Monitor and revise community health improvement plan

A community health improvement plan (CHIP) is a living document that community health boards and community partners routinely review, monitor, and update based on progress, changing needs, and priorities.

Background
Monitor plan progress with community partners
Collect, analyze, and report data
Revise and update the community health improvement plan
Communicate progress
Related national public health accreditation standards
MDH assistance
Further resources

Public Health leaders and community partners have a shared interest in ensuring the time, energy, and resources invested to improve community health is effective. Effective community health improvement plans are dynamic. The act of monitoring and revising the CHIP is essential for keeping the plan a living and meaningful document.

Public Health Accreditation Board Measure 5.2.4 requires community health boards to: Monitor and revise, as needed, the strategies in the community health improvement plan in collaboration with broad participation from stakeholders and partners.

Monitoring and revising the CHIP typically involves:

• Routinely reviewing plan progress with community partners who are implementing the plan (at least annually)
• Collecting, analyzing, and reporting on data
• Using the data and information to make decisions on plan adjustments and revise the plan accordingly

Monitoring and revising the CHIP is about observing and documenting progress which results from community organizations, agencies, and other partner’s work included in the CHIP to address the top health priorities. While public health is often the coordinator and convener of this work, the CHIP is a community health improvement plan, not an agency plan, and implementation partners should play an active role in monitoring the work and recommending revisions.

Elements of an effective process to monitor and revise the CHIP include:

• Involvement and active participation by community stakeholders and partners who have been implementing strategies in the CHIP
• Clear roles and responsibilities of community stakeholders and partners in the process (what data or information are they expected to collect and share)
• Scheduled meetings where monitoring and revising the CHIP are an intentional part of the agenda/discussion (review should be done at least annually)
• Data review, information sharing, and discussion regarding progress toward objectives and effectiveness of strategy/activity implementation
• A decision-making process for revising the CHIP and approval of those revisions

Some communities choose to integrate monitoring and revising into the agendas of existing meetings while others choose to have a standalone meeting. It is important to tailor the monitor and revise process to meet the needs of your community and to align with how the work is being done.

A strong community health improvement plan includes measures to that monitor progress over time. Population health priority issues, goals, and objectives tend to be long-range and data collected to determine impact on these areas may not be available annually. For more short-range monitoring, communities often focus on evaluating progress on implementing strategies, activities and timelines that are linked to the objectives, goals, and health priority issues.

You and your partners will use the data and information collected to determine whether you’re meeting your goals and making progress as intended.

Discuss the data with partners to understand what it means. Reflect on:

• What’s the story behind the numbers?
• How does actual performance or progress compare to the intended progress?
• What contributes to or impedes progress?
• Is corrective action necessary?

When you develop or revise your CHIP, be sure to include the source of the data or measures, who will collect and analyze this data and how often, and where and how you will track data and measures. This will help with future work on monitoring progress.

The MDH performance management cycle can help you monitor and revise your community health improvement plan.

The guiding questions in the following document can be used to facilitate discussion with community partners during the monitor and revise process: Monitoring and revising the community health improvement plan: Process guide and worksheet (DOC)

Based on the steps you have conducted above, update and revise your CHIP in partnership with your community to better meet your community’s capacity, resources, and local context.

You may only need to make minor adjustments to the plan. You may add entirely new strategies. You may completely revise the plan. Make revisions as necessary, based on:

• Analysis of data and information
• Implemented strategies
• Changes in population health objectives
• New/emerging health issues
• Changes in resources

The CHIP can be revised at any point in time after a review is done. Establish a consistent process for how revision decisions will be made and who is responsible for approval of the revisions.

You can increase transparency and foster buy-in from the broader community by keeping them informed on progress towards improving community health. Keep the community engaged and informed by doing things like (but not limited to):

• Creating and disseminating CHIP annual reports on progress
• Conducting public presentations, submitting newspaper articles, posting on social media, or using other communication channels to tell the story of efforts to improve community health
• Holding community listening sessions or facilitating community conversations

5.2.4. Monitor and revise as needed, the strategies in the community health improvement plan in collaboration with broad participation from stakeholders and partners.

Related documentation:

• Report on progress made in implementing strategies in the community health improvement plan
• Review and revision, as necessary, of the health improvement plan strategies based on results of the assessment

MDH has designed all assessment and planning guidance to help community health boards meet national public health standards developed by the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB).

Staff from the MDH Center for Public Health Practice can help you develop a process and plan to monitor and revise your CHIP, as well as meet the Performance-Related Accountability Requirement. To contact MDH, visit: Help and Technical Assistance.

• What is performance management? MDH