Collective Impact is working with faculty members of the University of Tennessee Knoxville, Center for Sustainable Business and Development, Department of Political Science, and Department of Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism Management to conduct a research project to better understand Appalachian tourism and identify opportunities to grow tourism activities and encourage business development throughout the region. The project is funded through a competitive grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) - a federal economic development agency. The project is the largest and most comprehensive study of tourism ever conducted by the commission, which covers 205,000 square miles across 420 counties in 13 states. Results of the study will help us better understand the state of tourism of the region, new growth areas for tourism in Appalachian communities, and best practices and successful strategies to help the communities succeed. The project will use research, surveys, site visits, and focus groups as part of the research method. The project also will identify communities to use as case studies to illustrate local tourism success stories and best practices for tourism business development.
The Child Support Enforcement Program (CSEA) is a federal, state, and local effort to collect child support from parents who are legally obligated to pay support. Program guidance and oversight are provided to the CSEA by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Office of Child Support Enforcement. FCCSEA contracted with Collective Impact, LLC to facilitate a strategic planning process resulting in the production of a three-year strategic plan for the organization. The plan was developed to help intentionally guide the organization into the future and better position the organization to realize financial sustainability while continuing to pursue its mission.
One of the more common failures resulting from strategic planning is the lack of implementing the completed plan or as is often said “putting the plan on the shelf.” FCCSEA certainly did not follow this “dead end” path and instead has taken definitive actions to assure that the strategies identified in the plan are executed and that the entire staff of over 250 are actively engaged in the process of implementation, documentation, evaluation, and being overall partners in the change management process! FCCSEA leadership has identified a strategic structure with working teams to get the work done … and done well. A data collection system has been designed to help teams track the outcomes and results of their efforts. An annual staff celebration was recently held to further momentum and recognize the good work being done by all to revolutionize the organization and ultimately, improve outcomes for the children and families served.
“Collective Impact – particularly the expertise and enthusiasm of Bruce Decker – was a win for our organization. Bruce was able to provide our nonprofit executive leadership a plethora of strategies on collaborations in a compelling, fun, and interactive way. Bruce challenged existing paradigms and empowered leadership to approach collaborations in a new way. Since the workshop, several of our groups have partnered successfully to maximize on resources. I highly recommend Collective Impact.” ~ Hillary Rowe Wiley - Regional Public Affairs and Communications Advisor, NeighborWorks America: Working Together for Strong Communities, Atlanta, GA
