MANISTEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN, 2006
Project Description
A core mission of the Manistee County Community Foundation (MCCF) is to have a clear understanding of the needs, issues and priorities of the county so that funds can be developed and grants can be made in a way that responds to quality of life priorities. When the Community Foundation introduced their intent to lead a limited county visioning initiative, there was an overwhelming response from nonprofit organizations, local governments and others that the effort should be expanded to meet their needs as well. This effort came on the heels of an extremely controversial proposed development in the county. That development heightened awareness of the need for a long – term vision and plan for the county that reflected all interests. As a result, the Manistee County Community Foundation worked with regional and local partners to embark upon a 16-month, community driven process – called enVision Manistee County – which produced visions, strategies, action steps and responsibilities to guide the county’s future.
Finance and Support
Funders that supported the visioning initiative reflected the diverse interest that were included in the community-driven process, including the Manistee County Community Foundation, private individuals, businesses and nonprofit organizations, private foundations, the State Department of Environmental Quality's Coastal Management Program, the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, Manistee County, the City of Manistee and villages and townships located in Manistee County.
Stakeholders
All community members were considered stakeholders and were invited to participate. In addition, a number of key stakeholder groups were identified and engaged:
- City of Manistee
- Little River Band of Ottawa Indians
- Manistee County Board of Commissioners
- Manistee County Human Services Collaborative Body
- Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
- Manistee Economic Council & Chamber Alliance
- Office of Senator Carl Levin
- Office of Congressman Peter Hoekstra
- Office of State Representative David Palsrok
- West Shore Medical Center
- United Way of Manistee
Methods
The Northwest Michigan COG designed and facilitated the visioning process, with support from the Community Foundation and community volunteers. MCCF considered itself a “neutral convener” for the process, and also anticipated a primary role in the implementation process. The Northwest Michigan COG designed and carried out the actual visioning process, with help at times from local educational institutions and consultants. A Steering Committee was central in setting the focus and direction of the project as well as engaging the community; this committee included representatives of a wide range of agencies and organizations.
A County-Wide Stakeholder Group involving hundreds of participants met three times throughout the process, serving to inform the public about the process and gain feedback. Work Groups were formed for each of six quality of life topic areas: Arts, Culture, and Humanities; Economy and Employment; Government and Infrastructure; Health and Human Services; Natural Environment and Recreation; Youth and Education. Each work group utilized information from public meetings, interviews, surveys, and web site feedback as it defined needs, values, and finally a vision for the topic area. Finally, the broader citizen base was engaged in the process in several ways: public meetings, website comments, stakeholder meetings, and perception surveys. The project made particular efforts to elicit the opinions of youth and Native Americans.
enVision Manistee County used a four-step visioning process created by Steven Ames, known as “the Oregon Model.” The steps included:
- Profiling the Community: data on community life was compiled into the “enVision Manistee County Fact Book,” which set a baseline description of the community and a place to start the visioning process.
- Analyzing the Trends: The Fact Book, along with two surveys (one survey of high school students and one of adult residents), served as baseline data from which working groups could analyze trends, project future changes, and identify the most important areas for work.
- Creating the Vision: the community was engaged in the creation of “enVision statements” describing hopes for what Manistee County could become. Working groups created specific visions for 2015 within their topic areas.
- Developing an Action Plan: Each working group created an “Action Matrix” which, all together, presents more than 100 actions that will help Manistee County achieve its vision.
Now that the visioning process is complete, enVision Manistee County is tracking progress on the action steps and anticipating updates to the plan every five years.
Outcomes
The process resulted first in an informative community website and forum for providing feedback. After completing the visioning stage, the project partners released a report outlining the process and the action steps that were developed. A second report followed, evaluating the process itself and numerous other visioning processes across the country, with a summary of best practices. MCCF is tracking accomplishments to date, which include the development of new organizational partnerships, youth involvement in the process, assistance from two local universities, and commitments from local groups to work on implementation.
The Manistee County Community Foundation successfully sought a grant of $300,000 from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation to support implementation of the visioning process. It also secured grants of $15,000 from the Oleson Foundation and $25,000 from the State Coastal Management Program. Together, these grant funds are being directed to address the priorities identified in the Envision Manistee County final report. Examples of initiatives funded include: development of a new county-wide septic ordinance to protect water quality; development of a watershed plan to protect and wisely use the Portage Lake watershed; development of a strategic plan and funding recommendations to support collaboration among human service program providers in the county; development of a strategic plan to form a Arts and Cultural Alliance in the county to drive art and culture as a viable, energized factor in the county's economy; development of a county recreation plan, development of a “2-1-1” program to link people in need with human service programs and other initiatives.
In addition, the Community Foundation and United Way of Manistee County have joined forces to direct collaborative grant making toward the priorities of enVision Manistee County. In 2007, the two organizations are partnering in a $27,000 grant program focused on youth needs identified in the enVision process. Still other enVision results have occurred without added funding. For example, the county's Economic Development Office was completely restructured and now reflects the implementation recommendations of enVision Manistee County.
Evaluation
The Community Foundation is establishing an evaluation process to assess results of enVision Manistee County and strengthen the process in advance of an update scheduled for 2010. As part of that process, organizations and individuals involved in enVision implementation activities will receive training and participate in the evaluation/continuous improvement process designed by Dr. Mark Jenness, Director of the Science and Math Improvement initiative in the Mallinson Institute at Western Michigan University. MCCF’s report, “Analysis of Initiatives and Best Practices for Implementing enVision Manistee County,” already analyzes the process and provides some guidelines for future implementation.
Innovative Ideas
Manistee County’s visioning process is similar to many others, but the process includes several innovative and unusual elements. First, the County’s attention to under-represented groups – particularly youth—is notable and uncommon. Youth were involved in designing and overseeing the process, providing feedback through surveys, and they continue to help with an implementation program for youth-related initiatives. Second, the project includes two exceptional publications: the Analysis report and the community Fact Book. Most communities research and analyze background data, but creating an actual Fact Book is a useful way of recording the data for posterity and making it very accessible to planning partners and the community at large. The analysis report is also important, as it not only evaluates Manistee County’s work, but also considers how the plan relates to similar initiatives across the country. A list of Best Practices provides Manistee County with new ideas for the future and also assists other communities in planning their own visioning processes.
http://www.nwm.org/envisionman.asp
enVISION MANISTEE COUNTY AT A GLANCE
COMMUNITY TYPE
Rural
AREA
1,281 square miles
POPULATION
24,527 (2000 census)
LOCATION
Northwestern Michigan
PROCESS
Visioning
PROJECT LEADERS
Manistee County Community
Found.
PROJECT THEMES
Quality of Life
Best Practices