Participants:
- Richard Lemieux, coordinator
- Carole Giguère, president
- Manon Major, secretary-treasurer
- Mario Lajeunesse, administrator
Analyse et rédaction:
Nathalie Jetté – Community organizer – CISSS de l’Outaouais
1. Context
In the fall of 2019, the SACAIS significantly increased the recurring subsidy it grants to the Association des personnes handicapées visuelles de l’Outaouais (APHVO), from $37,000 to $85,000, representing a $48,000 gain. The board of directors decided that this increase was an opportunity to be more responsive to the Association’s regional mission. With only one employee, the APHVO does not have the resources to provide advocacy of rights services outside of Gatineau.
It was therefore with the support of a community organizer from the CISSS de l’Outaouais that the board of directors and the coordinator met a few times to launch a three-year strategic plan. The exercise included reviewing the APHVO’s mission, purpose and values . The vision was also discussed to determine the strategic orientations to be achieved over the next three years. It should be noted that this strategic plan will have to be approved by the board of directors and consequently by the members at a general assembly.
2. Mission, values and objectives
Upon verification with board members, the mission, values and objectives are still relevant. As they do not require any modification, they must be respected, even updated, when drafting the strategic plan.
2.1 Mission
The APVO’s mission is to “advocate for the rights of people with visual impairments living in the Outaouais region.”
2.2 Values
- Empathy
- Solidarity
- Integrity
- Transparency
- Inclusion
- Respect for community life
2.3 Objectives
- Break the isolation of our members;
- Promote the interests of our members;
- Promote social integration after rehabilitation;
- Support and develop our partnership with the Ville de Gatineau and other cities in the Outaouais region;
- Support and develop our partnership with the CISSS de l’Outaouais and the Centre régional de réadaptation en déficience physique La RessourSe;
- Create partnerships with private businesses and the community;
- Fight for better universal accessibility;
- Set up adolescent groups and groups of parents of visually impaired children.
3. Strategic areas
Meetings with the board of directors helped identify strategic priorities over the next three years. They have been grouped into seven areas, as follows:
- area 1: offer of service
- area 2: human resources management
- area 3: material resources management
- area 4: financial resources management
- area 5: governance
- area 6: communications
- area 7: partnerships
Area 1: offer of service
Objective 1.1:
ensure the presence and visibility of the APHVO in all Outaouais territories
Methods and priorities:
- 1.1.1 Promote the APHVO’s advocacy of rights services in the Outaouais (PRIORITY: YES)
- 1.1.2 Organize or make accessible the same activities as in Gatineau, such as: coffee meetings, sports activities, and special activities. (PRIORITY: NO)
- 1.1.3 Organize groups according to age in one or more territories (for example, seniors, children, adolescents, adults, spouses) (PRIORITY: NO)
Objective 1.2:
understand the needs of new communities to meet their needs
Methods and priorities:
- 1.2.1 Take a census of visually impaired people by age group across the region (examples of sources: CISSS de l’Outaouais, Statistics Canada, school boards, Portrait des communautés de l’Observatoire du développement de l’Outaouais) (PRIORITY: YES)
- 1.2.2 Identify rural territories to prioritize (PRIORITY: YES)
- 1.2.3 Carry out a study of the needs of people with visual impairments in the targeted areas (for example, by means of a survey) (PRIORITY: YES)
Objective 1.3:
increase or consolidate regional activities and services
Methods and priorities:
- 1.3.1 Finish compiling the 20-20 kit (PRIORITY: YES)
- 1.3.2 Launch the turning right on a red-light sticker (VDFR) in other territories (PRIORITY: YES)
- 1.3.3 Develop a partnership with Cyclotandem Gatineau (PRIORITY: YES)
Area 2: human resources management
Objective 2.1:
increase staff to support the development of the regional offer of service
Methods and priorities:
- 2.1.1 Draft the job description and hiring criteria for new staff (for example, car, website update, communication via social media, performance evaluation) (PRIORITY: YES)
- 2.1.2 Consider the possibility of hiring contract workers in other territories (PRIORITY: NO)
Objective 2.2:
increase the next generation and the workforce
Methods and priorities:
- 2.2.1 Recruit younger members (PRIORITY: YES)
Objective 2.3:
increase the number of sighted volunteers joining the cause
Methods and priorities:
- 2.3.1 Recruit new volunteers (for example, involvement of families of young people with visual impairments, reimbursement of mileage costs for volunteer drivers) (PRIORITY: NO)
Area 3: material resources management
Objective 3.1:
plan the material resources related to the development of the regional offer of service
Methods and priorities:
- 3.1.1 Purchase the equipment and necessary materials to ensure telework for new staff (PRIORITY: YES)
- 3.1.2 Purchase basic equipment and material for the organization of activities (PRIORITY: NO)
- 3.1.3 Find a space to rent for coffee meetings and activities (PRIORITY: NO)
Objective 3.2:
consolidate projects in Gatineau
Methods and priorities:
- 3.2.1 Purchase 4 tandems and rent a space to store them (PRIORITY: YES)
- 3.2.2 Purchase technological equipment for head office (PRIORITY: YES)
Area 4: financial resources management
Objective 4.1:
diversify financial resources to consolidate the APHVO’s regional mission
Methods and priorities:
- 4.1.1 Search for financing from new funders (for example, Nouveaux horizons, Desjardins, municipalities, federal government, private sector) (PRIORITY: NO)
Objective 4.2:
plan new sound financial management measures
Methods and priorities:
- 4.2.1 Draft a financial management policy (for example, spending policy, audit of financial statements, petty cash, authorization of employee expenditures, quotes) (PRIORITY: NO)
- 4.2.2 Budget review to ensure the deployment of services in the territories
(for example, salary, mileage, petty cash, purchase of materials and equipment, premises, activity fees) (PRIORITY: YES)
Area 5: governance
Objective 5:
participate in various committees dealing with internal management, advocacy of rights and the offer of service
Methods and priorities:
- Set up a committee to implement the strategic plan (PRIORITY: YES)
- Sit on various strategic committees to advocate for the rights of people with visual impairments (PRIORITY: YES)
Area 6: communications
Objective 6:
promote services and activities to members and the population
Methods and priorities:
- 6.1 Redesign the website, then ensure that it is updated (PRIORITY: YES)
6.2 Hire a webmaster (PRIORITY: YES) - 6.3 Communicate with members via social media (PRIORITY: NO)
6.4 Ensure that social media is regularly updated by new staff (PRIORITY: NO)
6.5 Make a suggestion box available to members in each of the service points and on the website (PRIORITY: YES) - 6.6 Create a quiz to include on the website to raise awareness (PRIORITY: NO)
Area 7: partnerships
Objective 7:
develop new partnerships to successfully integrate the APHVO into the new territories served
Methods and priorities:
- 7.1 – Identify local partners in the territory with affinities for the APHVO mission
(for example, seniors, CISSSO) (PRIORITY: YES) - 7.2 Go on tour to present the mission in the new territory (PRIORITY: YES)
- 7.3 Develop collaborative relationships and agreements with identified partners (for example, loans of premises and services, references) (PRIORITY: NO)
4. The next steps
- Form a hiring committee (job description, interview questionnaire, distribution of the job offer, interviews, employment contract)
- Draft a three-year 2020-2023 action plan including budget projections
- Perform action plan follow-ups every six months
- Perform a review and update of the three-year action plan before the start of each year
Updated: February 25, 2020
