Generating Goals, Objectives and Actions

These guidelines provide advice on the key components which should be included in a MPHP, identify optional elements and set out a number of major themes which plans might be expected to address.

The level of detail within each of the core elements will depend on the size, capacity and particular circumstances of each council. However, sufficient information should be provided for them to be informative and relevant, giving a picture of the council's activities to the community.

Plans should not be lengthy documents - they should be clear concise and easy for the average person to read and understand.

Context

A brief description of the key demographic, socio-economic, and environmental features of the LGA, and their likely implications for the health status of the community (current and future). This will include some (but not necessarily all) of:

• Population size, age/family structures, other population characteristics (ethnic composition, Kooris, women, seasonal visitors, workers resident elsewhere, etc)
• Socio-economic factors employment patterns, education levels, income, etc.
• Geographical boundaries
• Features, housing, industry, transport, community services, etc
• Health context - known major health problems, prevalence of chronic conditions, reasons for hospitalisation, etc (local health agencies and H&CS will be able to provide basic information).
• Identification and assessment of major (not all) public health problems/issues; these will vary widely from council to council. (Typical examples are listed in Appendix, Public Health Issues).
• A description of council priority-setting processes - this should be sufficient to indicate the basis on which council determines its public health priorities, including some or all of the following:
• Relevant aspects of the council's organisation structure
• Internal reporting mechanisms
• External consultation processes and structures
• Evaluation and review
• Relationship of the public health plan to any other council planning activities, such as the corporate plan.

Goals, Objectives and Actions

Goals and objectives spell out what a plan is trying to achieve. Specific objectives for each major issue can be valuable in clarifying directions for the future.

The problem solving phase, when the plan's recommendations are formulated, is the most creative part of the process. Discussion sessions, brainstorming, workshops and interviews can involve the working groups, councillors and council officers, and the general community in considering what is to be done about major issues. Initially, a wide range of innovative options for possible courses of action can be generated. These are then refined, and the realistic ideas selected. Proposals that will be seen as extravagant, infringing on individual's rights, or otherwise unrealistic have little chance of implementation. The plan recommendations need to be acceptable to the community, while still tackling the problems effectively. The advice of council officers and councillors is very valuable at this stage, particularly on what is feasible, what has already been tried and failed, and possible alternatives. Similar principles used to develop other planning documents for the council such as the Corporate Plan can be followed for the development of the MPHP. This involves:-

• Establishing a series of goals - no more than four or five, which clearly identify the key issues identified by the consultation phase.
• Developing a set of objectives from these goals.
• Objectives should be broad enough to provide scope for action but not as broad or expansive as goals and they should flow naturally from the goals.
• When developing objectives it should be kept in mind at all times that objectives be manageable and achievable, both for council and other agencies within the community.

Actions and Strategies

Actions/strategies are the means of implementing goals and objectives, they are initiatives taken over the short term to implement the plan. They provide the day-to-day programs and activities which allow staff to respond to the identified needs of the community in a constructive and meaningful way. Action statements should encompass the following:-

• Be brief and clearly identify the specific problem or issue to be addressed.
• A set of performance indicators that will give a reasonable indication of the extent to which council priority objectives have been achieved. These may be both qualitative and quantitative indicators; they may also be indirect or proxy measures where reliable information is difficult to obtain.
• Developing a process for evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of programs and strategies and revising these as necessary.
• Identifying existing strengths, problems and opportunities and capabilities for dealing with them;
• Selecting priorities for immediate action.

To increase the likelihood of implementation, it is important that recommendations be carefully thought through and described. This includes an indication of how they would be done, by whom, and where the resources would come from. A thorough description for an action project would include:

• Project description (including objectives, tasks and outputs);
• Responsible agency;
• Users/who would benefit;
• Likely costs, and funding opportunities;
• Timing - when it should be started, and how long it will take.