Effective Task Force Development:

An Analysis of a Community Task Force on Homelessness

National Alliance to End Homelessness

Annual Conference

July 9, 2007

10 Steps to Developing a Task Force

1. Decide to create your Task Force

2. Research past efforts

3. Assemble the Task Force

4. Ensure consumer involvement

10 Steps to Developing a Task Force (con’t)

4. Create the agenda

5. Keep Task Force members engaged

6. Keep your community involved

7. Political Considerations

10 Steps to Developing a Task Force (con’t)

9. Generate the Final Report

10. Create an Implementation Board

1. Why create a Task Force now? Appropriate political climate

Strong community interest in topic

Examples:

1. Prior groundwork with Mayor

2. Panhandler/homeless camps

Lessons Learned:

Attach Task Force to existing permanent entity

2. Has this been done before in your community?

Applying research from the past

Integrate what you learn

Examples:

1. All six past efforts had single focus

2. None had implementation plansLessons Learned:Careful attention to the pressing issue of the day

3. Assembling the Task Force?

Convener, Chair, staff How to select Task Force membersExamples:

1. Mayor, Chair, Coordinating Group 2. Selection of members by community sector

Lessons Learned: Introduce members by sector at each meeting

4. Consumer involvement in the Task Force

Stigmas and myths of the topic

Creating status equality Examples:

1. The panhandling issue2. Consumer voice not valued

Lessons Learned:Address the issue of status equality

5. Creating the agenda: Your compass for the process

Year-long agenda

Examples: 1. Created focus and direction2. Set the momentum

Lessons Learned: Hire facilitator for contentious meetings

6. Keeping Task Force members Involved Value Task Force members Educate and informExample:

1. Consistent Mayoral and media focus2. Readings between meetings, public input

Lessons Learned: Assign relevant questions to each reading

7. Keeping your community involved

Media campaign strategy Mechanisms for public inputExamples:

1. Shape pubic perception, create excitement

2. Website for input-plan for responding

Lessons Learned: Coordinated plan prior to Task Force beginning

8. Political considerations: Coordinate, consult, or congratulate

Research concurrent efforts Develop relationshipsExamples:

1. Miscalculations made2. Implications

Lessons Learned: Be conscious of emerging and on-going efforts

9. Generating the final report

Bold and pragmatic Measurable outcomes-community inputExamples:

1. Assigning action steps to agency/person2. Presentation to the community

Lessons Learned: Keep equal focus on year one and year ten solutions

10. Implementation

Implementing the plan Political-proof the implementation boardExamples:

1. Oversight board2. Presentation to the community

Lessons Learned: Keep equal focus on year one and year ten solutions

Conclusion

Task Forces are mechanisms for change

Foundation of democracy

Impossible becomes the attainable Greater good is served

Nuts and Bolts of Effective Task Force Nuts and Bolts of Effective Task Force Development: An Analysis of a Development: An Analysis of a

Community Community Task Force on HomelessnessTask Force on Homelessness

An instructional handbook on Task Force development September publication -- www.resourcefulresults.com

By By

Hilary A. MorganHilary A. Morgan

Hilary A. Morgan

Resourceful Results, LLC

1216 Duncan Place, NE

Washington, DC 20002

Ph. 907-580-5737 / email: hmorgan@resourcefulresults.com