Planning

Planning for integrated health promotion involves:

• vision setting
• priority setting & problem definition
• solution generation
• capacity building - support & resourcing for quality integrated health promotion action
• planning for evaluation and dissemination

These steps are interrelated due to the cyclic nature of program management. Therefore, each step may need to be revisited several times and the program goals and objectives may also need to be revised.

For complete details download Section 4 of the IHP Resource Kit: A practice guide for service providers.

Tool for planning - Organisational needs analysis tool

The Health Promotion Workforce Development and Infrastructure Program (workforce program) was established to enhance the health promotion knowledge and skills of individuals in human service organisations across Victoria and to enhance organisational capacity to undertake health promotion programs. The Health Development Section, Public Health allocated funding from the workforce program for the development of an Organisational Needs Analysis Tool (Tool). The Tool aims to provide a mechanism to review skills of the workforce and structures within the organisation that support collaborative health promotion initiatives across specific settings. The Tool will help to identify future training needs for individuals and their organisation’s.

Using the organisational needs analysis tool

Several individuals and organisations have used the Tool over the past 12 months. On each occasion, the result varied with a number of individuals and organisations reporting the benefits and usability of the Tool. In the majority of situations, organisations have gained the most benefit by dedicating time for a facilitated half or full day workshop to undertake the organisational review.

The Tool has been an effective planning aid for organisational development and health promotion planning. There are several ways that the Tool can be utilised in its current format, for example, strategic planning and priority setting exercises. However, there is the possibility to modify the Tool to suit organisational requirements and resource demands.

The Tool has provided the opportunity to reinforce health promotion theory and concepts with staff as well assisting with the completion of planning requirements. The overall effectiveness of the Tool is difficult to measure accurately however, feedback to date suggests that the identified priority areas from using the Tool are reflective of organisational needs and intended strategic directions. If you have used the Tool and would like to comment on its application, please contact Martin Horrocks.

To access the tool please download the Health promotion skills assessment tool for organisations - July 2005 (386kb, pdf).

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