National Governors

1
NGA Policy Academy Improving Oral Health Care
for Children
The Action Plan

• National Governors Association Center for Best
  Practices

2
A Return to Purpose

• For your team to develop a state-wide policy
  initiative (Action Plan) that can be
  realistically implemented to improve oral health
  care for children

3
Policy Initiative Framework(The Action Plan)

• The Vision (Your State Tomorrow)
• The Reality Assessment (Your State Today)
• Priorities/Goals (Gaps)
• Strategies with Potential (Tactical Plans)
• Action Steps (Work Assignments)

4
The Vision(Your State Tomorrow)

• Provides a statement of purpose
• Presents a picture of your ideal future
  (independent of the current reality)
• Serves as a reference point for all future
  decisions

5
Sample Vision Statement

• We envision a State where every child enjoys
  optimal oral health where prevention is
  emphasized and treatment is available,
  accessible, affordable, and timely where parents
  are involved, providers are engaged, and insurers
  are responsible where government is a guarantor
  of resources, quality, and patient protection
  and where the total well-being of the child is
  promoted.

6
The Reality Assessment(Your State Today)

• Requires a review / inventory of
• Key problem issues in your State
• Previous policy actions taken to address these
  issues
• Current political environment
• Assesses your strengths, weaknesses,
  opportunities, and threats
• Helps to identify resources at your disposal
• Provides context for your efforts

7
Team Priorities/Goals(Gaps)

• Areas where you will focus your energy and
  resources
• Likely to be the gaps between your vision and
  the current reality
• Form the basis for planning, policy-making, and
  setting performance standards
• May be short-term and/or long-term

8
Strategies with Potential(Tactical Plans)

• Broad-ranging tactics to affect change
• Often require statewide or cross-agency efforts
• Usually involve the combination of several
  courses of action
• Should be directly related to your
  priorities/goals

9
Action Steps(Work Assignments)

• Specific activities undertaken based on your
  strategy(-ies)
• Require action from specific individuals (or
  entities)
• Considerations
• Who is responsible for coordinating each action?
• Who is responsible for completing each action?
• What resources are required?
• What is the timeline?
• Who will be affected?
• How will success be measured?

10
Visualizing the Action Plan