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Activities

Now that you’ve selected your strategies, it might be tempting to start working right away. But taking the time to think through how you’ll put each strategy in to action can lead to greater success down the road. Working with your team, you’ll want to decide where and how you will implement the strategy, and what information, people, and resources will you need to ensure that each activity goes according to plan?

To get started, use the Activity Planning Tool below. The strategy and location you’ve selected will be filled in automatically. The next step is to add the setting, the specific area or location in your community where you’ll be using the strategy. If you need to add a new location, you can do so by visiting your Progress or returning to Geography.

Pre-implementation is a critical step that cannot be skipped... and cannot be rushed.

– Tali, Coordinator (Boston)

Next, you’ll want to think through the steps or activities required to accomplish the strategy successfully. These steps fall into two basic categories:

  • Pre-implementation activities occur when you are preparing to do a strategy
  • Implementation activities occur while actually doing a prevention strategy

Examples of each kind of activity are listed in the LEARN MORE section below. For each strategy you’ll implement, use the Activity Planning Tool below to describe the pre-implementation and post-implementation activities your team will need to perform.

You can use the Progress to track your progress as you plan and implement your strategies.

Planning your Activities

Learn from communities about the importance of activities planning and gain insights on how to balance adaptations with the need for fidelity.

Transcript with Audio Descriptor

Activity Planning Tool

First you'll need to use the STRYVE Strategy Selector to identify evidence-based strategies that fit your needs. And then you'll be able to determine the steps needed to put your strategy into action.

LEARN MORE

Pre-implementation activities are things you will need to do in order to get ready to deliver your strategies. Some helpful questions to consider:

  • Do strategies/programs need to be purchased? If so, who will purchase? Are the funds available?
  • What are the requirements of the purchased program?
  • Are implementation sites identified? If so, have you met all of their requirements (e.g., consent forms, approvals)?
  • Have you scheduled training for all implementers? Do you have space? Is there a cost? Is it at a convenient time for most attendees?
  • Do you have supervision and coaching resources for implementers?
  • Will you have implementers and any observers keep “field notes” to help track anything unusual that occurs during implementation (e.g., a fire drill)? If you decide to do this, decide on a format and training for implementers and observers. 
  • Do you need to provide updates or reports to anyone (e.g., team, leadership)? Is there a schedule and format you need to follow?
  • Do you have the resources you need for collecting data to see if the strategy is working? These can include: computers, software, photocopying, staff (including someone who can accurately enter data and someone who can do data analysis).

Implementation activities are things that will help you while you are delivering your strategies. Think about:

  • Keeping track of supplies
  • Ensuring the strategy is delivered as intended
  • Ensuring data are being collected, including information on your “reach” (how many people you are reaching and who they are) and the outcomes of your strategy
  • Providing updates to team members, stakeholders, and partners about the progress you are making

Not necessarily. Some teams already have the partnerships, resources, and assets to begin work in the areas of the community with the most violence. Other teams build their knowledge and collaboration by beginning in areas where youth violence prevention approaches are already in place or new programs can begin easily. Over time, teams often expand to other parts of a community. For example, if an area contains few partners with whom to collaborate, it might be difficult for your team to have an effect.

Going through your pre-implementation activities will help you understand when you are ready to start delivering your strategies.

Some helpful questions to consider:

  • Are all organizations ready for change? This includes the organization responsible for implementing the strategies, as well as any organizations involved as implementation sites.
  • Do you have the necessary staff in place (administrative, implementers, observers, data collectors, etc.)?
  • Are the staff trained and ready?
  • Do you have supervision and coaching resources available to ensure effective implementation?
  • Is leadership in support of the implementation (as evidenced by providing staffing, space, time, and financial resources)?
  • Are data systems in place so you can keep track of what is done and what are the effects?
  • Is there support for troubleshooting and sharing lessons learned to inform changes that may be necessary?

It is important to keep in mind how your selected strategies have been researched and implemented before. Try to keep your activities as close to the original implementation as possible, which makes it more likely you will have success similar to other communities who have used the strategy.

Try to stay consistent with:

  • Delivery methods
  • Frequency of events/amount of times something was done
  • Setting
  • Materials
  • Target Population
  • Deliverer Qualifications
  • Deliverer Training

The strategy you selected may have its own fidelity checklist to follow. If it doesn’t, consider developing one. This will help ensure similar delivery across implementers and settings.

Next, you will gather information to help you see what effect your work is having (Outcomes) and what to do with this information (Wrapping Up).