Program Design & Strategic Planning Flashcards

A CPL is designing a program and wants to identify potential community partners. Which criterion is MOST important when selecting a partner organization?

Answer: Alignment of mission, values, and target population

Mission and value alignment ensures that partnership efforts are complementary and that both organizations serve the same community in compatible ways.

A program is designing services for a culturally diverse community. What is the MOST effective strategy to ensure cultural responsiveness in program design?

Answer: Engage community members from diverse backgrounds as co-designers from the start

Co-designing programs with community members from diverse backgrounds from the outset produces more culturally responsive and effective services than retrofitting existing models.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between program partners should primarily include:

Answer: Roles, responsibilities, shared resources, and communication protocols

An MOU formalizes a partnership by clearly defining each party's roles, responsibilities, shared resources, and how they will communicate and resolve disagreements.

Which budgeting approach requires every expense to be justified from zero each budget cycle rather than basing it on the previous year's budget?

Answer: Zero-based budgeting

Zero-based budgeting starts from a 'zero base' each cycle, requiring justification for every line item, which promotes efficiency and prevents perpetuating outdated spending.

A CPL discovers that a key program activity is consistently over budget. What is the BEST initial response?

Answer: Analyze the variance to understand root causes before making changes

Analyzing the root cause of a budget variance helps the CPL determine whether the issue is a planning error, scope change, or inefficiency before deciding on corrective action.

In program planning, 'scope creep' refers to:

Answer: Uncontrolled expansion of program activities beyond original design

Scope creep occurs when a program gradually takes on activities, populations, or services beyond its original design without corresponding adjustments to resources or timelines.

A CPL is planning program staffing. Which factor is MOST critical to address when determining the staff-to-participant ratio?

Answer: Program model requirements, participant needs, and licensing standards

Appropriate ratios are driven by the program model's design, the intensity of participant needs, and any applicable regulatory or licensing requirements.