Keynote Address
To The Conference On
The Technology And Politics Of Planning


TEN CHARACTERISTICS
OF
EXEMPLARY PLANNING

April 24, 1986

Bill B. Benton, D.P.A.
Executive Vice President
MAXIMUS, Inc.
6723 Whittier Avenue
McLean, Virginia 22101
(703) 734-4200


PURPOSE OF THE KEYNOTE ADDRESS

I.  TO DEFINE "EXEMPLARY PLANNING" AND PROVIDE SOME EXAMPLES OF ITS PRACTICE

II.  TO IDENTIFY THE TEN CHARACTERISTICS WHICH EMERGED FROM OUR REVIEW OF EXEMPLARY PLANNING

III  TO SUGGEST SOME WAYS IN WHICH OUR WORK MIGHT BE IMPORTANT TO YOU


I.  ANALYTIC APPROACH


PLANNING VS. PLAN-MAKING


PLAN MAKING IS THE PROCESS OF PREPARING A DOCUMENT.

PLANNING IS THE PROCESS OF TRANSLATING VISION INTO REALITY.

PLAN-MAKING IS A TRIUMPH OF FORM OVER SUBSTANCE.

PLANNING IS A TRIUMPH OF SUBSTANCE OVER FORM.

PLANNING ATTEMPTS TO MAKE THE FUTURE DIFFERENT THAN IT OTHERWISE BE.

PLAN-MAKING MAKES NO DIFFERENCE AT ALL.




TYPES OF PLANNING


COMPREHENSIVE

STRATEGIC

ALLOCATIVE

REMEDIAL

PLAN-FOR-A-PLAN

COMPLIANCE

THE ISSUE IS NOT SO MUCH WHICH TYPE OF PLANNING IS "BEST" AS WHICH TYPE OF ANALYTIC ACTIVITY IS MOST APPROPRIATE.




BASIC SELECTION CRITERIA


1.  EXEMPLARY PLANNING IS USEFUL.

-- TIMELY
-- RELEVANT
-- OF GOOD QUALITY

2.  EXEMPLARY PLANNING IS USED.

-- CENTRAL VS. PERIPHERAL
-- SUBSTANTIVE VS. "WINDOW DRESSING"
-- DYNAMIC VS. STATIC

3.  MOST IMPORTANT, EXEMPLARY PLANNING PRODUCES RESULTS.

-- RESULTS HELP PEOPLE IN DEMONSTRABLE WAYS
-- RESULTS DEMONSTRATE THE COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF PLANNING
-- RESULTS DOCUMENT THE IMPACT OF NON-SERVICE APPROACHES




METHODOLOGY

STARTED WITH A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE AND PROJECTS FUNDED IN THE PAST.

TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS RESULTED IN OVER 100 RECOMMENDATIONS OF POTENTIALLY EXEMPLARY PLANNING EFFORTS.

30+ PLANNING EFFORTS WERE REVIEWED AND APPEARED TO MEET OUR STANDARDS.

FROM THESE 30, TEN WERE. SELECTED AS THE MOST EXEMPLARY.


*** STATE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AGENCIES HERE DISPROPORTIONATELY REPRESENTED IN THE POTENTIALLY EXEMPLARY AND EXEMPLARY PLANNING EFFORTS ***





TEN EXEMPLARY HUMAN SERVICES PLANNING EFFORTS


IOWA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES

NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES

DENVER REGIONAL COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS (AGING)

DISTRICT 111 (YANKTON, SD) PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT

SOUTH CAROLINA DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COUNCIL AND ADMINISTERING AGENCY

MINNESOTA GOVERNOR'S PLANNING COUNCIL ON DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

CONNECTICUT NEGOTIATED INVESTMENT STRATEGY

PUEBLO (COLORADO) HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

WISCONSIN COMMUNITY OPTIONS PROGRAM

MARYLAND GOVERNOR'S TASK FORCE ON TEEN PREGNANCY





II.  FINDINGS




THE OVERWHELMING OBSERVATION OF OUR WORK WAS THAT THERE IS NO ONE BEST WAY TO PI AN.

WHAT "WORKS" IN ONE SETTING MAY NOT WORK IN ANOTHER.

THERE IS NOTHING FADDISH OR TRENDY ABOUT EXEMPLARY PLANNING.


...NEVERTHELESS, I'D LIKE TO SUGGEST TEN CHARACTERISTICS WHICH EMERGED FROM OUR REVIEW OF EXEMPLARY PLANNING EFFORTS.




