planning

Respond! Housing Association

Description:

Respond! is Ireland's largest not for profit Housing Association. We seek to create a positive future for people by alleviating poverty and creating vibrant, socially integrated communities.

Which sector do you work in?:

Community/Voluntary

How would you classify your work?

Accommodation/Housing/Homeless

Education /Training/Support

Economic/Community

How would you classify the recipients of your service?

Social / Economic Disadvantaged

Parents / Lone Parents

Older People

Lifestyle Planning (FETAC) Level 5

The specific learning outcomes are grouped in 5 units

Unit 1: An Overview to Health Promotion

Unit 2: Towards Healthy Eating

Unit 3: Oral Health

Unit 4: Physical Activity

Unit 5: Towards Healthy Environments

Strategic Plan, 2007 - 2011

The challenge is to ensure greater understanding and appreciation of the multi-faceted needs of the non-profit sector.

building on success: next steps for The Wheel - The Wheel's strategic plan

Vision and Mission

Every organisation has an ethos, a belief system or a set of principles

Defining what you are about: vision and mission

Although most organisations will have some sort of governing document, the wording and language used in constitutions, memoranda of association and similar documents are frequently insufficient, too broad or unsuitable for wider use. Developing a short, clear vision statement and/or mission statement that summarises the long-term change that you want to make, is therefore very useful. When doing so, it is vital that all relevant people are involved.

Strategy

Without a strategy for the way ahead, you will probably get lost or, at the very least, end up going around in circles.

Risk Checklist

Do you have adequate systems in place to manage risk?

Use the following questions to figure out your organisation's current level of risk:

Risk Management

Does your organisation have procedures in place to comply with employment, equality, and health and safety legislation?

Risk is a situation involving an exposure to danger. You should approach risk management positively, as part of the day-to-day management of the organisation, for it does not just identify threats, it also provides opportunities for improvements.

Threats and opportunities

Most risk can be anticipated and therefore planned for, for example:

Internal Policies and Procedures

Deciding policy is only the beginning...

Policies provide a framework within which an organisation makes choices about how it operates and so can either help or hinder the implementation of the strategic plan. Organisations may have policies on any number of topics, for example:

Strategic Planning

Do not assume that there will be agreement on where the organisation should head in the future

Reasons for planning

Planning is vital, yet people find all sorts of reasons for not doing it! If there are new demands on organisations (for example, pressure on resources, awareness of unmet needs, political or legislative changes) many try to respond immediately.

Do not assume that there will be agreement on where the organisation should head in the future

This can lead to wasted energies, haphazard developments and conflict. Even when plans are made, they are sometimes not implemented, or the impact of the plans is not evaluated. Remember that planning is a means to an end and not an end in itself.

Health and Safety

The governing body of your organisation should review the safety statement annually...

Health and safety is one area where the legal obligations for managing risk are particularly demanding. Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 every employer is required to prepare a safety statement for the workplace.

This statement should: