REACH 2012 SUSTAINABILITY PLAN TEMPLATE

A Sustainability Plan is a required Infrastructure Component of the REACH

2012 funding.

The literature suggests a large number of factors affect project sustainability.

Factors that increase the likelihood of sustaining a project relate to:
 project design and implementation;
 the host organization; and
 the broader community.

The Matrix below identifies the sustainability factors and sustainability

objectives that projects need to target in oder to build the potential for
sustainability into their projects.

Sub-recipients should seek to incorporate these sustainability objectives into

their project plans during the development phase and continue to address
them during the implementation phase.
Project Design and Implementation
Sustainability Factor Sustainabili Sustainability
ty Objective Actions

Employing a change theory  Design Sub-Recipients will

A number of authors suggest that the project complete this section:
existence of a theory, whether formal or using Suggestions:
informal, is important to project sustainability. evidence-
based  Use evidence-
Such a theory would include clear definitions
change based PSE
of the target population, the needs to be
theory or strategies
met by the project, the expected
outcomes of the project, and the strategy  Adopt a theory of
interventions employed to attain them. It change or logic
would also include arguments as to how the model for change
interventions will bring about the desired  Utilize
outcomes (Steadman et al., 2002; Weiss,
community-based
Coffman, & Bohan-Baker, 2002).
participatory
principles in
chosing strategies
and approaches
Demonstrable Effectiveness
Sustainability Factor Sustainability Sustainability
Objective Actions

To mobilize resources required to sustain  Evaluate project Sub-Recipients

the project beyond its initial grant, it is effectiveness will complete this
not enough that the project attains its section:
 Disseminate results
objectives. The project must be able to
document its success and to community Suggestions:
disseminate the evidence among  Design and
stakeholders (Mancini & Marek, 2004; implment a
Shediac-Rizkallah & Bone, 1998; comprehensive
Steadman et al., 2002). Some studies evaluation plan
show that advertisement of the project’s to assess the
effectiveness not only to its impact of the PSE
stakeholders but also to the general strategies
public serves as a meaningful predictor implemented
of the sustainability of the project
(Pentz, 2000; Stephen, Bekemeier, &  Hold regular
Berkowitz, 2005) in that it enhances dissemination
community support. (i.e., social meetings with
marketing). the stakeholder
community and
professional
conferences to
dissemination the
results of the
project and build
recognition for
success.
Project Flexibility
Sustainability Factor Sustainability Sustainability
Objective Actions

A number of studies show that the  Maintain project Sub-recipients will

ability of a project to change in accord flexibility to adjust to complete this
with changing circumstances can project challenges section
significantly affect its chances of and barriers Suggestions:
survival (Fagen, 2001;, O’Loughlin et al.,
1998 and Scheirer,2005) found that the  Get regular
projects that underwent changes and feedback from
modifications in the course of their key stakeholder
implementation had better chances of about progress
being sustained than projects that stuck and strategies
to their original pattern.  Develop a list of
alternative PSE
strategies and
plan to
implement them
if chosen
strategies do not
work out.
Human Resources
Sustainability Factor Sustainability Sustainability
Objective Actions

According to Johnson, Hays, Center, and  Provide staff and Sub-Recipients

Daley (2004), staff training or community complete this
expertise building in a range of stakeholder training section
matters, including strategic planning to support strategic Suggestions:
skills, knowledge of needs assessment planning skills,
and logic model construction, and knowledge of needs  Hold regular
leadership skills and fundraising assessment and comprehensive
expertise, is important to project logic model staff training and
sustainability. Findings show that construction, preparation on
projects that included staff preparation leadership skills and key sustainability
and training, especially training in fundraising factors
creative and flexible problem solving, expertise,  Conduct regular
had greater sustainability than projects coalition trainings
that did not (Fagen, 2001; Shediac- on key
Rizkallah & Bone, 1998). Findings also implementation
show that the chances of sustainability and sustainability
increase where staff and other factors
stakeholders feel that they or their
clients can benefit from the project
(Scheirer, 2005).
Financial Resources and Financing Strategies
Sustainability Factor Sustainability Sustainability
Objective Actions

Several studies show that sustainability Sub-Recipients will

increases when projects have multiple  Attain multiple complete this section
sources of funding (Light, 1998; Marek, sources of funding Suggestions:
Mancini, & Brock, 1999), when financing  Develop fundraising  Work closely with
strategies are in place, and when these strategies with community partnesr
strategies are implemented early on partner and coalition
(Fagen, 2001; Goodson et al., 2001; organizations and member
Pluye, 2002; Steadman et al., 2002; organizations to
coalition members assist them in writing
Stevens & Peikes, 2006). Postponement  Recruit and engage grants to fund
of efforts to obtain funding to later volunteers companion efforts.
stages of the project can be a major
 Recruit and engage
obstacle to project sustainability
Community
(Akerlund, 2000; Marek et al., 1999). Champions or
Containing the costs of the project community
through the use of volunteers and other volunteers who are
receiving training in
means is viewed by some project PSE approaches.
operators as a means of enhancing
sustainability (Scheirer, 2005).  Leverage resources
of coalition member
Furthermore, it appears that short grants
organizations in
(three years or less) impede project providing speakers
sustainability (Shediac-Rizkallah & Bone, and materials, at
1998) reduced or no cost,
for training
conference, meeting
rooms, etc.
Project Evaluation
Sustainability Factor Sustainability Sustainability
Objective Actions

