Designing and Planning Programs for Nonprofit and Government Organizations

Designing and Planning Programs for Nonprofit and Government Organizations is a comprehensive guide for practitioners who must carry out program planning projects in nonprofit or government human service organizations. Authors Edward J. Pawlak and Robert D. Vinter?experts in the field of program planning?show how planning is a goal-directed activity that will succeed when its tasks are carried out in orderly, progressive stages. In this important resource, the authors walk practitioners and students through the entire process from initiation to completion of planning projects and examine the relationship between planning, implementation, and program operations.

Tables, Figures, and Exhibits ix

Preface xi

The Authors xvii

PART ONE: PROGRAM PLANNING FUNDAMENTALS 1

1 Exploring the Nature of Program Planning 3

2 Determining Work Group Participants, Leadership, and Relationships 20

PART TWO: THE STAGES OF PROGRAM PLANNING 33

3 Initiating a Planning Project 37

4 Analyzing Problems and Assessing Needs 71

5 Setting Goals and Objectives 120

6 Laying the Foundation for a Successful Design 144

7 Developing the Essential Program Components 157

8 Documenting the Completed Program Plan 220

Conclusion 247

Resources for Planning Service Programs 255

References 258

Index 263

Edward J. Pawlak is a consultant in the nonprofit and government sectors. He taught program planning and other subjects for more than twenty-two years in the Policy, Planning, and Administration Program in the Graduate School of Social Work at Western Michigan University. He also served as director of the Knoxville Branch of the School of Social Work at the University of Tennessee.

Robert D. Vinter taught at the University of Michigan School of Social Work for thirty-two years, where he also served as associate dean. His expertise includes funding, budgeting, fiscal management, agency administration, program design and management, juvenile and criminal justice, and organization studies. He is the author of numerous books.