ITAV Toolkit Kickoff Activity and Resources

The It Takes a Village Toolkit is an adaptable set of tools for practical use in planning and managing sustainability.

The ITAV Analysis Kickoff Activity is designed to help determine a program's sustainability status, priorities, and capacity. The results of this activity can help decide which Toolkit activities would be most helpful to complete.

Note that this Activity is optional! All programs are free to browse the Toolkit table of contents for each facet and choose activities a la carte.

To get started with the Kickoff process, read through the Pre-Work and Activity Instructions below to get a general sense of the meeting’s core components. Next, read through the Planning and Facilitator Guide, which provides links to all the materials needed for your program to plan and carry out a successful Kickoff. After reading through the Pre-Work, Activity Instructions, and Facilitator Guide, choose the path that will work best for your program. Potential pathways include:

  • Carry out the Kickoff Activity as designed, using the scripts and templates linked below.
  • Identify a specific Facet your program would like to focus on and shorten the Kickoff to complete only the Core Data Activity and Analysis Checklist for that specific Facet.
  • Decide that the level of planning described in this document is not needed and move directly to the table of contents for each Toolkit Facet and choose Activities “a la carte.”
ITAV Sustainability Graphic
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ITAV Analysis Kickoff Pre-Work and Activity Instructions

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ITAV Analysis Kickoff Pre-Work

- Determine who will be responsible for managing the kickoff process. One or two members of the program team or governance group are recommended as facilitators, or you may wish to engage outside facilitators.
- Determine the format of the Kickoff – i.e., in-person or virtual.
- Review the linked resources in the Planning/Facilitator Guide and customize them for your program.
- Complete Activity: Core Data Worksheet
- Schedule and carry out Activity: ITAV Analysis Kickoff.

ITAV Analysis Kickoff Activity Instructions

Introduction and kickoff description

Have the facilitator introduce the It Takes a Village in Practice Toolkit to the meeting participants and explain the purpose of the kickoff meeting

Core data and information sharing

Have the meeting facilitator or member of the program team present an overview of the Core Data gathered during the pre-work phase to all meeting participants. Allow time for those familiar with the data to speak about it, and for those unfamiliar to ask questions.

ITAV Phase Analysis Checklist

As a group, complete the ITAV Phase Analysis Checklist for each of the four facets in the ITAV Framework (Governance, Technology, Resources, and Community Engagement). The ITAV Analysis Checklist is designed to help your program determine which Phase of Sustainability you’re currently in: Getting Started, Growing, or Assessing and Evolving.

Identify and prioritize sustainability goals

As a group, prioritize two or three Objectives identified via the checklist to explore further using the ITAV toolkit. These might be strengths you’d like to amplify, weaknesses to shore up, opportunities to take advantage of, or threats to mitigate.

Wrap up

As a group, complete Part 1 of the ITAV Analysis Project Planning Template. The plan should be based on the baseline information gathered and priorities mapped during the kickoff.

Next Steps

Schedule and move on to Activity: ITAV Analysis Activity Selection. This activity can be completed synchronously or asynchronously.

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ITAV Analysis Kickoff Planning and Facilitator Guide

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Time, Duration Facilitator /

Presenter

Topics and Activities
0:00

10 mins

Welcome, Introduction, Agenda Review

Action

Introduce activity participants to the kickoff and explain the purpose and format of the meeting.

Resource

ITAV Kickoff Introduction Slides with Script

0:10

5 mins

Icebreaker/Mental Warmup

Action

Virtual Meetings - Use this time to confirm that all attendees can access any virtual collaboration tools. Icebreaker questions can be answered via the tool.

In-Person Meetings - Ask a few people in the group to answer the icebreaker question; it is not necessary to go around and have everyone answer.

Sample icebreaker questions:

- What is the longest you’ve ever kept a plant alive?
- What is a food everyone seems to love but you dislike?
- What fictional location would you like to live in?
- Where would you travel if you could go anywhere?

0:15

20 mins

Core Data and Information Sharing

Walk through core data and metrics to provide all attendees a baseline of information for the next elements of the kickoff.