CHARACTERISTIC #1


THE EXEMPLARY PLANNING WE LOOKED AT WAS MORE LIKELY TO BE STRATEGIC THAN COMPREHENSIVE.

-- SELECTIVITY
-- ISSUE-FOCUSED
-- AD HOC
-- OPPORTUNISTIC

DESIGNED TO BE PRAGMATIC, PLANNING AN INSTRUMENT FOR TURNING VISION INTO REALITY.




CHARACTERISTIC #2


THE PLANNING THAT "WORKED" DID SO IN THE ABSENCE OF FEDERAL MANDATES.

STATE AND LOCAL OWNERSHIP THE KEY.

THE DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AGENCIES WHICH WERE SELECTED AS MOST EXEMPLARY WERE EXEMPLARY FOR ACTIVITIES OTHER THAN COMPLETING THEIR 3-YEAR PLAN!




CHACTERISTIC #3


EXEMPLARY PLANNING ESTABLISHES REASONABLE, BUT AMBITIOUS BOUNDARIES.

COGNIZANT OF RESOURCES, AUTHORITY, AND SCOPE, BUT ABLE TO LOOK ACROSS PROGRAMS ON BEHALF OF PEOPLE IN NEED.




CHARACTERISTIC #4


EXEMPLARY HUMAN SERVICES PLANNING TACKLES CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES WHICH ARE AT THE CORE OF THE POLICY PROCESS.


...NOT ONLY DID THESE AGENCIES SHY AWAY FROM CONTROVERSY, THEY EAGERLY SOUGHT IT OUT!




CHARACTERISTIC #5


EACH STATE LEVEL INITIATIVE INVOLVED LOCAL INVOLVEMENT IN A MEANINGFUL WAY.

CENTER-PERIPHERY PLANNING IS DIFFICULT, IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE.




CHARACTERISTIC #6


EXEMPLARY PLANNING PROJECTS INVOLVE "NON-TRADITIONAL" INSTITUTIONS, MOST NOTABLY THE PRIVATE SECTOR.




CHARACTERISTIC #7


THOUGH NOT MANDATED, CITIZEN PARTICIPATION WAS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE PROCESS.




CHARACTERISTIC #8


EXEMPLARY PLANNING REDEFINED OUR NOTIONS OF ADVOCACY.


...EFFECTIVE ADVOCACY IS NOT SIMPLY AND BLINDLY AN ARGUMENT FOR "MORE"

...SMALL STEPS, LARGE VISION

...TENACIOUS AND GRACIOUS




CHARACTERISTIC #9


EXEMPLARY PLANNING WAS NOT OVERLY SOPHISTICATED OR UNDULY EXPENSIVE.


SOUND VS. FLASHY

DATA PROCESSING WAS EMPLOYED AS A MEANS TO AN END, IF AT ALL

DATA WERE PRESENTED IN AN "EXECUTIVE FRIENDLY" WAY




CHARACTERISTIC #10


EXEMPLARY PLANNING INITIATIVES ALMOST ALWAYS WERE IDENTIFIED WITH THE PERSONA OF A SINGLE INDIVIDUAL


GOOD NEWS -- EACH OF US CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

BAD NEWS -- SYSTEMS TEND TO DIE AFTER THE LEADER MOVES ON.


CHALLENGE:  TO INSTITUTIONALIZE THE PLANNING PROCESS




III. SO WHAT?




FIRST, HAVE A VISION

IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING, ANY ROAD WILL LEAD YOU THERE.

DRAW UPON THE LESSONS OF MARY PARKER FOLLETTE:

-- INTEGRATION


A CLEAR VISION INVOLVES MAKING THE HARD CHOICES ASSOCIATED WITH PRIORITY-SETTING




SECOND, DEVELOP A STRATEGY APPROPRIATE TO THE ISSUE




THIRD, REACH OUT TO EVERYONE WITH A STAKE IN THE ISSUE.

N- POW

N- ACH

N- AFF


NETWORKING IS A DELIBERATE, PURPOSIVE ACTIVITY




FOURTH, ADHERE TO THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF EXEMPLARY PLANNING:

1.  THINK BOLDLY

2.  PLAN WISELY

3.  FOLLOW-UP

4.  FOLLOW-UP

5.  FOLLOW-UP

6.  FOLLOW-UP

7.  FOLLOW-UP

8.  FOLLOW-UP

9.  FOLLOW-UP

10.  FOLLOW-UP



...GOOD LUCK & GOD BLESS