Over the last six months, the Eastside Pathways board and staff, and partners of the Eastside Pathways Partnership have been having intense discussions around developing the partnership’s strategic plan. Stephanie Cherrington, Eastside Pathways Executive Director, shares an update.
Since January, we have convened hundreds of people from the community, including individuals and Eastside Pathway Partner organizations to gather their input and to understand: 1) where there is common alignment and we see a “ready” path for systems change, and 2) where the community and Partner organizations may be further apart, and our work requires education and building understanding.
Thank you to all who participated in these convenings and provided your valuable contributions. Additionally, I want to recognize the Partner organizations who completed the survey (69% response rate). This was not a small ask, we know. It has however been critical in helping determine the direction in which partnership is headed.
The most consistent themes heard in the convenings are the need for developing a cultural foundation of equity – especially racial equity – and ensuring a sense of belonging for all, youth and adults, in our community. Specifically, we heard that our strategic plan must include a refined and defined focus for our work to close opportunity gaps for those children and youth most in need. This means a focus on equity, specifically children and youth of color and diverse abilities. The sense of belonging means being respected along with the right and necessity of the community to co-create/develop and co-design solutions together. This highlights the need for a deep focus on building relationships.
This may well be the theme of our 2020-2023 Eastside Pathways Strategic Plan.
We also heard that our plan must not only include aspirational goals but also include:
- time-bound, targeted goals
- rigor for keeping the results at the center
- continuous improvement and broad communication at the collaborative and partnership level
- a dedication and commitment to training and development for all individuals and partner organizations to ensure common understanding, clarity and engagement.
This input continues to align to our original pillars of Infrastructure, Community, Collaboration and now, Data and Communications.
Though we are still refining the plan, the intention is that this will be our shared work. A plan in which we each have responsibility and ownership of how we individually, and as organizations, make shifts in policies and practices in our spheres of work and influence, creating a system which allows for better outcomes for children and youth.
These time-bound and targeted outcomes for children and youth – on which we will keep a keen eye – are the indicators that we, the adults and the Partnership are working together differently. That is where our real work lies.
What is happening between now and when the strategic plan is published?
As you know, Eastside Pathways’ work has been facilitated through a series of collaboratives over the years. The current state of the collaboratives ranges from deeply engaged and going strong, to having concluded one phase of work and poised for the next (read about Mental Health and Wellbeing in 425 Magazine), to halting work, and finally to merging of some collaboratives to ensure streamlined work.
As we work towards the final strategic plan, which we expect to be published in fall 2019, we have made the decision for the collaboratives and councils to take the summer off; meaning no meetings in July and August. This will allow for a much-needed break for individuals in the collaboratives, and also allow for a focus on developing the framework for the collaboratives moving forward. This includes setting a clear plan of new staff assuming the role of neutral facilitators with the support of volunteer facilitators, lead partners and collaborative members with defined roles.
Included in the planning will be intentionality to build a structure which ensure, not only the alignment of work between the strategic plan and collaboratives, but alignment of work between collaboratives themselves. Finally, we will continue the process of garnering buy-in from individuals and organizations who are part of the Partnership, as well as beginning to set expectations for participation in the collaboratives to ensure sustainability and results.
Thank you again for your continued partnership in this community work to change systems in East King County. Your willingness to change the way the adults in our community work together so there are clear PATHWAYS for children and youth is what will ultimately improve the indicators we track from cradle to career. Stay tuned for more updates as we near the end of summer, heading into the fall.