NB: Provide a five-minute warning to the presenter at 0:30

Resources

ITAV Core Data Worksheet

0:35

15 mins

Phase Analysis Checklist – Governance 

Actions

- Provide general overview of checklist – list of objectives to achieve to move forward to the next Phase in a given Facet
- Explain purpose: Use the checklist and core data to determine the program’s current sustainability status
- Explain activity:
-- In checklist, read through Objective and definition
-- Assess the program’s progress for each objective (yes, done; no, not done; in progress)
- Lead participants through the Governance checklist
- Provide additional context/questions on objectives if needed
- Guide participants to prioritize objectives

Keep record of top 2-3 vote getters

Resources

ITAV Phase Analysis Checklist

ITAV Phase Analysis Checklist Slides

Checklist Strategy Guide for In-Person Meetings (includes script with intro)

Checklist Strategy Guide for Virtual Meetings (includes script with intro)

0:50

15 mins

Phase Analysis Checklist – Technology 

Actions 

- Lead participants through the Technology checklist
- Provide additional context/questions on objectives if needed
- Guide participants to prioritize objectives
- Keep record of top 2-3 vote getters 

Resources

See above

1:05

15 mins

Phase Analysis Checklist – Resources 

Actions
- Lead participants through the Resources checklist
- Provide additional context/questions on objectives if needed
- Guide participants to prioritize objectives
- Keep record of top 2-3 vote getters 
Resources

See above

1:20

15 mins

Phase Analysis Checklist – Community Engagement 

Actions 
- Lead participants through the Community Engagement checklist
- Provide additional context/questions on objectives if needed
- Guide participants to prioritize objectives
- Keep record of top 2-3 vote getters

Resources

See above

1:35

15 mins

Identify and Prioritize ITAV Analysis Goals

Actions
- Lead participants in deciding 1 - 2 facets to focus on based on Objectives that received the most votes
- Remind participants that chosen facets are the focus for the first phase of analysis and other facets can be revisited at another time
 

1:50

10 mins

Complete ITAV Analysis Project Plan & Wrap Up

Actions
-Lead participants in completing Part 1 of Project Planning Template
- Discuss follow-up activities such as completing the ITAV Analysis Activity Selection and Part 2 of Project Planning Template

Resources

ITAV Analysis Project Planning Template

Activity: ITAV Analysis Activity Selection

Meeting Facilitation and Planning Resources

ITAV Kickoff Introduction Slides

A short introduction to the ITAV Framework and to the Kickoff process for meeting attendees. The slides can be adapted for your program and include a suggested script.

ITAV Core Data Worksheet

The Core Data Worksheet should be filled out by program leadership / program management participants before the Kickoff event and presented to attendees during the event. It provides a baseline of information about the program's current sustainability status to all Kickoff attendees.

ITAV Phase Analysis Checklist

The Phase Analysis Checklist includes a list of all Moving Forward Objectives in the Guidebook and is used during the Kickoff to determine what progress a program has made in achieving the Objectives, and which Objectives are the highest priority to achieve or sustain.

ITAV Phase Analysis Checklist Slides

The Phase Analysis Checklist Slides include all Moving Forward Objective in slideshow format; one Objective per slide.

Phase Analysis Checklist Strategy Guide: In-Person

The Phase Analysis Checklist Strategy Guide: In-Person includes a detailed script and facilitation suggestions for completing the Phase Analysis Checklist during an in-person meeting.

Phase Analysis Checklist Strategy Guide: Virtual

The Phase Analysis Checklist Strategy Guide: Virtual includes a detailed script and facilitation suggestions for completing the Phase Analysis Checklist during a virtual meeting.

ITAV Analysis Project Planning Template

The Project Planning Template is completed at the end of the Kickoff meeting, and provides a place to note the outcomes of the Kickoff, and determine roles and timelines for moving forward.

ITAV Analysis Activity Selection

ITAV Analysis Activity Selection is used to help choose the Toolkit Activities related to the high priority Objectives identified. This is a separate meeting from the Kickoff and can be completed synchronously or asynchronously.

ITAV Kickoff Agenda Template

A template for a Kickoff agenda to share with meeting participants.

Meeting Planning Checklists

A set of checklists to: gather key points about your program's Kickoff (e.g. purpose, date, time, and participants); manage the logistical tasks of the Kickoff including scheduling, collaboration tool identification and testing, and agenda and participant list development; manage the logistical tasks specific to an in-person Kickoff; manage the logistical tasks specific to a virtual Kickoff; and manage post-meeting follow up tasks.