Self-Assessment Questions

The following questions prompt exploration of the key concepts concerning strategies for sustainability. By considering the questions below, you can determine whether you want to read more in the related Web section. This exploration is designed to lead you to a larger context for your sustainability plan.

Leadership:

• Has the leadership's vision for your project clarified which activities of your project are most important to sustain?
  
• Do you have an understanding of how change happens in an organization/community?
  
• Have you included the goal of systemic change as you thought about what activities of your project you want to sustain?
  
• Do you know which decision-makers in your community should be involved as you decide which elements of the project you will sustain?

Strategic Planning:

• Have you created a strategic plan to sustain various parts of your project?
  
• Have you considered some key aspects of your community-for example, the political context of the kind of work your program does and a map of its existing resources-as you have thought about what activities of your project you want to sustain?
  
• Do you have the tools/skills you need for strategic planning?

Partnership and Collaboration:

• Have you considered how your strategic partners and collaborations might assist you in sustaining your project?
  
• Are there potential partners that you should consider as you think about sustaining your project?
  
• Have you considered what benefits your partners will accrue by remaining in the partnership as you sustain your project?

Capacity Building:

• Have you developed internal mechanisms and support (e.g. infrastructure; policies, or procedures) for your project either within the organization or your partners that will help sustain it?
  
• Have you trained staff or partners to use skills that will achieve your program's intended outcomes?
  
• Have you thought how you should change your program to adapt to changing conditions in order to sustain it?

Communications/Marketing:

• Have you developed a clear, consistent message about the importance of your program's goals and its success in reaching them that will help sustain your program?
  
• Have you identified which audiences you need to reach to sustain your program?
  
• Have you considered what strategies you might use to market your project in order to sustain it?

Evaluation:

• Have you designed your evaluation with sustainability in mind?
  
• Have you considered how to best select and present your evaluation data to enhance sustainability efforts?
  
• Have you used your evaluation to make mid-course corrections to change the direction of the grant?

Financing:

• Have you made contacts with businesses or foundations that can help you sustain your project?
  
• Have you considered leveraging existing resources to sustain your project?
  
• Have you sought out other community-based organizations with similar missions/visions in order to consolidate community's resources?
  
• Do you have an understanding of financial planning?