Stage 3: Take Action!
4 Stages to Creating a Successful Program
Keep a strong communication line with the community participants or target audience even if you have already advertised and marketed your program to them. Ask yourself – do the participants know:
- How to get involved?
- Where to go?
- What the program requirements and expectations are (i.e. time commitment, supplies, fees, etc.)?
- What to do or who to contact regarding unanticipated changes?
Follow the steps below to help guide your implementation process!
Key Considerations
If registration deadlines don’t limit your program, consider continuing to market and accept new participants throughout the program.
Follow Your Game Plan
You and your team put the time, effort and thought into creating a program plan; follow it! Program plans help you and your team to stay:
- Organized
- On schedule
- Accountable to your funders, participants and colleagues
- Aligned with the program goals and objectives
Key Considerations
Throughout your program, make sure you capture your results and impact! Whether for evaluation or celebrating small successes along the way, being aware of and sharing your impact can strengthen motivation. Pay special attention to unintended outcomes and future opportunities(1).
Be Flexible
Even the best plans encounter unexpected challenges. Be open to change when you and your team inevitably meet a challenge. Whether it means changing your program’s time or location, the activity’s difficulty, or seeking out new funding, the best thing you can do is problem-solve, quickly adapt and learn from failures.
Internal challenges may also arise during program implementation. There may be staff turnover, staff burnout or conflict. It’s important to stick together and work through these challenges(1):
- Keep a record of processes and procedures for quick and easy training and onboarding
- Have regular staff check-ins to make sure the workload is distributed fairly
- When in doubt, refer back to the Community Vision and Goals
Key Considerations
When you face a challenge, refer back to your asset map! Remember, your community is full of strengths and skills that you can tap into to solve problems. Your team might find a solution to a programming challenge in a local organization, service or person!
Next Steps
4 Stages to Creating a Successful Program
You’ve implemented your program. Now what? Check out Stage 4 to learn how to celebrate and reflect on your program!
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- Alberta Health Services; Healthier Together. [Internet]. Alberta Healthy Communities Approach. 2022c [cited 2022 October 22]. Available from: https://albertahealthycommunities.healthiertogether.ca/building-healthy-communities/alberta-healthy-communities-approach/#step-3-block