Ongoing project evaluation is viewed as Sub-recipients

a valuable tool to promote sustainability.  Develop and complete this
In addition to achieving alignment of the conduct a section
project’s characteristics with the needs comprehensive Suggestions:
of its stake holders (Johnson et al., project evaluation  Design and
2004;, Weiss et al., 2002) argued that implement a
project evaluation can help in the comprehensive
development of strategies for evaluation plan to
sustainability, to follow up their capture the
implementation, and to evaluate their effectiveness of
effectiveness. Similarly, evaluation can the project.
be useful in identifying problems in the
project and in facilitating flexibility.
Organizational Setting: Organizational stability and flexibility
Sustainability Factor Sustainability Sustainability
Objective Actions

Studies show that the stability of an Sub-Recipients

organization and its ability to integrate  Implement the complete this
new elements into its structure and CEED CAP within the section
culture contribute significantly to the existing structure of Suggestions:
sustainability of new projects (Chovav & the host  Assess
Weinstein, 1997; Goodson et al., 2001; organization and organizational
Johnson et al., 2004; Pluye, Potvin, community readiness for
Denis, Pelletier, & Mannoni, 2005). infrastructure. change, culture
Elsworth and Astbury (2004) claimed and climate
that sustainable projects are a result of a related to
dynamic process of organizational adoption of
change, consisting of changes in the innovations and
organization’s structure, approaches, projects
and values.  Implement
organization
development and
change
interventions as
needed.
Project Champions
Sustainability Factor Sustainability Sustainability
Objective Actions

A number of studies have found that Sub-recipients

project champions, who promote the  Recruit, train and complete this
project in the organization and the engage community section
community, can contribute to project champions who will Suggestions:
sustainability (Fagen, 2001; Goodson et facilitate the HGHH,
al., 2001; Mancini & Marek, 2004; CPR classes,  Recruit and
O’Louglin et al., 1998; Savaya & promote the Fit engage
Waysman, 1998; Scheirer, 1990, 2005; Friendly project Community
Smith et al., 1993; Steadman et al., within their Champions at
2002). According to Shediac-Rizkallah organizations and targeted
and Bone (1998), such champions should facilitate other CEED organizations who
have a relatively high position in the community receiving training
organization, the ability and authority to activities. in PSE and assist
make necessary compromises, and in facilitating PSE
negotiating skills. change
Managerial support and flexibility
Sustainability Factor Sustainability Sustainability
Objective Actions

It has been claimed that management’s Sub-Recipients

openness to new ideas and readiness to  Gain the complete this
take risks for the project increase the endorsement and section
project’s chances of survival in the support of Suggestions:
organization (Pluye, 2002; Smith et al., collaborative  Assess leadership
1993). organizational support and
managers implement a
change process as
needed
 Recruit
organizational
leaders for
coalitions
 Disseminate
program impacts
to leaders and
educate them on
the project’s
importance in
meeting the
organizational
goals
Integration in the organization
Sustainability Factor Sustainability Sustainability
Objective Actions

Self-contained projects are less likely to Sub-Recipients

be sustained than projects that are well  Integrate the goals complete this
integrated with existing systems of the project with section
(Goodson et al., 2001; O’Loughlin et al., the goals of the host Suggestions:
1998; Shediac-Rizkallah & Bone, 1998). organization  Integrate project
Johnson et al. (2004) recommended the
activities into the
development of organizational policies
structure of the
and procedures that will assure that
organization.
projects still remain part of the routine
 Building project
activities of the organization even after
the departure of persons who were responsibilites
originally responsible for creating and into job
implementing the project. One way of descriptions for
attaining this aim, suggested by others, existing and
is to integrate the goals of the project onoing funded
with the goals of the host organization staff
(Stephen et al., 2005).
Broader Community: Community support for the project
Sustainability Factor Sustainability Sustainability
Objective Actions

Several studies have found that Sub-Recipients

community support for a project, as  Develop community complete this
manifested in the cooperation of support and section
community bodies (e.g., schools, ownership for the Suggestions:
community organizations, government project in the  Recruit the
agencies, etc.) with the project targeted cooperation of
implementers (Marek et al., 1999), is a communities. community bodies
major predictor of its sustainability (e.g., schools,
(Light, 1998; Savaya & Waysman, 1998; community
Steadman et al., 2002; Stephen et al., organizations,
2005). Johnson et al (2004) stressed the government
importance of strengthening the sense agencies, etc.)
of ownership among those who benefit and engage them
from the project in the community to in the project
increase their motivation to sustain it. implementation
Political Legitimation
Sustainability Factor Sustainability Sustainability
Objective Actions

Another factor that has been advanced Sub-Recipients

as promoting project sustainability is  Attain political complete this
political support (Scheirer, 2005). Given support for the section
the power and perseverance of CEED activities by Suggestions:
institutional routines (Pluye et al., influencing policy to  Through grass
2004a), it is viewed as important to support diabetes roots advocacy
adapt projects to the policies and and CVD risk efforts the
regulations of the relevant government reduction coalitions can
bodies (Sarriot et al., 2004) or, work to exert
alternatively, to exert pressure to amend pressure on local
the policies to better accord with the and state
project (Pentz, 2000). legislative bodies
to adopt or amend
policies.