2.3.6  An Effective Plan Explains the Process Used to Create the Plan

The plan should explain how the views and concerns of major stakeholder groups and persons directly affected by the plan were considered, and how the plan balances competing interests. If the legitimacy, representativeness, and fairness of the plan is not clearly established, opponents and critics of the plan could use that as an excuse to undermine its adoption and implementation. The plan must include a brief section that explains how it was prepared, how the goals of the plan were arrived at, and who had input into the plan. It should also describe how the views and concerns of citizens were solicited and obtained (by mail or telephone survey, focus group discussions, meetings, representative task force or citizen advisory committee, etc.), and the opportunities provided for citizens to review and comment on drafts, findings, and recommendations in the plan.

All of the elements discussed above help to make the planning process run more smoothly. As mentioned earlier however, no perfect outline for the planning process exists. Ultimately, community involvement, physical attributes, financial resources, and stated objectives will help the planners shape the process into one that best fits the community.

This chapter has provided a rationale for planning and the planning process. The goal of the process section is to help communities make planning efficient and equitable. But, a plan that is not implemented is not worth having. The perfect process, filled with citizen participation, foresight and organization, and aimed at all the right issues, cannot change that.

Unfortunately, many communities find that their plans do little more than gather dust on a shelf. Often it is because they have forgotten to attach proper implementation tools to the plan. To avoid such a fate, communities should keep in mind the kinds of tools they will use to implement the plan while they are creating it in order to guide change in the community. The next chapter discusses some of the implementation tools that make the process meaningful.