that represent the consensus of the community’s goals for the future. a visioning plan typically has a 20-30 year time horizon, although it can sometimes be shorter. Remember, that the purpose is to build consensus. There are all kinds of uses for visioning, for example to kick off the comprehensive planning process, or as a stand-alone process to focus on specific issues or projects. Topics are wide ranging and can include budgeting and fiscal responsibility, the quality of parks, or the overall direction for the community, among many other examples.

Question 3

Main Ingredients of a Vision Statement

Answer 3

• Positive, present-tense language
• Emphasis on the region’s uniqueness
• Inclusiveness of the region’s diverse population
• A depiction of the highest standards of excellence and achievement
• a focus on people and quality of life
• A stated time period

Question 4

Advantages/Disadvantages of Visioning

Answer 4

Advantages:
-Serves as a catalyst, by bringing residents together in new ways and inspiring residents to get involved in the community
- creates excitement about planning
- keeps the process on track. citizens can make sure that the rest of the process addresses the achievement of the vision
- keeps implementation moving forward. citizens will be motivated to keep track of actions proposed to achieve the vision they helped create

Disadvantages:
- adds to the cost of the planning process. An intensive public participation effort
- creates unrealistic expectations that the government can’t fulfill
- dependent on facilitator (which is why many communities train a local planning or land use committee to facilitate visioning workshops).