A Regional Gathering

The results of the Regional Issues Impact Analysis indicates “which Regional Issues have the greatest impact on the others.”

In March, moving “Ideas to Results” meant analyzing 10 Regional Issues, using a new tool called the Six Steps to Civic Innovation.

The Central Florida Partnership, along with 29 other organizations, welcomed more than 150 business and community leaders to “A Regional Gathering” – Moving “Ideas to Results,” March 20-21, at The Mission Resort and Club at Howey-in-the-Hills. The conversations were lively, the topics were timely and the outcomes will surely advance Central Florida’s competitive advantage.

That's the description from Mark Brewer, president of the Community Foundation of Central Florida and chair of the Central Florida Regional Caucus, along with Shelley Lauten, president of myregion.org.

Participants spent time analyzing each of 10 Regional Issues, using a new tool called the Six Steps to Civic Innovation. The Six Steps include: Identify and Define the Civic Issue; Research; Convene Stakeholders and Leaders; Engage the Community; Develop and Implement an Action Plan; and Monitor and Communicate Progress. Each step was presented and included in a Central Florida Regional Workbook. Participants tracked where some initiatives are on a scale, so that next steps could be identified and “owned” by the right community organization. The Regional Issues, which were initially identified as critical to “building a prosperous and livable region,” were also included in the workbook, plus an 11th Regional Issue was added during the shared conversations, in response to the tragic death of Trayvon Martin.

After each Regional Issue was discussed by the work groups, that topic was presented to everyone in the room, and participants were asked, “Which Regional Issue Has the Greatest Impact on the Others?” Using a “source profile analysis,” which involved “paired comparisons,” each Regional Issue was compared to the others, resulting on an “impact analysis” of each issue. During the process, participants also identified “source problems.” By focusing on those problems, the Central Florida community will be able to create “exponential leverage,” helping to address the other Regional Issues.

The results of the impact analyses were consistent with the conversations in each work group, as many struggled to reach consensus as to how each Regional Issue should be advanced. Reaching consensus is particularly important. The reasoning is that if “we’re not in agreement on 'who we are' and the values that are most important to us, addressing other Regional Issues like investing in people, solving chronic homelessness and developing an effective 'cvic infrastructure' will be more difficult, if not impossible.”

Additionally, special guest Dee Allsop, CEO of Heart+Mind Strategies, provided a review of the Central Florida Values Study, quoting Richard Worthland: “If you’re not making dust, you’re eating dust.” In other words, regions that deal with their problems are most successful when there are active and fully functional public-private partnerships.

In the end, there was a uniform belief in the room: A clear understanding of responsibilities will have a great impact on the region's ability to, in fact, move ideas to results.

Editor's note: The Notes & Notations from each of the regional work groups are available at ideastoresults.org/impactanalysis. The Gathering’s Central Florida Regional Workbook, including the members of the Central Florida Regional Caucus, are posted on the Central Florida Partnership website, ideastoresults.org. Special acknowledgement should be given to the members of the Central Florida Regional Caucus and the organizations they represent, which are also listed in workbook.

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Regional Issues

Understanding Our Responsibilities
Developing an Effective “Civic Infrastructure”
Agreeing on “Who We Are” (World)
Agreeing on “Who We Are” (Local)
Investing in a Regional Transportation System
Ensuring a Regional Water Supply Plan
Building a Regional Economy
Reducing Poverty
Investing in People
Solving Chronic Homelessness

Note: Improving Race Relationships was added as an 11th Regional Issue. Since the topic was an addition, it is not part of the Central Florida Regional Workbook. As a result, it wasn't assigned an individual work group, so “Notes & Notations” weren't compiled.

 

 

 

 

Tags: central florida partnership